Study on groundwater recharge by recharge wells using groundwater Modelling
Abstract
Groundwater is a dynamic, replenishable and precious resource of limited extent. The frequent occurrence of water crisis is not due to scarcity of water, but it is due to the poor management practices adopted in the past. Natural recharge is not sufficient to nullify the effect of pumping. Artificial recharge projects can be a valuable component of a groundwater management and conjunctive use strategy for long-term reliability of groundwater supply and improvement of basin water quality, under unplanned land use change, deforestation, socio-economic change and human intervention which are now modifying the hydrology. In the context of sustainable groundwater management, it is essential to assess the effectiveness of recharge wells in terms of their ability to recharge the aquifer. The knowledge of water samples injected into the aquifers and their movement is essential for studying the feasibility of recharge wells in recharging the aquifers. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of injecting excess stream flow into aquifers in order to store water for use when surface-water resources are minimal. An analytical model was developed to study the spatial and temporal replenishment pattern of a single recharge well in a uniform flow field and was compared with a numerical model developed in Modflow. The model is based on the principle of superposition of uniform flow and a source in an aquifer. Analytical model study and numerical model study shows that the shape of recharge waterfront from a recharge well is symmetrical with x-axis and the front advances in the direction of flow. The waterfront traveled horizontally about 30 cm in a day.
