Mapping the Vulnerability of Groundwater to Wastewater Spills for Source Water Protection in a Shale Gas Region

Source water protection in areas of shale gas development encompasses identifying areas that are the most vulnerable to groundwater quality deterioration due to spills of natural gas production wastewater. This study uses the density-dependent flow and transport code TOUGH2 to quantify the time and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2021-04, Vol.13 (7), p.3987
Main Authors: Rosales-Ramirez, Teresa Y., Kirste, Dirk, Allen, Diana M., Mendoza, Carl A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquifers
Chemical spills
Gas production
Geology
Groundwater
Groundwater quality
Hydraulic fracturing
Hydrogeology
Mapping
Natural gas
Natural gas exploration
Natural gas prices
Oil and gas production
Permeability
Plumes
Risk assessment
River valleys
Shale
Shale gas
Shallow water
Spills
Surface water
Topography
Vadose water
Wastewater
Wastewater pollution
Water depth
Water protection
Water quality
Water table
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Summary:Source water protection in areas of shale gas development encompasses identifying areas that are the most vulnerable to groundwater quality deterioration due to spills of natural gas production wastewater. This study uses the density-dependent flow and transport code TOUGH2 to quantify the time and distance of travel of saline wastewater plumes for different hydrogeological settings in Northeast British Columbia. The models were designed to address three main factors identified from the DRASTIC method for vulnerability assessment: (1) depth to water, (2) impact of vadose zone, and (3) conductivity of the aquifer materials. The vadose zone permeability and depth to water table are dominant controls on the wastewater migration rate and footprint. Overall, the vulnerability in the region is relatively low, with exceptions near river valleys and areas with shallow water tables. The vulnerability maps can be used as a preliminary risk assessment tool, as they are based on the main factors influencing the potential of a wastewater spill to contaminate an aquifer.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su13073987