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Groundwater vulnerability to pollution in karst aquifers, considering key challenges and considerations: application to the Ubrique springs in southern Spain

Vulnérabilité des eaux souterraines aux pollutions d’aquifères karstiques, en tenant compte des principaux défis et considérations: application aux sources d’Ubrique dans le sud de l’Espagne

Retos y consideraciones en la vulnerabilidad a la contaminación del agua subterránea de acuíferos kársticos: aplicación en los manantiales de Ubrique, sur de España

喀斯特含水层的地下水易污性,主要挑战和因素: 在Spain南部Ubrique泉域的应用

Vulnerabilidade das águas subterrâneas à poluição em aquíferos cársticos, considerando os principais desafios e considerações: aplicação às nascentes de Ubrique no sul da Espanha

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Abstract

Groundwater vulnerability mapping is one of the tools most often applied to analyse the sensitivity of karst aquifers to pollution. These maps aim to support stakeholders in decision-making and to promote land-use management compatible with water protection; however, the validation of these maps is still a challenge in many cases, triggering high uncertainty. For karst media, due to the strong heterogeneity in recharge mechanisms and hydraulic characteristics, validation is a significant stage and it must be inherent within the groundwater vulnerability assessment process. This work aims to assess the implementation of tools used for protecting the quality of water discharging or extracted from the Ubrique karst system in southern Spain, which supplies drinking water that is threatened by periodical pollution/turbidity episodes. A groundwater vulnerability map, attained by application of the COP method and validated by multiple in-situ observations, shows an extremely vulnerable system due to the absence of protective overlayers and the significant development of exokarst landforms, including shallow holes. This map could constitute the basis for defining protection zones for the Ubrique springs; however, their comprehensive protection requires the implementation of monitoring tools and an effective management strategy, through an early warning system that assures stable environmental and hydrogeological conditions and improves operational procedures associated with the drinking water service. This research establishes the strong relationship of the different methods applied to protect the source from contamination events, ranging from classical hydrodynamic and hydrochemical approaches to the implementation of protection zones and early warning groundwater quality monitoring networks.

Résumé

La cartographie de la vulnérabilité des eaux souterraines est un des outils le plus utilisé pour analyser la sensibilité des aquifères karstiques à la pollution. Ces cartes visent à accompagner les parties prenantes dans la prise de décision et à promouvoir une gestion de l’occupation des sols compatible avec la protection de la ressource en eau. Cependant, la validation des ces cartes reste un défi dans de nombreux cas, soulevant une forte incertitude. Pour les milieux karstiques, en raison de la forte hétérogénéité des mécanismes de recharge et des caractéristiques hydrauliques, la validation est une étape importante et doit être inhérente au processus d’évaluation de la vulnérabilité des eaux souterraines. Ce travail vise à évaluer la mise en œuvre d’outils utilisés pour protéger la qualité des eaux émergentes ou extraites du système karstique d’Ubrique dans le sud de l’Espagne, qui approvisionne en eau potable alors que menacé par des épisodes périodiques de pollution/turbidité. Une carte de vulnérabilité des eaux souterraines, obtenue à la suite de l’application de la méthode COP et validée par de multiples observations in situ, met en évidence un système extrêmement vulnérable en raison de l’absence de couches protectrices et du développement important de caractéristiques exokarstiques du relief, y compris des dolines/pertes. Cette carte pourrait constituer la base pour la définition des zones de protection pour les sources d’Ubrique. Cependant, leur protection intégrale nécessite la mise en place d’outils de suivi et d’une stratégie de gestion efficace, avec un système d’alerte qui garantit des conditions environnementales et hydrogéologiques stables et améliore les procédures opérationnelles associées au service d’eau potable. Cette recherche établit la relation forte entre les différentes méthodes appliquées pour protéger la source d’événements de contamination, allant d’approches hydrodynamiques et hydrochimiques classiques à la mise en place de zones de protection et de réseaux d’alerte précoce de surveillance de la qualité des eaux souterraines.

Resumen

La cartografía de vulnerabilidad del agua subterránea es una de las herramientas más aplicadas para analizar la sensibilidad de un acuífero kárstico a la contaminación. Estos mapas constituyen un elemento clave en el apoyo a la toma de decisiones para una ordinación del territorio compatible con la protección del agua. Sin embargo, aún hoy sigue siendo un reto la validación de estas cartografías, lo que conlleva a una alta incertidumbre en cuanto a su uso y aplicabilidad. En los medios kársticos, debido a su heterogeneidad en los mecanismos de recarga y en las características hidráulicas, la validación es una fase clave e inherente en el proceso de evaluación de la vulnerabilidad a la contaminación. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo evaluar la implementación de herramientas y técnicas de protección de la calidad de las aguas subterráneas del sistema kárstico de Ubrique, provincia de Cádiz, en el sur de España. Éstas se utilizan para abastecimiento urbano y que están puntualmente amenazadas por episodios periódicos de alta turbidez. La cartografía de vulnerabilidad de las aguas subterráneas, obtenida mediante la aplicación del método COP y validada por múltiples observaciones in situ, indican que este es un sistema extremadamente vulnerable debido, principalmente, a la ausencia de coberturas de suelo u otras litologías, así como al gran desarrollo de la karstificación que presentan los carbonatos, incluyendo sumideros kársticos. Este mapa podría constituir la base cartográfica para definir las zonas de protección de los manantiales de Ubrique. Sin embargo, su protección integral requiere la implementación de herramientas de seguimiento y una estrategia de gestión eficaz y holística, a través de un sistema de alerta temprana que asegure condiciones ambientales e hidrogeológicas estables y mejore los procedimientos operativos asociados al servicio de agua potable. Esta investigación, además, muestra la fuerte relación existente entre los diferentes métodos aplicados para proteger la fuente de eventos de contaminación, que van desde enfoques hidrodinámicos e hidroquímicos clásicos hasta la implementación de zonas de protección y de redes de seguimiento de calidad de aguas subterráneas para la alerta temprana.

