CAD-DRASTIC: chloride application density combined with DRASTIC for assessing groundwater vulnerability to road salt application

Salek, Mansour; Levison, Jana; Parker, Beth; Gharabaghi, Bahram

CAD-DRASTIC: chloride application density combined with DRASTIC for assessing groundwater vulnerability to road salt application | CAD-DRASTIC: intensité de l’application en chlorures combinée à DRASTIC pour l’évaluation de la vulnérabilité des eaux souterraines face au sel de déneigement CAD-DRASTIC: la densidad de aplicación de cloruro combinada con DRASTIC para evaluar la vulnerabilidad del agua subterránea al uso de sal de camino CAD-DRASTIC:氯化物应用密度与DRASTIC结合一起评价地下水针对道路融雪盐应用的易污性 DAC-DRASTIC: densidade de aplicação de cloreto combinado com DRASTIC para avaliação da vulnerabilidade das águas subterrâneas à aplicação de sal em estradas

2018

Salek, Mansour | Levison, Jana | Parker, Beth | Gharabaghi, Bahram

Road salt is pervasively used throughout Canada and in other cold regions during winter. For cities relying exclusively on groundwater, it is important to plan and minimize the application of salt accordingly to mitigate the adverse effects of high chloride concentrations in water supply aquifers. The use of geospatial data (road network, land use, Quaternary and bedrock geology, average annual recharge, water-table depth, soil distribution, topography) in the DRASTIC methodology provides an efficient way of distinguishing salt-vulnerable areas associated with groundwater supply wells, to aid in the implementation of appropriate management practices for road salt application in urban areas. This research presents a GIS-based methodology to accomplish a vulnerability analysis for 12 municipal water supply wells within the City of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The chloride application density (CAD) value at each supply well is calculated and related to the measured groundwater chloride concentrations and further combined with soil media and aquifer vadose- and saturated-zone properties used in DRASTIC. This combined approach, CAD-DRASTIC, is more accurate than existing groundwater vulnerability mapping methods and can be used by municipalities and other water managers to further improve groundwater protection related to road salt application.

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