Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Management options for a multipurpose coastal aquifer in Oman

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Arabian Journal of Geosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Using MODFLOW 2005, this study numerically evaluated the effects of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) using treated wastewater (TWW) in managing the Al-Khawd coastal aquifer northeast of Oman. Our primary objective is to increase the urban water supply and to sustain the aquifer service with the lowest possible damage to the aquifer. A number of managerial scenarios were simulated and progressively developed to reduce seawater intrusion and outflow of the groundwater to the sea. An economic analysis was conducted to characterize the trade-off between the benefits of MAR and seawater inflow to the aquifer under increased abstraction for domestic supply. The results show that by managing irrigation wells and relocating public wells in conjunction with MAR practices, the abstracted volume for drinking purposes could be doubled. Even though injection of TWW is more expensive (due to the injection cost), it was observed to result in greater benefits. The results indicate that managing the aquifer would produce a net benefit ranging from $8.22 million (scenario 7) to $15.21 million (scenario 4) compared to $1.57 million with the current practice. In conclusion, MAR using TWW is a feasible solution to develop water resources in arid regions, and the best scenario depends on the decision maker’s preference when weighing the benefits of MAR and the level of damage to the aquifer. MAR could help manage stressed aquifer systems in arid zones to maximize the benefit of using the water for domestic purposes while minimizing the damage to the aquifer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdalla O, Al-Abri RB (2011) Groundwater recharge in arid areas induced by tropical cyclones: lessons learned from Gonu 2007 in Sultanate of Oman. Environmental Earth Sciences 63(2):229–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abdalla O, Al-Rawahi AS (2013) Groundwater recharge dams in arid areas as tools for aquifer replenishment and mitigating seawater intrusion: example of Al-Khawd, Oman. Environmental Earth Sciences 69:1951–1962. doi:10.1007/s12665-012-2028-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aertgeerts R, Angelakis A (eds) (2003) State of the art report: health risks in aquifer recharge using reclaimed water. WHO, Geneva,Report SDE/WSH/03.08

  • Al-Lawati A (1997) Groundwater recharge in the upper catchment of Wadi Samail—Sultanate of Oman. MSc Thesis, Flinders University of South Australia, Australia

  • Asano T, Cotruvo J (2004) Groundwater recharge with reclaimed municipal wastewater: health and regulatory considerations. Water Res 38:1941–1951

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baawain M (2010) Wastewater treatment in Oman: current practice and way forward. In Symposium of World Environment Day. 5th June 2010. Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouwer H (2002) Artificial recharge of groundwater: hydrogeology and engineering. Hydrogeology 10:121–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillon P (2009) Water recycling via managed aquifer recharge in Australia. Boletín Geológicoy Minero 120:121–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Ebrahim GY (2013) Modeling groundwater systems: understanding and improving groundwater quantity and quality management. PhD Thesis, Delft University of technology, the Netherlands. ISBN: 978–1–138-02404-5

  • Ebrahim GY, Jonoski A, Al-Maktoumi A, Ahmed M, Mynett A (2015) A simulation-optimization approach for hydraulic evaluation of managed aquifer recharge in the Samail lower catchment, Oman. Water Resources Management, (Accepted)

  • EPA (2005) Emerging contaminant—N-nitroso-dimethylamine (NDMA)—fact sheet, April 2008 United States Environmental Protection Agency

  • Harbaugh AW (2005) MODFLOW-2005, The U.S. Geological Survey modular groundwater model—the ground-water flow process. Techniques and methods - 6-A16, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA, 253 pp

  • Hayder Consulting (2006) Alternative urban supplies regulatory review, managed aquifer recharge (MAR) technical report, Victorian Govt Report No: VC02161-01-MAR Rpt Final, Australia

  • Healy RW (2010) Estimating groundwater recharge. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge ISBN 978-0-521-86396-4 Hardback

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kacimov AR, Al-Ismaili S, Al-Maktoumi A (2010) The green-Ampt 1-D infiltration from a ponded surface into a heterogeneous soil. J Irrig Drain Eng 136(1):68–72 ISSN: 0733-9437/2010/1-68-72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kacimov AR, Zlotnik V, Al-Maktoumi A, Al-Abri R (2015) Modelling of transient water table response to managed aquifer recharge: a lagoon in Muscat, Oman. Environmental Earth Sciences Journal, Springer. (in press)

  • Kamizoulis G, Bahri A, Brissaud F, Angelakis AN (2003) Wastewater recycling and reuse practices in Mediterranean Region: recommended guidelines. www.med-reunte.com

  • Kelley C, Mohtadib S, Canec MA, Seagerc R, Kushnirc Y (2015) Climate change in the fertile crescent and implications of the recent Syrian drought. PNAS 112(11):3241–3246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kresic N (2009) Groundwater resources: sustainability, management, and restoration. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • MRMWR (2012) Dams in Sultanate of Oman. Technical report by the Ministry of Regional Municipality and Water Resources. (http://www.mrmwr.gov.om/Library/Files/Dam%20Arab%20maz%2014apr%20ctp.pdf)

