Salinity and pumping relations in Fazael- Jericho well fields and

determining of utilization thresholds

Dr. Joseph Guttman

Hydrologic Science Workshop – Study of the Eastern Basin of the Mountain Aquifer

Jerusalem, Ambassador HotelJune 16-17, 2013

• The source of the fresh water is from rainfall recharging the aquifer along the mountain crest

• Inside the JRV there are brines.• The outlet is through springs that flow into the

Dead Sea and lateral flow into deep formations within the Rift Valley.

• The fresh water is limited. • In some wells, increasing of the pumping is

accompanied with salinity rising. This constrain limited the possibilities to increase the pumping of the fresh water.

• Nevertheless, substantial volumes of freshwater are lost in the Rift Valley and become saline.

• Future development critically depends on rational operation of the current resources and finding and developing of new local sources (freshwater, brackish and effluent).

General situation

Dead

Sea

Sectionalization of the Eastern

Basin

Water level map

Water level hydrograph

-360

-340

-320

-300

-280

-260

-240

-220

14/01/2004 28/05/2005 10/10/2006 22/02/2008 06/07/2009 18/11/2010 01/04/2012 14/08/2013

Uja 2 Fazael 2 Fazael 4 Fazael 8 Gitit 3 Aatra 1 Kaliya 2 Aatra 2 -

Water level hydrograph

Salinity behavior in some wellsThe wells are located along the foothill and capturing the fresh water before it mix with the saline body

Location of Fazael wells

Geology- The monocline (flexure) along the foothill

Flexure

The wells and the flexure in Fazael well field

Water level and Salinity

Correlation between pumping and salinityWell: Fazael 6

Reduction in the monthly and yearly amount reduce the salinity in the well

Jericho Uja wells

Salinity in Jericho wells

Jericho 2-Pumping and salinity

Jericho 5-Pumping and salinity

Fresh and Saline end members

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

5.00

5.50

6.00

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400 2600 2800

Chloride (mg/l)

HC

O3

Cl

in e

qm

Mixing Line

Fazael 11

En Samiya area & Uja, Fazael wells

Fazael 1

Fazael 6 & 8 in high pumping priod

Fazael 6 & 8 in low pumping priod

Fresh End-Member

Saline End-Member

Two end-members.Most of the fresh water wellsare located on this mixing line

Salinization SourcesInside the rift there are salt domes.They are the source of the salinizationof the regional karstic aquifer

FreshWater

Brine

Determining of the “Red Line”(Utilization thresholds)

Salinity is the main parameter that affecting the water supply.Because each well in the region has a different salinity pattern, it becomes quite difficult (if not impossible) to predict the salinity in each well.Our assumption is that the different salinity pattern is a result of combination between several causes:–Geology: The geological location of the well, the quality and thickness of the aquifer layers.–Hydrology: Natural recharge, Hourly discharge, Specific discharge (dynamic drawdown), water level, the location of the fresh-saline (dynamic) interface.–Technical: Location and length of the perforated section.–Demand: Monthly and yearly pumping in a single well and in the neighbouring wells.The weight of each factor may vary among different wells.

Recommendation

Remarks Yearly pumping Recommended

Monthly pumpingRecommended

Hourly Discharge

Yearly pumping 2012

Name

1.00 0.11 165 1.03 Fazael 2

0.60 0.06 90 0.47 Fazael 3

Sensitive to salinization

0.70 0.09 210 0.67 Fazael 6

0.60 0.07 180 0.52 Fazael 8

1.20 0.13 240 0.89 Fazael 9

Practically, utilization thresholds ("red lines") should define for each borehole by trial and error.

Without determining precise criteria for each borehole, the deterioration of groundwater quality and quantity will have impacts on the future development and on the local economy.

Summary and Conclusion

• The water supply base on local resources only. Fresh water is a limited resource and is effected by salinization process.

• Wells are located at the wadis apertures few hundred meter west to the flexure (eastern edge of the foothill) in order to capture the fresh water before it enter to the saline water.

• The salinity is the main parameter that effect on the supply. It is essential to maintain the salinity at a low and stable value.

• Because each well has a different salinity pattern, it becomes quite difficult (impossible) to predict the salinity trend in each well and to predefine precise regional utilization thresholds ("red lines").