Observations on Vertical Variability in Groundwater Quality: Implications for Aquifer Management

This work demonstrates significant vertical variability in the chemical composition of groundwater (Cl⁻ from 150 to 550 mg/L, NO₃^-{\rm{NO}}_{3}^{-} from 3 to 70 mg/L, trichloroethene from 350 to 55,000 μg/L and Cr_Total from 3 to 2,900 μg/L) along a 130 m thick vertical section passing through two subaquifers of the Costal Plain aquifer of Israel. Water samples were obtained by multilevel sampler under natural gradient flow conditions from a monitoring well which penetrates the entire aquifer. The vertical chemical variability detected at a single point in time in this well was found to be similar to the range of concentrations detected for Cl⁻ in pumping wells located over an area of about 1,000 km² in the same aquifer. Similarly, vertical variations in NO₃^-{\rm{NO}}_{3}^{-} concentration in the single monitoring well represent more than 50% of the total variation in nitrate levels in pumping wells sampled across the entire aquifer. These results graphically illustrate that data from pumping wells, which extract unknown mixtures of groundwater from different depths, cannot provide adequate information about groundwater quality for management purposes.     

Chemical Evaluation of Ma’an Sewage Effluents and its Reuse in Irrigation Purposes

The present study investigates the chemical composition of Ma’an Wastewater Treatment Plant in south Jordan. Samples of effluent of this plant were collected over 1 year period. All samples were analyzed for pH, conductivity, major ions (Cl⁻, , , , , Na⁺, K⁺, Ca^2 + and Mg^2 +) and trace metals B, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb. The pH value ranges from 6.79 to 8.15 with a median value of 7.39 ± 0.32. The water quality was characterized by its high salinity hazard (C3) and low sodium hazard (S1) which can be considered as marginal for human consumption. Moreover, concentrations of trace metals in treated wastewater were found to be low and within guidelines for irrigation water due to low level of industrialization activities in the study area. Generally, the result of this study suggests that the treated wastewater is suitable for irrigational purposes, while these effluents can be considered as possible additional resources for irrigation in Jordan.     

Intrinsic Vulnerability Assessment for the Alluvial Aquifer in the Northern Part of Jordan Valley

The Northern Jordan Valley (NJV) is an important and significant water basin in Jordan where most of Jordan’s agricultural crops are produced. Knowing that the aquifer system is mainly composed of alluvial deposits, it is important to assess the potential of ground water for pollution. For this purpose intrinsic vulnerability was assessed using SINTACS model with the aid of geographic information system (GIS) techniques. The final results show that about 40% of the investigated area has been classified as high to very high vulnerable to groundwater pollution. These results were correlated with measured concentration of nitrate (NO₃^-1)_{3}^{-1}) at different locations. A high correlation was found between areas of high nitrate concentrations and those of high vulnerability category. To validate the model results, a sensitivity analysis has been carried out to assess the influence of each of SINTACS parameters on the obtained vulnerability values. It was found that the soil overburden attenuation capacity parameter (T) and the depth to the groundwater parameter (S) are the most sensitive parameters to SINTACS vulnerability model. The effective-weights analysis was also performed in this study to revise the weights in the computed vulnerability index. It was noticed that the effective weights for each parameter were sometimes varies from the theoretical weights assigned by the SINTACS method.     

An Improved I a S Relation Incorporating Antecedent Moisture in SCS-CN Methodology

Employing a large dataset of 84 small watersheds (area = 0.17 to 71.99 ha) of U.S.A., this paper investigates a number of initial abstraction (I _a )-potential maximum retention (S) relations incorporating antecedent moisture (M) as a function of antecedent precipitation (P ₅), and finally suggests an improved relation for use in the popular Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) methodology for determination of direct runoff from given rainfall. The improved performance of the incorporated M = α and I _a = λ S ²/(S + M) relations, where λ is the initial abstraction coefficient, in the SCS-CN methodology exhibits the dependence of I _a on M, which is close to reality; the larger the M, the lesser will be I _a , and vice versa. Such incorporation obviates sudden jumps in the curve number variation with antecedent moisture condition, an unreasonable and undesirable feature of the existing SCS-CN model.     

