Gómez Fragoso, Julieta

Profile Picture

Filters

20121
Reset filters

Settings

Citations

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationRestricted
    Integrating groundwater resources in existing water supply infrastructure using spatial tools
    (2012-05) Gómez Fragoso, Julieta; Padilla Cestero, Ingrid Y.; College of Engineering; Zapata López, Raúl E.; Pagán Trinidad, Ismael; Department of Civil Engineering; Suárez, O. Marcelo
    Management and development of groundwater resources introduces the challenge of collecting necessary information to understand the system. The information must integrate the aquifer system characteristics and the limitations of the system to avoid a future depletion of this important water resource. Considering the complexity of the system and the amount of information required for the analysis, computational tools and technologies must be developed and applied to collect and integrate information for an effective and efficient assessment of the area of study. This study develops tools and methods for intelligent design, development, and management of groundwater resources in areas with existing, but deficient water infrastructure. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies, this study integrates water use with the physical, hydraulic, and hydrogeologic characteristics and constraints with water-supply infrastructure systems for development of groundwater systems in a cost-effective manner without causing depletion of the groundwater resources. The technologies are applied to the hydrogeophysical system at University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM), which served as the validation site. The preparation of a groundwater assessment and development plan for this site not only serves as an application site for this research and provides a guide for proper water management of the site that leads to benefits of large impacts to the institution and society as a whole. Results show that the method and tools developed serves as an effective technology to assess the feasibility of using groundwater resources in an area with existing water supply infrastructure. The GIS method applied to the UPRM site provided tools to characterize the groundwater system, estimate groundwater extraction rates subjected to system constraints, and design an optimize well field to supply a given water if the site. Results indicate that the groundwater system in the validation site defines as a confined aquifer with average transmissitivity and storage of 219 m2/day (79,935 m3/yr) and 0.003, respectively. A total of 2 well pumping at 325 m3/day (118,625 m3/yr) per well would be required to supply a water use of 570.9 m3/day (208,379 m3/yr). This rate and well field design minimize aquifer drawdown and depletion and optimize cost of development. It is concluded that groundwater resources may be used to supply the present water use of UPRM without causing an overexploitation to the aquifer. Furthermore, the GIS tools provide an alternative to visualize the results and less time consume in managing the data.