1. Sustainable Groundwater Development
Trinity Development Research Week
7th November 2011
Sustainable Groundwater Development
Bruce Misstear
Environmental Engineering Research Group
School of Engineering
Trinity College Dublin

2. Sustainable Groundwater Development
Sustainable groundwater development can be achieved with different types of wells (and springs)
For sustainability, abstractions should not exceed long-term recharge of the groundwater resources (aquifers)
Groundwater resources affected by changing climate (which affects recharge)
Large storage characteristics of many aquifers may help to maintain supplies during droughts

3. (UN World Water Development Report 3, 2009)

4. (UN World Water Development Report 3, 2009)

5. Types of water wells
(Misstear et al., 2006)

6. Examples of shallow hand-dug wells from Pakistan, Cameroon and Ethiopia
(Photos by Bruce Misstear, Mott MacDonald and David Banks)

7. Borehole construction, Southern Oman
(Photo BM)

8. Qanat (Persia) or Falaj (Arabic) (Known as a Dawudi Falaj in Oman)
(Diagram from MWR Oman)

9. The aflaj (qanats) of Oman
(Photos BM)

10. Can sometimes follow line of falaj from old spoil heaps
(Image from Google Earth)

11. Well design: What does the user want?

12. Not this!
(Photo Mott MacDonald)

13. Sustainable wells: user requirements
Quantity – need to meet design yield
Quality – fit for particular purpose
Reliability – avoid excessive maintenance
Cost – capital and operating costs should be reasonable (but cheapest is seldom best!)
Impacts on others – avoid impacts on neighbouring wells or environment

14. Sustainability principles are incorporated into textbook guidance

15. Water is Life, Uganda
Funded by Irish Aid/HEA Programme for Strategic Co-operation
Multi-disciplinary project
Goal of this programme - to build research capacity in Ireland and Africa
Water is Life - 5 year programme – 2008 to 2013
Large numbers of partners – both Southern and Northern, HEIs, MMM Resource Centre , Makondo and NGOs 15

16. Key aspects Inter/intra institutional Cross disciplinary
Research ‘in the field’
Community participation
Education and dissemination
Aim is to develop appropriate activities in the area of water resource sustainability and monitor their effects on community health, gender and poverty through a combination of 8 PhD research projects and community engagement

17. PhD research projects
Sourcing & distribution of sustainable groundwater supplies for rural water supply (TCD/DkIT//MUK)
Sustainable pump technologies (DkIT/DCU/MUK)
Health impact of SODIS using a school-based trial protocol (RCSI/DCU/MUK)
Solar disinfection of drinking water (RCSI/DCU/MUK)
Water & water management needs: social & health impacts on women & their children (DCU/DkIT/MUK)
Adaptation of water management to climate change (NUIM/MUK)
The social impact of gendering water resource management (NUIM/MUK)
Understanding cooperation & conflict in local water governance (DCU/MUK) 17

18. Sourcing of sustainable groundwater supplies:
An assessment of a weathered crystalline rock aquifer system, southwest Uganda (WP1)
PhD student: Sam Kagwisagye
Supervisors: Bruce Misstear, Eleanor Jennings, Suzanne Linnane and Albert Rugomayo

19. Specific objectives Monitoring groundwater quality in existing sources
Consideration of alternative well designs and locations
Assessment of the water balance for a weathered crystalline rock aquifer system
Investigation of impacts of changing climate on water resources and on groundwater sources 19

20. Project field work in Makondo parish, near Masaka, Uganda

21. Makondo
(Photo Andrew Hughes)

22. Unimproved water source
(Photo BM)

23. Most shallow wells are in the valley bottoms
(Photo BM)

24. Water collection mainly by children
Borehole on high ground with deep water level
Water collection mainly by children
(Photo BM)

25. Low yield
(Photo BM)

26. 2010 survey findings 1 protected spring, 1 functioning – 100%
Functionality levels
1 protected spring, 1 functioning – 100%
25 shallow wells, 8 functioning – 32%
10 boreholes,1 functioning – 10%
Overall functionality – 27%

27. Broken pump – people revert to unimproved source
(Photo BM)

28. Conceptual model for catchment water balance
(Prepared by Sam Kagwisagye)

29. Collection of hydrometric data as part of water balance estimation
Weather station
Raingauge
Small borehole for monitoring groundwater levels
Vandalised monitoring well
(Photos BM)
(Photo BM)

30. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
Questions?
(Photo Sam Kagwisagye)