Optimal flood control in multireservoir cascade systems with deterministic inflow forecasts

This article presents the formal analysis of a problem of the optimal flood control in systems of serially connected multiple water reservoirs. It is assumed, that the basic goal is minimization of the peak flow measured at a point (cross-section) located downstream from all reservoirs and that inflows to the system are deterministic. A theorem expressing sufficient conditions of optimality for combinations of releases from the reservoirs is presented together with the relevant proof. The main features of the optimal combinations of controls are thoroughly explained. Afterwards, two methods of determining the optimal releases are presented. Finally, the results of the application of the proposed methodology to a small, four reservoir system are presented.Notations c _i contribution of theith,i=1, ...,m, reservoir to the total storage capacity of the multireservoir system - d _i (t) one of the uncontrolled inflows to the cascade at timet (fori=1 main inflow to the cascade, fori=2, ...,m, side inflow to theith reservoir, fori=m+1 side inflow at pointP) - total inflow to theith reservoir,i=2, ...,m, at timet (i.e., inflowd _i augmented with properly delayed releaser _i–1 from the previous reservoir) (used only in figures) - d(t),d _S (t) (the first term is used in text, the second one in figures) aggregated inflow to the cascade (natural flow at pointP) at timet - time derivative of the aggregated inflow at timet - i reservoir index - m number of reservoirs in cascade - P control point, flood damage center - minimal peak of the flow at pointP (cutting level) - Q _p (t) flow measured at pointP at timet - flow measured at pointP at timet, corresponding to the optimal control of the cascade - r _i (t) release from theith reservoir at timet, i=1, ...,m - optimal release from theith reservoir at timet, i=1, ...,m - r ₁ ^* (t) a certain release from theith reservoir at timet, different than ,i=1, ...,m, (used only in the proof of Theorem 1) - a piece of the optimal release from themth reservoir outside period at timet - assumed storage of theith reservoir at time (used only in the proof of Theorem 1) - s _i (t) storage of theith reservoir at timet, i=1, ...,m - time derivative of the storage of theith reservoir at timet, i=1, ...,m - storage capacity of theith reservoir,i=1, ...,m - (the first term is used in text, the second one in figures) total storage capacity of the cascade of reservoirs - S* sum of storages, caused by implementingr _i ^* ,i=1, ...,m, of all reservoirs measured at (used only in the proof of Theorem 1) - t time variable (continuous) - t ₀ initial time of the control horizon - t _a initial time of the period of constant flow equal at pointP - initial time of the period of the essential filling of theith reservoir,i=1, ...,m (used only in the proof of Theorem 1) - t _b final time of the period of constant flow equal at pointP - final time of the period of the essential filling of theith reservoir,i=1, ...,m (used only in the proof of Theorem 1) - time of filling up of theith reservoir while applying method with switching of the active reservoir - t _f final time of the control horizon - fori=1, ...,m–1, time lag betweenith andi+1th reservoir; fori=m time lag between the lowest reservoir of the cascade and the control pointP     

The DPSIR Approach for an Integrated River Management Framework. A Preliminary Application on a Mediterranean Site (Kalamas River -NW Greece)

The European Water Policy introduced the necessity to apply new methodological approaches for the sustainable management of water resources. In the present paper the Driving-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework was developed as a methodological tool for the case study of Kalamas River basin (NW Greece). According to the DPSIR approach, it was revealed that the main driving forces, leading to pressures, were the agriculture, the livestock and the numerous point-pollution sources located at the catchment area. Elevated nutrients concentrations (NO₃-N:0.1–2.6 mg/L, NH₄-N:0.01–1.29 mg/L, SRP: 0.03–5.76 mg/L) along with high chlorophyll-a values (0.54–6.14 mg/m³) highlight river eutrophication. Response actions include elimination of diffuse pollution as well as reduction of the organic load through the optimization of the existed treatment plants. Since several parts of Kalamas River are designated as protected areas, specific measures for protecting biodiversity should be undertaken.     

