Mitigating Seawater Intrusion in Coastal Aquifers: Novel Approach with Treated Wastewater Injection and Groundwater Circulation

Faculty Engineering Year: 2023
Type of Publication: ZU Hosted Pages:
Authors:
Journal: Journal of Hydrology Elsever Volume:
Keywords : Mitigating Seawater Intrusion , Coastal Aquifers: Novel    
Abstract:
Seawater intrusion (SWI) is a natural phenomenon that negatively impacts the potability of groundwater and is expected to worsen with rising sea levels due to climate change. Artificial recharge of freshwater is a commonly-used remediation method to mitigate SWI and improve freshwater supply security in affected coastal aquifers. However, limited freshwater availability can limit the effectiveness of this approach. This study proposes a novel mitigation measure, called Inj-GCW, which combines the injection of reclaimed water with the use of groundwater circulation wells (GCW) to enhance the effectiveness of artificial recharge in controlling SWI. GCW is a dual-screened well with isolated screens that extract and inject groundwater into the aquifer. The performance of the proposed measure was quantitatively evaluated using an illustrative simplified unconfined coastal aquifer. Based on the findings, the design parameters were estimated for a field-scale case study of the Nile Delta aquifer (NDA), a large Mediterranean coastal aquifer in Egypt. The study adopts a future scenario that considers Sea-level rise due to climate change and projected population growth by 2100. Results demonstrate that introducing of GCWs into the saltwater wedge, along with injection, effectively retreated the saltwater wedge, due to enhanced velocity, seaward fluxes, and dilution of contamination. Inj-GCW measure led to an 8.9% reduction in SWI and a 5.2% decrease in aquifer salinity compared to the expected intrusion in 2100. Furthermore, the Inj-GCW measure resulted in a 2.2% higher repulsion rate and 0.3% reduction in total salt mass compared to injection alone. The Inj-GCW measure presents a promising solution to SWI challenges in the NDA and other coastal aquifers facing similar issues. The formation of a brackish water bubble at the injection well screen of the GCW and the generated vertical groundwater circulation cells acted as a hydraulic barrier and contributed to the proposed method effectiveness.
   
     
 
       

Author Related Publications

  • Hany Farahat Abdelhamid Attia , "Investigating and Managing the Impact of Using Untreated Wastewater for Irrigation on the Groundwater Quality in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions", MPDI, 2021 More
  • Hany Farahat Abdelhamid Attia , "Environmental risk assessment focused on water quality in the Laborec River watershed", Elsevier, 2021 More
  • Hany Farahat Abdelhamid Attia , "Finite element modeling of seawater intrusion in Wadi Ham aquifer, UAE", Engineering Computations, 2012 More
  • Hany Farahat Abdelhamid Attia , "Update of IDF curves for Riyadh city, KSA", Egyptian International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology (EIJEST), Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, 2013 More
  • Hany Farahat Abdelhamid Attia , "Investigation of Some Potential Parameters and its Impacts on Saltwater Intrusion in Nile Delta Aquifer", Journal of Engineering Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Assiut University, 2014 More

Department Related Publications

  • Ibrahiem Abdelaziz Abdelmoteleb Ali, "دراسة كفاءة منظومة حاجز امواج رأسي محمل معلق علي خوازيق", كلية الهندسة- جامعة الزقازيق, 2014 More
  • Abdelaziem Mohamed Abdelhamied Negm, "Sustainable waste management of medical waste in African developing countries: A narrative review", SAGE, 2021 More
  • Ismaiel Abdelaty Mohamed Ismaiel, "Effects of groundwater abstraction and desalination brine deep injection on a coastal aquifer", Elsever, 2021 More
  • Ismaiel Abdelaty Mohamed Ismaiel, "Investigating and Managing the Impact of Using Untreated Wastewater for Irrigation on the Groundwater Quality in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions", MPDI, 2021 More
Tweet