A methodology to analyse and assess pumping management strategies in coastal aquifers to avoid degradation due to seawater intrusion problems

In this paper we will focus on an interesting and complex problem, the analysis of coastal aquifer management alternatives in aquifers affected by seawater intrusion problems. A systhematic method based on an approximation of the safe yield concept for coastal aquifers and a simple model approach to the problem is proposed to help in the decision making process. It is based on the assessment of an index, that we have called the Pumping Reduction to Achieve a Natural Good Status (PRANGS), which we have defined as the minimum reduction in pumped abstractions necessary to maintain seawater intrusion below the value estimated for the natural regime under different climate conditions: humid (PRANGSh), intermediate (PRANGSi) and dry years (PRANGSd). It requires to solve an optimization problem (for each of the climate conditions: humid, intermediate and dry years), whose objective function is to minimize the reduction in pumping whilst ensuring intrusion does not exceed the natural regime ones. A simulation model that provides a valid approximation of seawater intrusion is needed. The methodology was applied to a well-known Spanish Mediterranean aquifer, the Oropesa-Torreblanca Plain aquifer. The optimization problem was solved using an iterative process from a constant density flow simulation model of the aquifer, assuming a direct relationship between piezometric drawdown and seawater intrusion

A Standardized Index for Assessing Seawater Intrusion in Coastal Aquifers: The SITE Index

A large number of coastal aquifers worldwide are impacted by seawater intrusion. A major aim of European Directives 2000/60/EC and 2006/118/EC is to achieve good ecological status in groundwater bodies, including coastal aquifers. To this goal, information is needed about the current state of, and changes over time in, individual aquifers. This information can be obtained by applying methods that determine the status of aquifers in an uncomplicated manner. Methods for this type of assessment must comply with three essential criteria. First, calculation of the index must be straightforward and should be based on easy-to-obtain or commonly available data. Next, the index should be able to highlight important characteristics in understandable terms. Finally, the results should be objective and should be expressed in such a way that different time periods and different aquifers can be compared. In this paper we describe the development of a method to characterize seawater intrusion that meets these criteria and is based on four basic parameters: surface area, intensity, temporality, and evolution. Each parameter is determined by specific calculations derived from the groundwater chloride concentrations. Results are specified as a numerical index and an alphanumeric code. This index, known as SITE, has been applied to four Mediterranean coastal aquifers. The standardized results allowed us to discriminate between, and objectively compare the status of these groundwater bodies. Further, this index will make it possible to prioritize management actions and evaluate the effectiveness of these actions over time

Effects of different amendments (organic matter and hydrogel) on the actual evapotranspiration and crop coefficient of turf grass under field conditions

The irrigation schedule in arid areas has to be efficient in order to reduce losses due to evaporation and deep infiltration. Irrigation optimization poses the need to establish with precision the value of actual evapotranspiration (ETa), and the crop coefficient (Kc). The water soil availability can be increased using hydrogel and organic matter amendments, and their effects could vary ETa and Kc. The aim of this study was to determine the ETa, and Kc of an experimental site with lysimeters on the Spanish Mediterranean coast cropped with a turf grass variety, Agrostis stolonifera ‐L‐93, under field conditions, and amended with hydrogel and organic matter. Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) was determined from meteorological data (FAO‐Penman‐Monteith equation). ETa was calculated from the water balance, and Kc was obtained by dividing ETa by ET0. Kc was calculated and compared on a yearly, monthly and daily basis. In summer, the differences between amendments become manifest:Unamended lysimeter (100% sand) had Kc values (0.92‐1.16), similar to organic matter amended lysimeter (0.99‐1.17). Maximum and minimum Kc values for the hydrogel amended lysimeters (1.04‐1.52) were higher than those from the other because of the ability of this compound to retain water, which facilitated evapotranspiration. Finally, hydrogel helped to maintain the turf grass quality

Spatial characterization of the seawater upconing process in a coastal Mediterranean aquifer (Plana de Castellon, Spain): Evolution and controls

In this contribution, we describe the formation and evolution of the upconing process in a Mediterranean coastal aquifer. The study area has experienced severe salinization over the last 40 years because of intensive exploitation of groundwater. We used historical and current records of piezometric levels and chloride concentrations to trace the development of the salinization of the aquifer. We defined the 3D shape of the saline wedge from the spatial distribution of chloride concentrations and vertical well logs of electrical conductivity using monitoring network data. Upconing first appeared in the early 90s and has continued until the present day. In this study, we examined the intensity of the upconing process. Dry periods and the associated increases in pumping caused the advance of seawater intrusion. The sharp reduction in groundwater withdrawals over the last 10 years has caused the saline wedge to move backwards, although the ongoing pumping and the climate conditions mean that this retreat is quite slow

