Modeling Groundwater Pollution

Abstract

So far, we have discussed only the movement and storage of water in various types of aquifers, overlooking a major problem which is of interest in any development and management of a water resources system, namely that of water quality. In fact, with the increased demand for water in most parts of the world, and with the intensification of water utilization, the quality problem becomes the limiting factor in the development and use of water resources. Although in some regions, the quality of both surface and groundwater resources deteriorates, special attention should be devoted to the pollution of groundwater in aquifers due to the very slow velocity of the water and to the possibility of an interaction of the pollutants with the solid matrix. Although it may seem that groundwater is more protected than surface water, it is still subject to pollution, and when the latter occurs, the restoration to the original, nonpolluted state, is usually more difficult and lengthy.