Optimal Control of Saltwater Intrusion in Coastal Aquifers Using Analytical Approximation Based on Density Dependent Flow Correction

Abstract

Pumping well management in coastal aquifers required to account for the saltwater intrusion problem. The prevention saltwater contamination of pumping wells should be considered along with the objective of maximum groundwater withdrawal. Saltwater intrusion constraint can be based on (1) sharp interface model (2) density-dependent transport model. Sharp interface models are preferable in the case of limited computation cost available and density-dependent transport models are preferable for accuracy. The correction factor introduced to account for the density-dependent dispersion by Pool and Carrera (Water Resour Res 47(5):W05506, 2011) vastly improves the sharp interface solution. In this present study, the application of the modified sharp interface solution based on the density-dependent correction factor for the pumping optimization is demonstrated for a regional scale aquifer in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India. The proposed optimization model sought to maximize the total pumping and minimize the landward toe intrusion from the sea.