Ecological Water Requirement (EWR) Analysis of High Mountain and Steep Gorge (HMSG) River—Application to Upper Lancang–Mekong River

As “corridor” in the south–north and “barrier” in the west–east direction, Lancang River, the upstream of Lancang–Mekong River, has an obvious spatial–temporal characteristic and unique regional attributes. Recently, the hydropower development of the mainstream along Lancang River has disturbed the regional ecosystem to have unstable factors, and threatened the ecosystem health. This paper used the couple model of Grading Coefficient of ecological water requirement (GCEWR) and the ecological runoff (ER) to simulate the ecological water requirement (EWR) of Lancang River, in a broad sense, this method belongs to hydrology–ecology methodology. In the GCEWR–ER, We adopted ecological characteristic indexes (ECI) and hydrological characteristic variables (e.g. variance index) to calculate the GCEWR, and used three methods to calculate the basic variable (e.g. ER) of EWR: the first method directly used annual average runoff as ER; the second method was used frequency method and took year as basic time unit, and the third method took season (e.g. flood season, non-flood season) as the basic time unit to evaluate ER. Finally, in order to demonstrate applicability of this developed methodology, this paper adopted GCEWR–ER method to calculate the EWR of Lancang River in the Longitudinal Range-Gorge Region. By the systematic analysis of the results, we could get the minimum, satisfying and optimal EWR for the Lancang River, which were 142.53 × 10⁸, 286.46 × 10⁸ and 385.96 × 10⁸ m³. The three EWR respectively occupied 25.10%, 50.46% and 67.98% of the average measured run-off (567.75 × 10⁸ m³) of the Lancang River, and respectively occupied 18.63%, 37.45% and 50.45% of the natural run-off (765 × 10⁸ m³) of the Lancang River.     

Maximum Grade Approach to Surplus Floodwater of Hyperconcentration Rivers in Flood Season and its Application

The severe soil erosion in the Chinese Loess Plateau has resulted in a considerable wastage of surface runoff (floodwater) in flood season due to high sediment concentration in runoff. To address the water scarcity problem, it is a viable solution to utilize the floodwater. A maximum grade approach (MGA) is presented to calculate the coefficient of surplus floodwater in flood season. The raw data sequences are analyzed in a four-step process. An upper triangle of grades is obtained after the third step. A relationship between coefficient of surplus floodwater and sediment concentration in runoff is achieved in terms of the upper triangle. The surplus floodwater in flood season then can be determined. A case study of water diversion from the Jinghe River (the second tributary of the Yellow River, China) to the Jinghuiqu Irrigation District for irrigation was performed. The monthly data sequences of runoff volume, water diversion and sediment concentration in runoff from May to September for the period 1933–2001 are employed. A 16-grade upper triangle is obtained based on the MGA. A functional relationship between the coefficient of surplus floodwater (y, %) and the sediment concentration in runoff (x, %) is achieved as y = 0.0191x + 0.1516 (R^2\thinspace = 0.9738)y = 0.0191x + 0.1516 (R^{2\thinspace } = 0.9738). Results demonstrate that the average annual surplus floodwater in flood season and available surface water resources in the Jinghe River over 69-year time span are 978 and 909 million cubic meter (mcm), respectively, when the limit of sediment concentration for river water utilization is set as 10%. The irrigation district still has a potential of available water diversion of 509 mcm over 1981–2001 time span. Compared with the traditional methods, the MGA produces more reasonable and effective results. The MGA has the ability of rapidly estimating the surplus floodwater under different limits of sediment concentration and is a useful tool for available surface water resources assessment.     

