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Improving the Sanitary Protection of Ground Water in Severely Folded, Fractured, and Creviced Limestone a
Author(s) -
Jones Elmer E.,
Murray Charles M.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1977.tb03153.x
Subject(s) - groundwater , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , spring (device) , contamination , sediment , terrain , water quality , geology , mining engineering , geotechnical engineering , geomorphology , engineering , geography , mechanical engineering , ecology , cartography , biology
The construction of wells yielding safe, sanitary water in areas of severely folded, fractured, and creviced limestone depends on the retention of enough sediment in the transmission paths to restrict the movement of contaminants. The described research has been directed towards two problems–the identification of terrain and hydrologic features that indicate a lack of adequate sanitary protection of ground water in the formation, and means of improving this protection. Intermittent spring‐sinks along streams or in low‐lying areas indicate a reversal of ground‐water flow in the area. When the water level rises above a critical level sediments that have accumulated in the formation over many years may be discharged in a few days, resulting in a loss of filtering ability. Ground‐water levels and bacteriological contamination have been monitored on four wells in Washington County, Maryland, since 1973. Ground‐water quality deteriorated after tropical storm Agnes washed sediments from the formation. Techniques for preventing surface contaminant entry, improving filtering ability of the formation, and providing controlled relief of hydrostatic pressure have been studied as ways of protecting ground water in the formation.