Delineation of Wellhead Protection Areas: Methodology and Application

Abstract

About 97% of global fresh water is sourced from Groundwater, positioning it as an important, and sometimes the sole, source of drinking-water in many parts of the world. Sustainable Development Goals, Goal No. 6, calls to foster all efforts to ensure access to water and sanitation for all. Nevertheless, with groundwater providing nearly half the world population with drinking water, the responsibly of sustaining this resource is a priority to all. Pumping wells can sometimes, if not carefully protected, be an instant source of pollution to the groundwater. Wellhead protection areas (WHPAs) serve the purpose of protecting the quality of groundwater by means of restrictions imposed on land use activities within the WHPA. Many approaches are being used to delineate WHPAs all over the world. The study used the numerical groundwater flow modeling with particle tracking codes approach, as it allows full interaction of hydrogeological, land-use, PCS, and different extraction rates in delineating the WHPA. The study area is a drinking water plant, located in Menofia Governorate and belongs to the Nile Delta aquifer. The study used 50-day isochron horizontal travel distance for the three pumping wells, located in the drinking water plant. The WHPA radius was determined for wells and the resulted radii range from 37m to 54.5m.

Keywords:Wellhead protection area, groundwater protection, contaminant transport, MT3D, groundwater modelling

DOI: 10.7176/CER/13-4-04

Publication date:June 30^th 2021