Sustainable groundwater resources management for the Bangkok Aquifer system | |
| Author | Mana Kitirat |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.WM-04-10 |
| Subject(s) | Groundwater--Thailand--Bangkok Aquifers--Thailand--Bangkok |
| Note | A thesis submitted in pa1iial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The Bangkok Aquifer system has been heavily exploited for water supply especially by the industrial sector. This has resulted in the major depression of groundwater levels, producing significant land subsidence, increase in groundwater salinity, increase in pumping costs and abandonment of wells. Several measures, as part of policy, have been adopted to control the groundwater use and to reduce groundwater pumping. Their effects on the response of the aquifer system need to be evaluated in the Bangkok Metropolitan area and its vicinity. The objectives of the study are to analyze the effects of various groundwater use control measures on the aquifer system and to implement artificial recharge through a computer model and evaluate its effects on the groundwater level. Information about the aquifer system in the study area and various data on groundwater use and management practices in place, such as records of the money collected from groundwater use and groundwater charging rates were collected. A calibrated groundwater model was also obtained for the conduct of systematic analyses and simulations in the study. From analyses, pumpage volume was found to be unaffected by groundwater charging, although it decreased during the financial crisis. From the survey of several industries conducted in the study, it was learned that most of the surveyed factories are attempting to reduce their groundwater use because the cost of groundwater has become more expensive than that of piped water with the implementation of groundwater preservation charges. However, piped water is not available in many places. By simulation of various artificial recharging schemes with the visual MODFLOW model used in the study, the groundwater levels in the Phra Pradaeng (PD), Nakhon Luang (NL) and Nonthaburi (NB) aquifers achieved the target levels of 20 m below the ground for PD and 30m below the ground for the NL and NB aquifers set in this study. Artificial recharge with the injection well, as anticipated, was found to be technically more effective than the spreading pond because the injection well directly supplied the water into the specific aquifers while the spreading ponds only supply water to the surface. However, in determining the best scheme for artificial aquifer recovery, the economic implications, operational and maintenance aspects, consequent effects, and social impacts should also be considered. |
| Year | 2005 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Water Engineering and Management (WM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Gupta, Ashim Das;Babel, Mukand Singh |
| Examination Committee(s) | Clemente, Roberto S.;Takizawa, Satoshi |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Royal Thai Government Fellowship |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2005 |