Groundwater protection

obligatory courses

Students should have basic knowledge related to:

evaluation of the origin of groundwater, waters in unsaturated and saturated zone and the hydrogeological systematics, hydrogeological medium and space (porous, fractured and karstic), hydrogeological properties of rocks and the methodology of their determination (water-storage capacity, gravitational drainage capacity, elastic capacity, hydraulic permeability - permeability coefficient and intrinsic permeability coefficient), aquifers characteristics and occurrence of groundwater in different geological structures and environments (glacial and fluvioglacial sediments, alluvial sediments, various forms of tectonics in the pre Quaternary formations), the role of dislocation zones in the circulation and drainage processes of groundwater, physical, organoleptic properties of groundwater and groundwater chemistry, the types and extent of chemical analysis of water, groundwater transformation and hydrogeochemical zones, therapeutic waters, the fundamental rights of groundwater flow, the filtration theory, the types of the groundwater flow, Darcy’s law and range of its applicability, apparent seepage velocity, effective velocity, groundwater flow rate, hydrogeological parameters of aquifers and aquifuges, permeability coefficient, transmissivity coefficient, elastic capacity coefficient, factor and parameter of seepage through aquifuge.

System and legal basics of protection of groundwater resources. Hydrogeological basics of protection of groundwater quality. Origins of pollution. Processes and conditions forming migration of pollutants and its calculation parameters. Projection of protection zones of groundwater intakes and groundwater reservoirs. Hydrodynamic, hydrochemical and geodynamic phenomena associated with intensive exploitation and drainage of groundwater and its impact on natural and economic environment. Protection strategy for quantity and quality of groundwater resources through optimization of the water-management system and its links with surrounding natural environment.

The classes are concentrated on:

• general characteristics of the methods of quantitative and qualitative protection of groundwater,

• migration of pollutants in unsaturated zone

• assessment of groundwater vulnerability to pollution

• parameters characterizing migration of pollutants in saturated zone

• model of solutes transfer in advection stream

• importance of density gradient and infiltration of effective transport of pollutants in the saturation zone

• groundwater intake – potential threats and remediation

• water intake project of protection zones and groundwater reservoirs - the legal basis and the method of determination.

After completing the classes a student:

- describes the migration parameters of pollutants in unsaturated and saturated zones

- calculates migration time of pollutants in unsaturated zone

- calculates migration of pollutants on the basis of the piston flow model

- solves the problem of substance transfer in the advective-dispersive stream for simple uniaxial schemes

- determines the retardation parameter on the basis of linear and non-linear equations of sorption

- quantitatively assesses stability of substance in the soil-water environment

- assesses the threat degree of groundwater contamination in the vicinity of groundwater intake

- projects protection zones of groundwater intakes

- determines parameters of pollutants migration

- uses Polish and European legal regulations for protection and management of groundwater resources.

• Only after correctly (credited by the teacher) completion of all tasks student can finally complete the classes.

• A final assessment of the classes on the basis of colloquium, with resit taking into account the quality of the tasks and projects completed during the classes.