Spatial characterization of the seawater upconing process in a coastal Mediterranean aquifer (Plana de Castellón, Spain): evolution and controls

In this contribution, we describe the formation and evolution of the upconing process in a Mediterranean coastal aquifer. The study area has experienced severe salinization over the last 40 years because of intensive exploitation of groundwater. We used historical and current records of piezometric levels and chloride concentrations to trace the development of the salinization of the aquifer. We defined the 3D shape of the saline wedge from the spatial distribution of chloride concentrations and vertical well logs of electrical conductivity using monitoring network data. Upconing first appeared in the early 90s and has continued until the present day. In this study, we examined the intensity of the upconing process. Dry periods and the associated increases in pumping caused the advance of seawater intrusion. The sharp reduction in groundwater withdrawals over the last 10 years has caused the saline wedge to move backwards, although the ongoing pumping and the climate conditions mean that this retreat is quite slow

Global Assessment of Seawater Intrusion Problems (Status and Vulnerability)

In this research paper we propose a novel method to perform an integrated analysis of the status and vulnerability of coastal aquifers to seawater intrusion (SWI). The method is based on a conceptual approach of intrusion that allows to summarised results in a visual way at different spatial scales, moving from steady pictures (corresponding to instantaneous or mean values in a period) including maps and 2D conceptual crosssections and temporal series of lumped indices. Our aim is to help in the identification of coastal groundwater bodies at risk of not achieving good chemical status according to the Water Framework Directive. The indices are obtained from available information about aquifer geometry and historical monitoring data (chloride concentration and hydraulic head data). This method may be applied even in cases where a reduced number of data are available. It does not require complex modelling and has been implemented in a GIS tool that encourages its use in other cases. Analysis of the evolution of historical time series of these indices can be used to assess resilience and trends with respect to SWI problems. This method can be also useful to compare intrusion problems in different aquifers and temporal periods

Summarizing the impacts of future potential global change scenarios on seawater intrusion at the aquifer scale

