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Assessing the impact of modern recharge on a sandstone aquifer beneath a suburb of Doncaster, UK

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Abstract

A major water quality issue in urban areas underlain by a productive aquifer is the impact of modern recharge. Using a variety of sample sources including multi-level boreholes, detectable concentrations of CFCs and SF6 have been found throughout the upper 50 m of the saturated aquifer beneath a suburb of Doncaster, UK, indicating that modern (<50-year old) recharge has penetrated to at least this depth. Additional support for this deep penetration is provided by the detection of sulphite-reducing clostridia and faecal streptococci. Despite the upper aquifer being a poorly cemented sandstone, the residence time indicators suggest that some modern recharge is travelling via fracture systems in addition to that moving down by simple piston flow. However, the overall impact of 80 years of steady urbanisation on water quality in the aquifer beneath this suburb has in general been limited. This is attributed to a combination of factors including previous land use, dilution by direct recharge of rainfall through green-space areas including gardens, and locally high storage in the friable upper aquifer.

Résumé

Une des principales problématiques de la qualité de l’eau en zone urbaine dont le sous-sol est occupé par un aquifère productif est l’impact de la recharge récente. Utilisant différentes chroniques dont un piezomètre multi niveaux, on a trouvé, dans les 50 m supérieurs de la zone saturée de l’aquifère situé sous le métro de Doncaster, UK, des concentrations détectables de CFC et de SF6 qui indiquent qu’une recharge moderne (inf. à 50 ans) a pénétré au moins à cette profondeur. Cette profondeur est aussi validée par la détection de Clostridia sulfito réductives et de Streptocoques fécaux. L’aquifère supérieur est un grès peu cimenté, les marqueurs du temps de séjour suggèrent pourtant qu’une recharge récente voyage à travers un système de fracture en plus de la recharge qui se déplace par effet piston. Toutefois, du point de vue de la qualité de l’eau de l’aquifère situé sous le métro, l’impact global de 80 années d’urbanisation constante est en général limité. Ceci est attribué à une combinaison de facteurs dont l’utilisation précédente de la terre, la dilution par la recharge directe de la pluie à travers les espaces verts notamment les jardins, et un stockage important dans l’aquifère superficiel friable.

Resumen

Un problema mayor de calidad de agua, en áreas urbanas subyacidas por un acuífero productivo, es el impacto de la recarga moderna. Usando una variedad de fuentes de muestreo, incluyendo pozos multi-nivel, se han encontrado concentraciones perceptibles de CFCs y SF6 a lo largo de los 50 m superiores del acuífero saturado, bajo un suburbio de Doncaster, Reino Unido, indicando que la recarga moderna (<50 años) ha penetrado por lo menos hasta esta profundidad. Un apoyo adicional para esta penetración profunda es proporcionado por el descubrimiento de clostridia reductora de sulfitos y estreptococo fecal. A pesar que el acuífero superior es una arenisca ligeramente cementada, los indicadores de tiempo de residencia sugieren que alguna recarga moderna esta produciéndose a través de los sistemas de fractura, además de la que se produce por flujo de pistón simple. Sin embargo, el impacto global de 80 años de urbanizacion contínua, sobre la calidad de agua del acuífero ubicado bajo este suburbio ha sido limitado en general. Esto se atribuye a una combinación de factores que incluyen el uso anterior de la tierra, la dilución por la recarga directa de lluvia a través de las áreas verdes incluyendo los jardines, y localmente un almacenamiento alto en el acuífero superior friable.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of our UK project stakeholders Yorkshire Water Plc., the Environment Agency and Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council with data and discussion. Funding for this project was provided via the UK Natural Environment Research Council and the European Union 5th Framework Directive (Grant # EVK1-CT-2002-00100). Our colleagues Ilka Neumann, Jenny Cunningham, Debbie Allen, Sarah Hannay and Barry Townsend provided helpful comments, data, field sampling and analytical expertise. This paper is published with the permission of the Executive Director, British Geological Survey (NERC).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. British Geological Survey, Maclean Building, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8BB, UK

    Brian L. Morris, W. George Darling, Emily J. Whitehead & Daren C. Gooddy

  2. Robens Centre for Public and Environmental Health, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK

    Aidan A. Cronin & Joerg Rueedi

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  1. Brian L. Morris
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  2. W. George Darling
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  3. Aidan A. Cronin
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Correspondence to Brian L. Morris.

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Morris, B.L., Darling, W.G., Cronin, A.A. et al. Assessing the impact of modern recharge on a sandstone aquifer beneath a suburb of Doncaster, UK. Hydrogeol J 14, 979–997 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-006-0028-1

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