Application and Sensitivity Analysis of Artificial Neural Network for Prediction of Chemical Oxygen Demand

Integrating water quality forecasting model with river restoration techniques makes river restoration more effective and efficient. This research investigates how to use the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to predict the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) during river restoration in Wuxi city, China. Specifically, we applied a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) using ten neurons in a single hidden layer and seven input variables (Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Total Nitrogen, Total Phosphorus, Suspended Sediment, Transparency, and NH₃-N) to simulate COD. The modeled results have a correlation coefficient of 0.966, 0.949, and 0.890 with the observations for the raining, validation, and testing phases, respectively. When presenting the trained network to an independent data set, the ANN model still shows a good predictive capability, indicating by a correlation coefficient of 0.978, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.628 mg/L, and a mean square error (MSE) of 0.394 mg²/L². A sensitivity analysis was further implemented to analyze the effect of each of the input variables on prediction of COD. DO, TO, and Transparency have relatively low influences on the estimate of COD, and can be removed from the input variables. The results from this study indicate that ANN models can provide satisfactory estimates of COD during the process of bacterial treatment and is a useful supportive tool for river restoration.     

Shear characteristics of horizontal expansion joints in the Toktogul hydroelectric station dam

Conclusion Shear tests of experimental blocks under conditions approximating the conditions of placing and curing concrete in the Toktogul dam showed that the strength of the horizontal joints (cohesion) is 11 kg/cm². The relation between shear stresses and compressive stresses for joints with undisturbed τ₁ and disrupted τ₂ cohension is close to linear in the interval σ=0–35 kg/cm²; τ₁=11.3+1.68σ;τ₂=1.67σ. The average value of the resistance coefficient of concrete on concrete for the joints is respectively 1.68 and 1.67. Translated from Gidrotekhnicheskoe Stroitel'stvo, No. 5, pp. 7–9, May, 1974.     

Comparative Evaluation of Analytic Solutions in Predicting Soil Moisture Profiles in Vertical One-Dimensional Infiltration under Ponded and Constant Flux Boundary Conditions

The problem of vertical one-dimensional infiltration for both ponded and constant flux boundary conditions was studied through the use of existing analytic solutions. Main objective was to compare the soil moisture profile developed under constant flux boundary condition at the time of ponding , with that moisture profile developed under ponded conditions at an earlier time . Time t _C denotes the time when the decreasing infiltration rate for the ponded conditions becomes equal to the constant flux _q , applied for the constant flux case. One might state that the analytical solutions, for both cases do not give identical profiles. An approximate coincidence might be brought about through a modification in the diffusivity which, in many respects, seems justified. Practical outcome of the above analysis is the determination of the time of ponding T, after which surface runoff starts, for the constant flux case. This is of practical significance either under natural conditions of rainfall or under conditions of sprinkle-irrigation, since surface runoff is directly related with soil erosion and waste of irrigation water. Therefore any attempt to determine the time of ponding T is well merited.     

Modeling the Linkage Between River Water Quality and Landscape Metrics in the Chugoku District of Japan

The present study was conducted using secondary database, remote sensing, geographical information system (GIS) and multivariate analysis tools in order to develop Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) models that could be able to predict level of water quality variables using compositional and spatial attributes of land cover in the river basins. The study encompasses 21 river basins with 32 000 Km² area, located in the Chugoku district in West Japan. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Suspended Solid (SS), Total Nitrogen (TN), and Total Phosphorus (TP) were considered as water quality variables of the stream. Satellite data was used to generate the land cover map of the study area. MLR models were developed using the compositional (%) and spatial attributes (landscape metrics) of the land cover at watershed and class levels for representing the land cover-stream water quality linkage. The results of the MLR modeling using the land cover data at the class level revealed that 92%, 74% and 62% of the total variations in concentration of DO, pH and TP were explained by changes in the measure of the spatial attributes of the land cover at the class level in the study area. These models can help local and regional land managers to understand the relationships between the compositional attribute (%) and the spatial features of the land cover and river water quality and would be applied in formulating plan for watershed-level management.     

