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Impact of the Linked Surface Water-Soil Water-Groundwater System on Transport of E. coli in the Subsurface

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Abstract

Escherichia coli (E. coli) contamination of groundwater (GW) and surface water (SW) occurs significantly through the subsurface from onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs). However, E. coli transport in the subsurface remains inadequately characterized at the field scale, especially within the vadose zone. Therefore, the aim of this research is to investigate the impact of groundwater fluctuations (e.g., recharging, discharging conditions) and variable conditions in the vadose zone (e.g., pulses of E. coli flux) by characterizing E. coli fate and transport in a linked surface water-soil water-groundwater system (SW-SoW-GW). In particular, this study characterizes the impact of flow regimes on E. coli transport in the subsurface and evaluates the sensitivity of parameters that control the transport of E. coli in the SW-SoW-GW system. This study was conducted in Lake Granbury, which is an important water supply in north-central Texas providing water for over 250,000 people. Results showed that there was less removal of E. coli during groundwater recharge events as compared to GW discharge events. Also, groundwater and surface water systems largely control E. coli transport in the subsurface; however, temporal variability of E. coli can be explained by linking the SW-SoW-GW system. Moreover, sensitivity analysis revealed that saturated water content of the soil, total retention rate coefficient, and hydraulic conductivity are important parameters for E. coli transport in the subsurface.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by EPA 319(h) grant for TMDL in Texas streams and partly supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (grant 5R01ES015634), Texas Water Resources Institute, and Texas A&M support a/c 02-130003. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.

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  1. Bruce J. Lesikar

    Present address: Kaselco, LLC Texas, Shiner, TX, 77984, USA

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  1. Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720-0001, USA

    Dipankar Dwivedi

  2. Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2117, USA

    Dipankar Dwivedi, Binayak P. Mohanty & Bruce J. Lesikar

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  1. Dipankar Dwivedi
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Dwivedi, D., Mohanty, B.P. & Lesikar, B.J. Impact of the Linked Surface Water-Soil Water-Groundwater System on Transport of E. coli in the Subsurface. Water Air Soil Pollut 227, 351 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-016-3053-2

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