Analysis of groundwater quality in Cimahi City of West Java Province

Cimahi City is currently experiencing a clean water crisis, the cause of which is increasing population growth, so that water needs increase and land conversion, which results in reduced groundwater infiltration. The primary source of clean water in this city is groundwater. Population growth and residential development have an impact on pollution originating from domestic waste. These two things cause the quality and quantity of groundwater in Cimahi City to be increasingly critical. This study aims to analyze the quality of groundwater used by residents of Cimahi City. The data used is secondary data from the Environmental Service in 2019. Sampling was carried out at thirty points in Cimahi City spread over 14 urban villages, namely Citereup, Pasir Kaliki, Cibereum, Cibabat, Cipageran, Cimahi, Leuwigajah, Setiamanah, Karang Mekar, Cibeber, Melong, Cigugur, Padasuka, and Utama. The number of sampling is 1-2 samples/urban village. Based on the results of the analysis of parameters that do not exceed the required quality standards based on the Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia No. 32 of 2017 concerning the requirements and supervision of pristine water quality, namely: turbidity, Manganese, nitrate, detergent as MBAS, and total coliform. Based on the results of calculations with the water quality index, it is stated that the quality of groundwater in Cimahi City is in the normal-poor category.

Infiltration wells utilizing watershed conservation for flood prevention

Rainfall is a determining factor in analyzing planned floods. This research was conducted by collecting secondary data and the field data concerning the soil’s ability to infiltrate the volume of rainfall. Data processing is carried out by statistical analysis to estimate the average rainfall, intensity value, estimated discharge plan, volume of runoff and estimated infiltration rate. These parameters are important related to the infiltration well dimensions planning and the conserving water area. From the research results, it is shown that infiltration rate and optimal dimensions of infiltration wells very dependent on rainfall discharge and runoff volume in each region. Artificial infiltration is an alternative solution for maintaining groundwater balance and overcoming water problems. With groundwater infiltration, groundwater infiltration can maintain a relatively stable groundwater depth. Infiltration rate in RT 06 Cawang are 54,03 cm/hour lower than in Kelurahan 11 Cawang East Jakarta are 54,12 cm/hour, with perimeter area of wells DSP = 1,5 m2, Depth of well (HSP) = -1,89 m2 and coverage area of well (ASP) = 1,77 m2.

Investigating Soil Erosion Due to Defective Sewer

Cases of road cave-ins have been reportedly increasing globally and reports have associated this phenomenon to underground soil erosion due to defective sewer pipes. As the sewer pipes age, they may develop some defects which may lead to cracks and crevices that will lead to infiltration of the soils surrounding the pipe into the pipe, leading to the formation of cavities around the pipe. Therefore, this study investigated the factors behind the causes of underground soil erosion due to defective sewer pipes and proffered solutions for combating underground soil erosion due to defective sewer pipes. The study objective included; (a) establishing how the soil particle sizes affect the internal soil erosion due to defective sewer pipes, (b) determination of the effect of defect sizes on the internal soil erosion due to defective sewer pipes, (c) establishing the effect of the embedment material used on the internal soil erosion due to defective sewer pipes, (d) investigation of the type of soil erosion mechanism in the presence of a buried sewer pipe defect caused by the groundwater infiltration process. The methodology of the study involved reviewing and analyzing secondary qualitative and quantitative data. The findings established that the defect size of the pipe, the type and characteristics of the soil and the type of embedment materials used affected erosion of soil around a defective sewer pipe.

Water and sectoral policies in agriculture–forest frontiers: An expanded interdisciplinary research approach

Major land use changes such as deforestation and restoration influence water resources in agriculture–forest landscapes. Changes are observed in water flows, groundwater infiltration, water quality and rainfall. Interdisciplinary water–forest research has unravelled biophysical parts of the interplay that influences forest and water resources. In this Perspective paper, we propose an expanded interdisciplinary research approach to study water and policies in agriculture–forest frontiers. The approach differs in four important aspects from previous ones: (i) a conceptual ‘frontier’ understanding; an analytical focus on (ii) agriculture and (iii) policy–water linkages; (iv) empirical attention to northern and southern countries. The approach is put into practice with the “Pendulum” framework, with interventions and the agriculture–forest frontier oscillating over time between exploitation and restoration. Through the approach, a better understanding will be provided on the dynamic interplay of water and policies in oscillating agriculture–forest frontiers, with changing outcomes for people and environment.