Impact of Dam Construction on Water Quality and Water Self-Purification Capacity of the Lancang River, China

Along with the sequent completion of Manwan and Dachaoshan Dam, the river continuum of the middle and lower reaches of the Lancang River was separated into three types of segments: reservoir, below-dam segment and downstream flowing segment. The long-term series of water quality and river flow data over 20 years were analyzed in order to study the impact of dam construction and operation on water quality and water self-purification capacity of these different river segments. From pre-dam period to the first 7 years after Manwan Dam had been accomplished, the water quality of Manwan Reservoir became worse due to the accumulation of pollutants, and then to the next 5 years the water quality became better in virtue of the water self-purification of the reservoir. The cooperative operation of Manwan and Dachaoshan Dam had cumulatively positive impacts on water quality of their below-dam segment but no impacts on that of downstream flowing segment. From pre-dam period to the first 7 years after the closure of Manwan Dam, the water self-purification capacity of Xiaowan–Manwan segment for BOD₅, COD_Mn and NH₃–N decreased. Also, the water self-purification capacity of Manwan–Dachaoshan segment for BOD₅ and COD_Mn decreased but for NH₃–N increased. However, the water self-purification capacity of Jinghong–Ganlanba segment changed contrary to Manwan–Dachaoshan segment. In general, the construction of Manwan Dam negatively affected the water self-purification capacity of reservoir and below-dam segment but impose little impact on that of downstream flowing segment. This study suggested that it is necessary to pay attention to the effect of complicated temporal and spatial characteristics of dam on aquatic ecosystem.     

Economic method for selecting the composition of heavy-duty concrete

Conclusions The design method proposed for the composition of a concrete mix with precise knowledge of the quality of the materials makes it possible to provide the required properties and the strength of the concrete with a savings realized in the cement used. The method is rather simple, suitable for construction laboratories, makes it possible to design all kinds and grades of concretes (hydraulic, highway, airport, autoclaved, etc.), all concrete mixes (stiff, semistiff, plastic, and casting mixes) based on cements of all kinds and grades (Grade 300, 400, 500, and 600 portland cement, slag portland cement, and pozzolana portland cement), on sands of various gradation (M^S _f=0.5–3.5), and on crushed stone of various top sizes (10–150 mm) and for any cement factors (150–600 kg/m³). The method has received rather widespread approval in the laboratories of the construction ministries and can readily be programmed for computation on an electronic computer. Translated from Gidrotekhnicheskoe Stroitel’stvo, No. 11, pp. 20–24, November, 1976.     

Statistical Prediction of Changes in Water Resources Trends Based on Set Pair Analysis

Antecedent physical factors are used in calculations, which endowed set pair analysis with predictive abilities. Set pair analysis can make predictions based on calculations using antecedent physical factors. In this study, the fitted value $ {\widehat{Y}}_1 $ based on set pair analysis agreed with the actual value of the average annual discharge grade at Yamadu Station, which showed that the prediction was valid. It’s predicted that the average annual discharge at Yamadu Station in 1975 was a dry year, i.e. y?<?385 m³/s, while the actual average annual discharge at Yamadu Station in 1975 was 301 m³/s, which confirmed the prediction that it was a dry year. Three physical factors were not processed using set pair analysis so they could be compared with the calculated results. These factors were used directly to establish a regression equation for the average annual discharge grade and obtained a fitted value of $ {\widehat{Y}}_3 $ for the average annual discharge grade at Yamadu Station during 1953–1974. It’s known that the prediction of the average annual discharge grade for 1966 using a regression equation derived from the data differed from the actual situation, thereby indicating that set pair analysis can be used to improve the accuracy of predictions.     

