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Sustainable groundwater extraction in coastal areas: a Belgian example

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

Water extractions in coastal areas have to deal with salt water intrusion and lowering of hydraulic heads in valuable ecosystems. Therefore, sustainable management of fresh water resources in these areas is crucial. This is illustrated here with two water extractions in the western Belgian coastal plain which extract groundwater from a phreatic dune aquifer. One water extraction faced problems with salt water intrusion, while lowering of hydraulic heads was an issue for both. To remedy the salt water intrusion, it was found that decreasing the extraction rate was the only solution. To offset this and to increase hydraulic heads around both extractions, it was decided to artificially recharge the aquifer of the second extraction with tertiary treated wastewater. By taking these interventions, the combined production capacity of the water extractions was increased with 56% whereas 27% less water was extracted from the dune aquifer itself. Extraction history and the effects of interventions are illustrated for both water extractions with water quality data and fresh water head observations. A more detailed insight in groundwater flow and fresh–salt water distribution in the aquifer is provided by simulating the evolution of the water extractions with a 3D density dependent groundwater flow model.

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Acknowledgments

This research was done as part of a research project funded by Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT-Flanders), grant IWT/OZM/050342. First author was also supported by the IWT-Flanders by this fund. We also acknowledge one anonymous reviewer for his constructive remarks.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Unit Groundwater Modelling, Department Geology and Soil Science, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 (S8), 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Alexander Vandenbohede & Luc Lebbe

  2. Intermunicipal Water Company of the Veurne region (IWVA), Doornpannestraat 1, 8670, Koksijde, Belgium

    Emmanuel Van Houtte

Authors
  1. Alexander Vandenbohede
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  2. Emmanuel Van Houtte
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  3. Luc Lebbe
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Correspondence to Alexander Vandenbohede.

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Vandenbohede, A., Van Houtte, E. & Lebbe, L. Sustainable groundwater extraction in coastal areas: a Belgian example. Environ Geol 57, 735–747 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1351-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1351-8

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