Access to an adequate quantity of high-quality drinking water is one of the main objectives of sustainable development. A thorough understanding of the local hydrogeology and the specifics of the drinking water supply system is essential for adequate development of the well fields, especially given continuous industry growth and climate change. The Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies published an article in which members of the research team, “Groundwater under the influence of anthropopressure”, proposed a methodology for assessing the riverbank filtration process effectiveness, on the example of the Kępa Bogumiłowicka well field (near the city of Tarnów). This well field, located near the right bank of the Dunajec River, is responsible for 30% of the water intake of Tarnów Waterworks, which supplies drinking water to more than 200,000 people. As part of the study, the authors used various statistical methods to analyse many years of archival hydrochemical laboratory data. The research showed that the Dunajec River significantly influences the physicochemical composition of the water abstracted by the well field and that the riverbank filtration effectively maintains the stable quality of the abstracted water over the years. The applied research methodology can be adapted for other infiltration well fields with similar characteristics.
Reference:
Janik, K., Ślósarczyk, K., Sitek, S., 2024. A study of riverbank filtration effectiveness in the Kępa Bogumiłowicka well field, southern Poland. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies 53, 101834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2024.101834
Note author: K. Janik