Experimental study on three simple tracers for the assessment of extraneous water into sewer systems

In recent years, three simple tracers (conductivity, turbidity and temperature) have shown their advantages to many other tracers for tracing and assessment of extraneous water (or inflow and infiltration, I/I) into sewer systems due to low detection cost and high monitoring frequency. A better understanding of the error and uncertainty of the three simple tracers on the quantification of I/I will help to improve the reliability and reduce the cost of actual projects. A large-scale experimental model simulating a 36 m long sewer was constructed for conducting extraneous water flow tests including groundwater infiltration, wastewater inflow and hot water inflow under different I/I flow rates and concentrations. The accuracy and uncertainty of the three tracers were estimated, and their correlation with tracer concentration difference before and after extraneous inflow was also analyzed. Experimental results provide guidance for the practical applicability of the three tracers under different I/I conditions.

Recent and projected precipitation and temperature changes in the Grand Canyon area with implications for groundwater resources

Groundwater is a critical resource in the Grand Canyon region, supplying nearly all water needs for residents and millions of visitors. Additionally, groundwater discharging at hundreds of spring locations in and near Grand Canyon supports important ecosystems in this mostly arid environment. The security of groundwater supplies is of critical importance for both people and ecosystems in the region and the potential for changes to groundwater systems from projected climate change is a cause for concern. In this study, we analyze recent historical and projected precipitation and temperature data for the Grand Canyon region. Projected climate scenarios are then used in Soil Water Balance groundwater infiltration simulations to understand the state-of-the-science on projected changes to groundwater resources in the area. Historical climate data from 1896 through 2019 indicate multi-decadal cyclical patterns in both precipitation and temperature for most of the time period. Since the 1970s, however, a significant rising trend in temperature is observed in the area. All 10-year periods since 1993 are characterized by both below average precipitation and above average temperature. Downscaled and bias-corrected precipitation and temperature output from 97 CMIP5 global climate models for the water-year 2020–2099 time period indicate projected precipitation patterns similar to recent historical (water-year 1951–2015) data. Projected temperature for the Grand Canyon area, however, is expected to rise by as much as 3.4 °C by the end of the century, relative to the recent historical average. Integrating the effects of projected precipitation and temperature changes on groundwater infiltration, simulation results indicate that > 76% of future decades will experience average potential groundwater infiltration less than that of the recent historical period.

River water intrusion as a source of inflow into the sanitary sewer system

Previous studies on the extraneous water problem (or infiltration/inflow) in sanitary sewer systems assumed that the wastewater flow is mainly composed of foul sewage (FS), groundwater infiltration (GWI) and rainfall-derived inflow and infiltration (RDII). Most existing assessment methods are based on this assumption. In 2018, China initiated the ‘Protection of the Yangtze River Program’, and the two-year research data showed that it was neither the GWI nor the RDII but the direct surface water intrusion (DSWI), which has rarely been reported in literatures, that serves as the main source of the extraneous water in many local sewer systems. The discovery has enriched the understanding of the extraneous water in sewer systems. Meanwhile, it brings new challenges for the assessment of extraneous water. In this study, starting from the analysis of the low influent concentration of chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the wastewater treatment plant in a southeastern city in China, a river water intrusion point was successfully localized and the volume of river water intrusion was quantified by a series of field experiments. The methodology used in this study can also be applied in other areas with DSWI.

Urban Groundwater Processes and Anthropogenic Interactions (Porto Region, NW Portugal)

Groundwater in fissured rocks is one of the most important reserves of available fresh water, and urbanization applies an extremely complex pressure which puts this natural resource at risk. Two-thirds of Portugal is composed of fissured aquifers. In this context, the Porto urban region is the second biggest metropolitan area in mainland Portugal. In this study, a multidisciplinary approach was developed, using hydrogeological GIS-based mapping and modeling, combining hydrogeochemical, isotopic, and hydrodynamical data. In addition, an urban infiltration potential index (IPI-Urban) was outlined with the combination of several thematic layers. Hydrogeochemical signatures are mainly Cl-Na to Cl-SO4-Na, being dependent on the geographic proximity of this region to the ocean, and on anthropogenic and agricultural contamination processes, namely fertilizers, sewage, as well as animal and human wastes. Isotopic signatures characterize a meteoric origin for groundwater, with shallow flow paths and short residence times. Pumping tests revealed a semi- to confined system, with low long-term well capacities (<1 L/s), low transmissivities (<4 m2/day), and low storage coefficients (<10−2). The IPI-Urban index showed a low groundwater infiltration potential, which was enhanced by urban hydraulic and sanitation features. This study assessed the major hydrogeological processes and their dynamics, therefore, contributing to a better knowledge of sustainable urban groundwater systems in fractured media.