[EN] Climate change affects rainfall and temperature producing a breakdown in the water balance and a variation in the dynamic of freshwater-seawater in coastal areas, exacerbating seawater intrusion (SWI) problems. The target of this paper is to propose a method to assess and analyze impacts of future global change (GC) scenarios on SWI at the aquifer scale in a coastal area. Some adaptation measures have been integrated in the definition of future GC scenarios incorporating complementary resources within the system in accordance with urban development planning. The proposed methodology summarizes the impacts of potential GC scenarios in terms of SWI status and vulnerability at the aquifer scale through steady pictures (maps and conceptual 2D cross sections for specific dates or statistics of a period) and time series for lumped indices. It is applied to the Plana de Oropesa-Torreblanca aquifer. The results summarize the influence of GC scenarios in the global status and vulnerability to SWI under some management scenarios. These GC scenarios would produce higher variability of SWI status and vulnerability.This work has been partially supported by the GeoE.171.008-TACTIC and GeoE.171.008-HOVER projects from GeoERA organization funded by European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program; Plan de Garantia Juvenil from MINECO (Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad), co-inancing by BEI (Banco Europeo de Inversiones) and FSE (Fondo Social Europeo); and SIGLO-AN (RTI2018-101397-B-I00) project from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Programa Estatal de I+D+I orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad). The authors also thank AEMET and UC for the data provided for this work (Spain02 dataset, https://www.meteo.unican.es/datasets/spain02).Baena-Ruiz, L.; Pulido-Velázquez, D.; Collados-Lara, A.; Renau-Pruñonosa, A.; Morell, I.; Senent-Aparicio, J.; Llopis-Albert, C. (2020). Summarizing the impacts of future potential global change scenarios on seawater intrusion at the aquifer scale. Environmental Earth Sciences. 79(5):1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-8847-2S113795Baena-Ruiz L, Pulido-Velazquez D, Collados-Lara AJ, Renau-Pruñonosa A, Morell I (2018) Global assessment of seawater intrusion problems (status and vulnerability). Water Resour Manage 32:2681–2700. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-018-1952-2Benini L, Antonellini M, Laghi L (2016) Assessment of water resources availability and groundwater salinization in future climate and land use change scenarios: a case study from a coastal drainage basin in Italy. 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J Hydrol Eng 22(7):05017007. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0001493Kløve B, Ala-Aho P, Bertrand G, Gurdak JJ, Kupfersberger H, Kværner J, Uvo CB (2014) Climate change impacts on groundwater and dependent ecosystems. J Hydrol 518:250–266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2013.06.037Koutroulis AG, Papadimitriou LV, Grillakis MG, Tsanis IK, Wyser K, Betts RA (2018) Freshwater vulnerability under high end climate change. A pan-European assessment. Sci Total Environ 613:271–286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.074Li R, Merchant JW (2013) Modeling vulnerability of groundwater to pollution under future scenarios of climate change and biofuels-related land use change: a case study in North Dakota, USA. Sci Total Environ 447:32–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.01.011Liu J, Rich K, Zheng C (2008) Sustainability analysis of groundwater resources in a coastal aquifer. Alabama Environ Geol 54(1):43–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0791-xLoáiciga HA, Pingel TJ, Garcia ES (2012) Sea water intrusion by sea-level rise: scenarios for the 21st century. Groundwater 50(1):37–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.2011.00800.xLuoma S, Okkonen J, Korkka-Niemi K (2017) Comparison of the AVI, modified SINTACS and GALDIT vulnerability methods under future climate-change scenarios for a shallow low-lying coastal aquifer in southern Finland. Hydrogeol J 25(1):203–222. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-016-1471-2Mabrouk M, Jonoski A, Oude HP, Essink G, Uhlenbrook S (2018) Impacts of sea level rise and groundwater extraction scenarios on fresh groundwater resources in the Nile Delta Governorates. Egypt. Water 10(11):1690. https://doi.org/10.3390/w10111690McEvoy J, Wilder M (2012) Discourse and desalination: potential impacts of proposed climate change adaptation interventions in the Arizona-Sonora border region. Glob Environ Change 22(2012):353–363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.11.001Petty K (2011) The effects of land cover, climate, and urbanization on groundwater resources in Dauphin Island. Dissertation, Auburn University, AlabamaPulido-Velazquez D, Garrote L, Andreu J, Martin-Carrasco FJ, Iglesias A (2011) A methodology to diagnose the effect of climate change and to identify adaptive strategies to reduce its impacts in conjunctive-use systems at basin scale. J Hydrol 405:110–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.05.014Pulido-Velazquez D, Renau-Pruñonosa A, Llopis-Albert C, Morell I, Collados-Lara AJ, Senent-Aparicio J, Baena-Ruiz L (2018) Integrated assessment of future potential global change scenarios and their hydrological impacts in coastal aquifers—a new tool to analyse management alternatives in the Plana Oropesa-Torreblanca aquifer. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 22(5):3053. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3053-2018Ranjan SP, Kazama S, Sawamoto M (2006) Effects of climate and land use changes on groundwater resources in coastal aquifers. J Environ Manage 80(1):25–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2005.08.008Rasmussen P, Sonnenborg TO, Goncear G, Hinsby K (2013) Assessing impacts of climate change, SLR, and drainage canals on saltwater intrusion to coastal aquifer. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 17:421–443. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-421-2013Renau-Pruñonosa A, Morell I, Pulido-Velazquez D (2016) A methodology to analyse and assess pumping management strategies in coastal aquifers to avoid degradation due to seawater intrusion problems. Water Resour Manage 30(13):4823–4837. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-016-1455-yRobins NS, Jones HK, Ellis J (1999) An aquifer management case study—the chalk of the English South Downs. 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Identification of Aquifer Recharge Sources as the Origin of Emerging Contaminants in Intensive Agricultural Areas. La Plana de Castellón, Spain

In urban, industrial, and agricultural areas, a vast array of contaminants may be found because they are introduced into the aquifers by different recharge sources. The emerging contaminants (ECs) correspond to unregulated contaminants, which may be candidates for future regulation depending on the results of research into their potential effects on health and on monitoring data regarding their occurrence. ECs frequently found in wastewater, such as acetaminophen, carbamazepine, primidone, and sulfamethoxazole, may be good indicators of the introduction of the reclaimed water to the aquifers. The resistance of the ECs to removal in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) causes them to be appropriate sewage markers. Plana de Castellón (Spain) is a coastal area that has been characterized by intensive citrus agriculture since the 1970s. Traditionally, in the southern sector of Plana de Castellón, 100% of irrigation water comes from groundwater. In recent years, local farmers have been using a mixture of groundwater and reclaimed water from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to irrigate the citrus. The aims of the present study were: (i) to assess the occurrences, spatial distributions, and concentrations of selected ECs, including 32 antibiotics, 8 UV filters, and 2 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in groundwater in a common agricultural context; (ii) to identify the recharge (pollution) sources acting as the origin of the ECs, and (iii) to suggest ECs as indicators of reclaimed water arrival in detrital heterogeneous aquifers. The obtained data provided relevant information for the management of water resources and elucidated the fate and behavior of emerging contaminants in similar contexts