Estimations of Evapotranspiration and Water Balance with Uncertainty over the Yukon River Basin

In this study, the revised Remote Sensing-Penman Monteith model (RS-PM) was used to scale up evapotranspiration (ET) over the entire Yukon River Basin (YRB) from three eddy covariance (EC) towers covering major vegetation types. We determined model parameters and uncertainty using a Bayesian-based method in the three EC sites. The 95 % confidence interval for the aggregate ecosystem ET ranged from 233 to 396 mm yr⁻¹ with an average of 319 mm yr⁻¹. The mean difference between precipitation and evapotranspiration (W) was 171 mm yr⁻¹ with a 95 % confidence interval of 94–257 mm yr⁻¹. The YRB region showed a slight increasing trend in annual precipitation for the 1982–2009 time period, while ET showed a significant increasing trend of 6.6 mm decade⁻¹. As a whole, annual W showed a drying trend over YRB region.     

Strength and deformation characteristics of concrete of the vilyui III hydroelectric station

Conclusions  

Evaluating Bank Filtration as an Alternative to the Current Water Supply from Deeper Aquifer: A Case Study from the Pannonian Basin,Serbia

Groundwater from a depth of 100–200 m is the main source of public water supply in most municipalities in the Pannonian basin in central and southeastern Europe. Even though its quality does not always meet EU standards for drinking water—including those regarding arsenic—in many villages and even in some major cities no treatment except chlorination takes place. Of the several alternatives to improve the water supply situation in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in the northern part of the Republic of Serbia, re-orientation towards more centralized systems combined with river bank filtration as an additional and sustainable raw water resource was evaluated as the best. A hydrogeological and hydrochemical survey of the Tisa (or Tisza) River alluvium in the Padej test field confirmed the aptness of this approach. A good connection between the Tisa River bed and the alluvial aquifer consisting of fine-grained sand was found (average hydraulic conductivity of 5 × 10⁻⁵ m/s). With appropriately designed and managed wells, 80–100 l/s bank filtrate per km of river bank can be produced for water supply. Comprehensive analysis of the river water and river bank filtrate as well as a pilot treatment of the bank filtrate suggest that aeration-oxidation-flocculation-filtration-disinfection is a suitable technology for the Tisa River bank filtrate.     

A Water Model for Water and Environmental Management at Mae Moh Mine Area in Thailand

It is revealed that the water quality in Mae Moh Reservoir, Thailand, has been deteriorated by lignite mine drainage and power station effluent. This study aims to manipulate water quantity and quality to reduce environmental impacts in Mae Moh area through a model for water management. The model was constructed on the basis of materials balance to predict water flow, which includes concentrations of TDS and SO ^2– ₄. Data collected during 1996–2000 were used. Model validation showed that the mean of predicted and actual values of TDS and SO ^2– ₄ load were significantly similar at 95% confidence limit. The test result is acceptable and the water model can be used as a tool for water system management in the area. In 2006, Mae Moh mine excess water will be discharged at 10.76 Mm³, with a pH of 7.3, TDS and SO ^2– ₄ concentrations of 2,547 and 1,803 mg/l, respectively. Mae Moh power station effluent will be 14.59 Mm³, with pH of 7.1, TDS and SO ^2– ₄ concentrations of 610 and 358 mg/l, respectively. Predicted results showed that the outflow of Mae Moh Reservoir will be 83.67 Mm³ and the concentrations of TDS and SO ^2– ₄ will be as high as 1,501 and 822 mg/l, respectively. Mine excess water management measures are recommended according to the following strategy. All mine excess water should be stored during dry season. During wet season, 50% of the excess water should be stored and the remaining treated at 90% of TDS removal before being discharged. The end result would be a significant improvement in water quality in the Mae Moh Reservoir over the 4-year period to 2010. Pollutants in terms of TDS would be reduced by 35% from 1,501 mg/l in the beginning of 2006 to 975 mg/l at the end of 2009.