Modeling the potential impact of seasonal and inactive multi-aquifer wells on contaminant movement to public water-supply wells
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Abstract
Wells screened across multiple aquifers can provide pathways for the movement of surprisingly large volumes of groundwater to confined aquifers used for public water supply (PWS). Using a simple numerical model, we examine the impact of several pumping scenarios on leakage from an unconfined aquifer to a confined aquifer and conclude that a single inactive multi-aquifer well can contribute nearly 10% of total PWS well flow over a wide range of pumping rates. This leakage can occur even when the multi-aquifer well is more than a kilometer from the PWS well. The contribution from multi-aquifer wells may be greater under conditions where seasonal pumping (e.g., irrigation) creates large, widespread downward hydraulic gradients between aquifers. Under those conditions, water can continue to leak down a multi-aquifer well from an unconfined aquifer to a confined aquifer even when those multi-aquifer wells are actively pumped. An important implication is that, if an unconfined aquifer is contaminated, multi-aquifer wells can increase the vulnerability of a confined-aquifer PWS well.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Modeling the potential impact of seasonal and inactive multi-aquifer wells on contaminant movement to public water-supply wells |
| Series title | Journal of the American Water Resources Association |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00526.x |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Publication Date | March 30, 2011 |
| Year Published | 2011 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Wiley |
| Contributing office(s) | California Water Science Center, Ohio Water Science Center |
| Description | 9 p. |
| First page | 588 |
| Last page | 596 |