摘要

地下水脆弱性分区图是最常用于分析岩溶含水层易污性的工具之一。这些图旨在支持利益相关者的决策,并促进与水保护相应的土地利用管理。但是,在许多情况下,对这些图的验证仍然是一个挑战,从而引发高度不确定性。对于岩溶介质,由于补给机制和水力特征存在很大的异质性,因此验证是重要的阶段,它必须涵盖在地下水脆弱性评估过程中。这项工作旨在用于西班牙南部Ubrique岩溶系统排泄或开采水水质保护评估工具的实施情况,该系统供应的饮用水受到周期性污染/浊度事件的威胁。通过使用COP方法获得的地下水脆弱性图,并通过多次现场观测得到了验证,该图显示了一个极其脆弱的系统,这是由于缺少保护性覆盖层以及包括浅孔在内的岩溶型地貌的显著发展。该图是制定Ubrique泉域保护区的基础。但是,对它们的全面保护需要通过预警系统来实施监控工具和有效的管理策略,以确保稳定的环境和水文地质条件并改善与饮用水服务有关的运行措施。这项研究建立了保护水源免受污染事件的不同方法之间的密切关系,覆盖了经典的水动力和水化学方法,保护区的实施和地下水水质预警网络的实施。

Resumo

O mapeamento da vulnerabilidade das águas subterrâneas é uma das ferramentas mais frequentemente aplicadas para analisar a sensibilidade dos aquíferos cársticos à poluição. Esses mapas visam apoiar as partes interessadas na tomada de decisões e promover a gestão do uso da terra compatível com a proteção da água. No entanto, a validação desses mapas ainda é um desafio em muitos casos, gerando grande incerteza. Para meios cársticos, devido à forte heterogeneidade nos mecanismos de recarga e nas características hidráulicas, a validação é uma etapa significativa e deve ser inerente ao processo de avaliação da vulnerabilidade da água subterrânea. Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a implementação de ferramentas utilizadas para proteger a qualidade da água de descarga ou extraída do sistema cárstico de Ubrique, no sul da Espanha, que fornece água potável ameaçada por episódios periódicos de poluição/turbidez. Um mapa de vulnerabilidade da água subterrânea, obtido pela aplicação do método COP e validado por várias observações in situ, mostra um sistema extremamente vulnerável devido à ausência de camadas de proteção e ao desenvolvimento significativo de formas de relevo exocárstico, incluindo cavidades rasas. Este mapa pode constituir a base para a definição das zonas de proteção das nascentes de Ubrique. No entanto, sua proteção integral requer a implementação de ferramentas de monitoramento e uma estratégia de gestão eficaz, por meio de um sistema de alerta precoce que garanta condições ambientais e hidrogeológicas estáveis e melhore os procedimentos operacionais associados ao serviço de água potável. Esta pesquisa estabelece a forte relação entre os diferentes métodos aplicados para proteger a fonte de eventos de contaminação, que vão desde abordagens hidrodinâmicas e hidroquímicas clássicas até a implementação de zonas de proteção e redes de monitoramento da qualidade da água subterrânea de alerta precoce.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the local government of the village of Ubrique and water managers for their collaboration. Finally, we want to acknowledge the associate editor and anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments, which contributed to improving the manuscript.

Funding

This work was developed under the Research Group RNM-308 of Junta de Andalucía and is a contribution to the European Project “Karst Aquifer Resources availability and quality in the Mediterranean Area (KARMA)” PRIMA, ANR-18-PRIM-0005. The associated project PCI2019-103675 was funded by the Spanish Research Agency through the scientific programme “Programación Conjunta Internacional”. Additionally, it contributes to the project PID2019-111759RB-I00 funded by the Autonomous Government of Andalusia (Spain), with support of the Environmental and Water Agency of Andalusia.

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  1. European Topic Centre of University of Malaga (ETC-UMA), 29071, Málaga, Spain

    Ana I. Marín

  2. Department of Geology and Centre of Hydrogeology, University of Málaga (CEHIUMA), 29071, Málaga, Spain

    José Francisco Martín Rodríguez, Juan Antonio Barberá, Jaime Fernández-Ortega, Matías Mudarra, Damián Sánchez & Bartolomé Andreo

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Published in the special issue “Five decades of advances in karst hydrogeology”

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Marín, A.I., Martín Rodríguez, J.F., Barberá, J.A. et al. Groundwater vulnerability to pollution in karst aquifers, considering key challenges and considerations: application to the Ubrique springs in southern Spain. Hydrogeol J 29, 379–396 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-020-02279-8

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