Author(s): Pratima Patel; M. D. Desa
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Unconfined aquifer; Hydraulic conductivity; Recharge borewell; Well determinants; Transmissibility; Radius of influence
Abstract: The groundwater boom is turning to bust. Availability of water to urban agglomerations will become critical problem by 2050. Water supply in urban areas is heavily dependent on ground-water resources. Industrial and population growth and increasing agricultural activities often lead to over-exploitation of local ground-water resources in order to meet the rising demand for water. Lowered water-tables can lead to many different problems such as decrease in the water reserves and intrusion of contaminated water in bodies of potable water. Governments and the concerned urban local bodies must take effective steps to control indiscriminate and unauthorized extraction of ground water. In urban area ground water resources are getting polluted at an alarming rate due to lack of proper waste water and sewerage disposal systems. Adequate space for surface storage is not available in urban areas, water levels are deep enough to accommodate additional rainwater to recharge the aquifers, rooftop and runoff rainwater harvesting (storm water reuse) is ideal solution to solve the water supply problems. Authors have suggested this problem can be prevented by inducing ground-water mounding through artificial recharge using storm water stored in specially constructed basins. These basins are often circular or rectangular. Selection of the shape, size and depth of a basin is made in accordance with the requirement of a particular region. Authors narrated in this paper the effects of variation in the rate of recharge (available storm water) size of recharge basin and the saturated hydraulic conductivity on the growth of the water-table are also investigated. The reduction on the growth of ground-water mound is maximal at the center of recharge basin and it decreases away from the boundary of the recharge basin. This information is essential for the proper management of ground-water systems to maintain the regional water balance. Engineers, planners and administrators in charge of urban water supply have a challenging task before them to provide safe useable water in 2050. Advance active planning must start now. Otherwise it may too late. As usual we will be chasing the mirages. Authors have strongly emphasis in this paper how the artificial recharge of ground water practiced by storm water reuse and go commercially to make it viable and sustainable in the long run.
Year: 2010