Water management of basins
Questions related to water conservation and sustainable development of porous aquifers are solved using modern computer supported methods. Detailed hydrological analyses and solute balances form the basis for predicting the consequences of anthropogenic impacts.
Competences
Hydrology of porous aquifer systems
The Institute performs experiments (e.g. pumping tests) and measurement programmes in the unsaturated and saturated zones aimed at determining and describing the relevant processes in porous aquifer systems. The data obtained are evaluated, interpreted and transferred to data management and evaluation tools for further use. This provides the basis for assessing the consequences of natural and anthropogenic activities on the porous aquifer system.
Optimisation of water management practices in porous aquifer systems
In intensively used basins it is important to reconcile the different demands and the resulting impacts on porous aquifers. This can be achieved by performing detailed studies of water resources used for domestic, industrial and agricultural purposes, delineating protection and conservation areas of pumping wells, forecasting the effects of changes in land use on groundwater quantity and quality, or assessing safety measures for landfills. The Institute provides a wide range of solutions to problems in unsaturated and saturated zones by preparing regional transient-calibrated groundwater flow and solute transport models. Different scenarios are calculated to provide a reliable basis for water management decisions.
Solution
Development of regional, transient-calibrated groundwater flow and solute transport models