Trinity Development Research Week

7th November 2011

Sustainable Groundwater Development

Bruce MisstearEnvironmental Engineering Research Group

School of Engineering

Trinity College Dublin

Sustainable Groundwater Development

• Sustainable groundwater development can be achieved with different types of wells (and springs)

• For sustainability, abstractions should not exceed long-term recharge of the groundwater resources (aquifers)

• Groundwater resources affected by changing climate (which affects recharge)

• Large storage characteristics of many aquifers may help to maintain supplies during droughts

(UN World Water Development Report 3, 2009)

(UN World Water Development Report 3, 2009)

Types of water wells

(Misstear et al., 2006)

Examples of shallow hand-dug wells from Pakistan, Cameroon and Ethiopia

(Photos by Bruce Misstear, Mott MacDonald and David Banks)

Borehole construction, Southern Oman

(Photo BM)

Qanat (Persia) or Falaj (Arabic)(Known as a Dawudi Falaj in Oman)

(Diagram from MWR Oman)

The aflaj (qanats) of Oman

(Photos BM)

(Image from Google Earth)

Can sometimes follow line of falaj from old spoil heaps

Well design:What does the user want?

Not this!

(Photo Mott MacDonald)

Sustainable wells: user requirements

• Quantity – need to meet design yield

• Quality – fit for particular purpose

• Reliability – avoid excessive maintenance

• Cost – capital and operating costs should be reasonable (but cheapest is seldom best!)

• Impacts on others – avoid impacts on neighbouring wells or environment

Sustainability principles are incorporated into textbook guidance

Water is Life,Uganda

Funded by Irish Aid/HEA Programme for Strategic Co-operation

Multi-disciplinary project

Goal of this programme - to build research capacity in Ireland and Africa

Water is Life - 5 year programme – 2008 to 2013

Large numbers of partners – both Southern and Northern, HEIs, MMM Resource Centre , Makondo and NGOs

Key aspects• Inter/intra institutional• Cross disciplinary• Research ‘in the field’• Community participation• Education and dissemination

Aim is to develop appropriate activities in the area of water resource sustainability and monitor their effects on community health, gender and poverty through a combination of 8 PhD research projects and community engagement

PhD research projects

1. Sourcing & distribution of sustainable groundwater supplies for rural water supply (TCD/DkIT//MUK)

2. Sustainable pump technologies (DkIT/DCU/MUK)

3. Health impact of SODIS using a school-based trial protocol (RCSI/DCU/MUK)

4. Solar disinfection of drinking water (RCSI/DCU/MUK)

5. Water & water management needs: social & health impacts on women & their children (DCU/DkIT/MUK)

6. Adaptation of water management to climate change (NUIM/MUK)

7. The social impact of gendering water resource management (NUIM/MUK)

8. Understanding cooperation & conflict in local water governance (DCU/MUK)

PhD student: Sam KagwisagyeSupervisors: Bruce Misstear, Eleanor Jennings, Suzanne Linnane and Albert Rugomayo

Sourcing of sustainable groundwater supplies:An assessment of a weathered crystalline rock aquifer system, southwest Uganda (WP1)

Specific objectives• Monitoring groundwater quality in existing sources• Consideration of alternative well designs and

locations• Assessment of the water balance for a weathered

crystalline rock aquifer system• Investigation of impacts of changing climate on water

resources and on groundwater sources

Project field work in Makondo parish, near Masaka, Uganda

(Photo Andrew Hughes)

Makondo

(Photo BM)

Unimproved water source

Most shallow wells are in the valley bottoms

(Photo BM)

Borehole on high ground with deep water level

Water collection mainly by children

(Photo BM)

Low yield

(Photo BM)

Functionality levels

1 protected spring, 1 functioning – 100%

25 shallow wells, 8 functioning – 32%

10 boreholes,1 functioning – 10%

Overall functionality – 27%

2010 survey findings

Broken pump – people revert to unimproved source (Photo BM)

Conceptual model for catchment water balance

(Prepared by Sam Kagwisagye)

Collection of hydrometric data as part of water balance estimation

Raingauge

(Photo BM)

Weather station

Small borehole for monitoring groundwater levels Vandalised monitoring well

(Photos BM)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Questions? (Photo Sam Kagwisagye)