Comprehensive monitoring of organic micro-pollutants in surface and groundwater in the surrounding of a solid-waste treatment plant of Castellón, Spain

The solid-waste treatment plant of RECIPLASA is located in the municipality of Onda (Castellón province), which is an important agricultural area of Spain, with predominance of citrus crops. In this plant, all urban solid wastes from the town of Castellón (around 200.000 inhabitants) and other smaller towns as Almassora, Benicàssim, Betxí, Borriana, L’Alcora, Onda and Vila-Real are treated. In order to evaluate the potential impact of this plant on the surrounding water, both surface and groundwater, a comprehensive monitoring of organic pollutants has been carried out along 2011, 2012 and 2013. To this aim, an advanced analytical strategy was applied for wide-scope screening, consisting on the complementary use of liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) with quadrupole (Q)-time of flight analyser (TOF). A generic solid-phase extraction with Oasis HLB cartridges was applied prior to the chromatographic analysis. The screening included more than 1,500 organic pollutants as target compounds, such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, veterinary drugs, drugs of abuse, UV-filters, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), among others. Pesticides, mainly herbicides, were the compounds more frequently detected. Other compounds as antioxidants, cosmetics, drugs of abuse, PAHs, pharmaceuticals and UV filters, were also identified in the screening though at much lower frequency. Once the screening was made, quantitative analysis focused on the compounds more frequently detected was subsequently applied using LC coupled to tandem MS with triple quadrupole analyzer. In this way, up to 24 pesticides and transformation products (TPs), 7 pharmaceuticals, one drug of abuse and its metabolite could be quantified at sub-ppb concentrations. Along the three years of study, ten compounds were found at 3 concentrations higher than 0.1 g/L. Most of them were pesticides and TPs, a fact that illustrates that the main source of pollution seems to be the agricultural activities in this area.RECIPLASA (UJI numbers 10I239.01/1, 12I056.01/1 and 13I193.01/1) Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2009/054; PROMETEOII/2014/023; ISIC 2012/016

Framework to Assess Natural Chloride Background in Coastal Aquifers Affected by Seawater Intrusion in Eastern Spain

[EN] The protection of groundwater resources in coastal aquifers is an increasingly important issue worldwide. To establish threshold values and remediation objectives, it is essential to know the natural background concentrations of relevant ions in groundwater. The rationale is to define the Natural Background Level (NBL) of chemical species determined by atmospheric and lithological forces. In many coastal aquifers, this evaluation worsens since atmospheric and lithological salinity combines with many other anthropogenic sources of salinity, including exogenous salinity induced by seawater intrusion (SWI). This paper presents a combination of six well-known statistical techniques and a new methodology (i.e., SITE index) in eight GWBs affected by SWI in Eastern Spain. The chloride ion was the selected conservative chemical specie to assess the qualitative status due to the variable SWI affection. The Natural Chloride Background (NCB) obtained from these methodologies at the GWB scale was compared with regional NCB data calculated with the Atmospheric Chloride Mass Balance (CMB) method in Continental Spain. The CMB method provides atmospherically derived NCB data that are not influenced by SWI or anthropogenic activities or lithological forces. This external evaluation can be considered the atmospheric fraction of NCB, which serves as a regional criterion to validate the more detailed statistical methodologies applied at the GWB scale. As a result, a conceptualization of NCB is obtained by means of a range of values between 115 mg L-1 and 261 mg L-1 in the studied coastal GWBs affected by SWI in Eastern Spain.This research was partially funded by the projects GeoE.171.008-TACTIC and Ge-oE.171.008-HOVER from the EU Horizon 2020 R+D program, the project 101086497 from the EU Horizon-CL6-2022-Governance-01 R+D program, and the project SIGLO-PROAN (PID2021-128021OB-I00 and RTI2018-101397-B-I00) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.Grima-Olmedo, J.; Ballesteros-Navarro, B.; Pulido-Velázquez, D.; Renau-Pruñonosa, A.; Javier Alcalá, F.; Llopis-Albert, C.; Jiménez-Gavilán, P.... (2023). Framework to Assess Natural Chloride Background in Coastal Aquifers Affected by Seawater Intrusion in Eastern Spain. Water. 15(15):1-17. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15152728117151