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Brackish Groundwater: A New Drinking Water Resource? Implications for Density Flow and Environmental Benefits

This article explores the potential of brackish groundwater as a source of drinking water and the consequences of density flow. It discusses the benefits for the environment but also highlights the challenges of managing brackish water and its impact on ecosystems. The future of a specific polder, Polder Groot Mijdrecht North, is examined in relation to the extraction of brackish water. The article concludes with the sustainability concerns and political implications surrounding brackish water extraction and increased seepage.

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Brackish Groundwater: A New Drinking Water Resource? Implications for Density Flow and Environmental Benefits

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  1. Brackish groundwater as a new resource for drinking water ? Consequences of density flow. Benefits for the environment ? Theo Olsthoorn Waternet (Amsterdam Water Supply) / TU-Delft home.planet.nl/~hans.farjon/nederland.htm

  2. peat

  3. Amsterdam

  4. Amsterdam -3 -4 -5 -2 -6 -2 -5 -3 -4 -3

  5. Schematic cross section

  6. 6 m fresh fresh Brackish upflow

  7. Water management of the Polder Groot Mijdrecht North Algae blooms, Salinity fluctuations Aquatic ecosystem is frustrated in summer Brackish-brown water with nutrients Lake ecosystem is also frustrated in summer

  8. Ground level 1960 Ground level 2004 Ground surface elevations in cm above current surface water level Average settling + shrinkage + oxidation = 30 cm in 40 yrs

  9. Water management of the Polder Groot Mijdrecht North Algae, ecosystem frustrated in summer Brackish-brown water with nutrients Lake ecosystem frustrated in summer Settling, shrinkage and oxidation of peat 7 mm/yr Spontaneous break-through of covering peat layer Too wet and saline for agriculture over time

  10. What about the future of this polder ?

  11. Prime Minister

  12. cow or jetski ? no lake no marsh but grass !

  13. crown prince and water manager of the Netherlands Investigation Committee Report handover

  14. Cross section Google

  15. infiltration infiltration Polder with low surface water level

  16. Polder with low surface water level infiltration infiltration Qbrackish=3.95m2/d

  17. Polder  lake  stagnant salt bulge stagnant

  18. Polder with low head and extraction of brackish water infiltration infiltration

  19. fresh fresh Brackish Brackish / saline

  20. Jan van Dam SWIMMER from 1968-2004

  21. Conclusions • Sustainability of deep polders with a peat soil and brackish seepage are officially questioned, they may be turned into lakes again. • The flow analysis for like brackish systems can no longer be done without variable density modeling (enquiry committee report). • Brackish water may be a good source for drinking water and its extraction may solve brackish seepage, but it cannot solve subsidence and peat oxidation. • Brackish water extraction increases fresh equilibrium seepage to the polder, which is a density effect. • However, increasing seepage is nowadays politically unacceptable.

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