  • MWR (Ministry of Water Resources) (1993) Sea water intrusion beneath the Batinah Coast. Comparison of results of salinity surveys. Technical Reort by the Ministry of Water Resources. Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

  • MWR (Ministry of Water Resources) (1997) Main report-hydrogeology of Wadi Samail Upper Catchment, Directorate General of Water Resources Assessment

  • NCSI (2015) Statistical yearbook. National Center for Statistics and Information. Issue 34. October 2015, Government of Oman. (https://www.ncsi.gov.om/Elibrary/LibraryContentDoc/ben_Statistical_Year_Book2015_0f93543f-4dbf-4294-9e86-eacf6e805f04.pdf)

  • NRC (2008) Prospects for managed underground storage of recoverable water, National Research Council. National Academies Press, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollock DW (2012) User guide for MODPATH version 6: a particle tracking model for MODFLOW. US Geological Survey Techniques and Methods, pages 6-A41

  • Pyne RDG (1995) Groundwater recharge through wells: a guide to aquifer storage recovery. CRC press

  • Schneier-Madanes G, Courel M-F (eds) (2010) Water and sustainability in arid regions “bridging the gap between physical and social sciences. Springer, Netherlands, p. 349. doi:10.1007/978-90-481-2776-4

    Google Scholar 

  • Seiler KP, Gat R (2007) Groundwater recharge from run-off, infiltration, and Percolation. Springer, Dordrecht. ISBN 978-1-4020-5305-4

  • Sen Z (2008) Wadi Hydrology. CRC Press, NW ISBN 978-1-4200-6154-3

    Google Scholar 

  • Shammas M (2008) The effectiveness of artificial recharge in combating seawater intrusion in Salalah coastal aquifer, Oman. Environ Geol 55:191–204. doi:10.1007/s00254-007-0975-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherif M (2014) Freshwater storage and recovery in groundwater systems. In: Symposium on “Disposal of Large Volumes of Water: Challenges and Opportunities for Arid environments in MAR practices”. 15–16 June 2014, Muscat, Oman

  • Tóth J (2009) Gravitational systems of groundwater flow: theory, evaluation, utilization. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, p. 297. ISBN 978-0-521-88638-3 HB

  • Vincke P (1992) Multicriteria decision aid. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Voudouris K (2006) Groundwater balance and safe yield of the coastal aquifer system in northeastern Korinthia, Greece. Appl Geogr 26:291–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Voudouris K (2011) Artificial recharge via boreholes using treated wastewater: possibilities and prospects. Water 3:964–975

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walther M, Bilke L, Delf J-O, Graf T, Grundmann J, Kolditz O, Liedl R (2014) Assessing the saltwater remediation potential of a three-dimensional, heterogeneous, coastal aquifer system. Environ Earth Sci. doi:10.1007/s12665-014-3253-2

    Google Scholar 

  • Walther M, Delfs J-O, Grundmann J, Kolditz O, Liedl R (2012) Saltwater intrusion modeling: verification and application to an agricultural coastal arid region in Oman. J Appl Math 236:4798–4809

    Google Scholar 

  • Winston RB (2009) ModelMuse - A graphical user interface for MODFLOW/2005 and PHAST. Techniques and Methods - 6-A29, U.S. Geological Survey, 52 p. Reston, VA. http://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/tm6A29

  • Zekri S, Ahmed M, Gaffour N, Chaieb R (2014a) Managed aquifer recharge using quaternary treated wastewater in Muscat: an economic perspective. International Journal of Water Resources Development 30(2):246–261. doi:10.1080/07900627

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zekri S, Al Harthi S, Kotagama H, Bose S (2015b) Farmer’s willingness to pay for tertiary treated wastewater for irrigation. Agricultural and Marine Sciences. Forthcoming

  • Zekri S, Maktoumi A, Abdalla O, Akil J, Charabi Y (2014b) Hydrogeological and economical simulation: water provision in emergency situation for Muscat. Water Policy 16:340–357. doi:10.2166/wp.2013.187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zekri S, Triki C, Al-Maktoumi A, Bazargan-Lari MR (2015a) An optimization-simulation approach for groundwater abstraction under recharge uncertainty. Water Resour Manag 29(10):3681–3695

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant from MENA NWC through USAID-FABRI, project contract: AID-OAA-TO-11-00049 (project code: 1001626–104). The authors also acknowledge the support of the Sultan Qaboos University, Oman.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soils, Water, and Agricultural Engineering, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. BOX 34, Al-Khoud, 123, Muscat, Oman

    Ali Al-Maktoumi, Mustafa El-Rawy & Slim Zekri

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Minia University, Minia, 61111, Egypt

    Mustafa El-Rawy

Authors
  1. Ali Al-Maktoumi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mustafa El-Rawy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Slim Zekri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ali Al-Maktoumi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Al-Maktoumi, A., El-Rawy, M. & Zekri, S. Management options for a multipurpose coastal aquifer in Oman. Arab J Geosci 9, 636 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2661-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2661-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation