Coastal Ground Water Flow and Management: A State-of-the-Art Review

Abstract

Seawater intrusion has led to salinization of fresh groundwater reserves in coastal areas worldwide and has forced the closure of water supply wells. There is a paucity of well-documented studies that report on the reversal of SWI after the closure of a well field. Saline water from a storm surge can flow down storm-damaged submerged water supply wells and contaminate boreholes and surrounding aquifers. Water is an invaluable commodity in nature and can be a limiting resource to man and other living beings. Water quality is influenced by both natural and anthropogenic intervention where the former includes local climate, geology etc., and the latter covers the construction of dams and embankments, irrigation practices, indiscriminate disposal of industrial effluents etc. Therefore, it is highly desirable to properly manage groundwater resources for drinking-water supply by controlling saltwater intrusion. A cost effective method Abstraction, Desalinization and Recharge was found to be efficient.