Use of environmental isotopes to assess the sustainability of intensively exploited aquifer systems (2012‐2015)

Intensive exploitation of groundwater over longer period has led, in many important aquifers, to marked lowering of water tables, increasing exploitation costs, and often, to a progressive deterioration of water quality. Concentrated pumping may also alter flow patterns permanently with the risk of migration of pollutants into aquifers from the surrounding aquifers or surface water bodies due to lack of physical protection to prevent them. Isotope hydrology tools have proven to be very useful in assessing groundwater hydrology, addressing aspects related to recharge processes, delineation of flow patterns, water quality issues and interactions with other water bodies; this unique information can be further used to evaluate long term aquifer sustainability. The objective of the Coordinated Research Project F33019 is to develop and review approaches and methodologies, mostly based on the combined use of conventional hydrogeological techniques and environmental isotopes, to assess the response of groundwater systems to intensive exploitation and groundwater availability. Access to new dating tools and approaches for groundwater dating covering different time scales offers the possibility to evaluate changes in groundwater dynamics and flow patterns, providing key data to predict the evolution of aquifers and their sustainability as major sources of water. The CRP aims to assess the performance of these new tools and approaches and the possible adoption of these methods by water management experts