SIMULATION OF RIVERBANK FILTRATE TURBIDITY - CASE STUDY

Abstract

The characteristics of the bank filtrate are affected by changes in the surface water quality. With more and more contamination of surface water sources, it is very important to predict the bank filtrate concentrations from the observed surface water quality. For this study, we have used the data of river water turbidity collected under an EU sponsored project during a period of one year (i.e. 2005-2006) at RBF site, located on river Ganges, in Haridwar, India. In order to investigate the dependence of the dispersion coefficient of the underlying aquifer on the river water turbidity, the river bank filtrate turbidity has been simulated using two Methodologies. In the first Methodology, the dispersion coefficient of aquifer is assumed as a constant. In the second Methodology, the dispersion coefficient'of the aquifer is assumed to be dependent on the river water turbidity. Based on a relationship between source water turbidity and the dispersion coefficient of the aquifer, the river bank filtrate turbidity is simulated very well. The dispersion coefficient which exhibits a functional dependence of source water turbidity is found to decrease with an increase in source water turbidity at RBF site.