Groundwater Pollution, Aquifer Recharge and Vulnerability

The primary groundwater management issue in many countries today is pollution. This may derive from a point source, perhaps a leaking solvent store at a factory, or it may be diffuse, such as the threat posed by the use of agricultural fertilisers and pesticides. The key to understanding the transport of a pollutant from the ground surface or near surface into an aquifer is an understanding of recharge. In turn, this allows the vulnerability of aquifers to pollution to be classified and appropriate landzones to be defined. Land zonation of different classes of aquifer vulnerability is a valuable tool for management and planning. In this volume the recent developments within the interlinked areas of groundwater pollution, aquifer recharge and vulnerability are highlighted. The book provides an up-to-date description of the relationship between pollution, recharge and vulnerability set against the current groundwater protection policies of the UK and Republic of Ireland. It also provides keynote overviews for each topic.