Real-time groundwater monitoring of a quarry reclamation within the City of Guelph for source water protection

采石场和其他大规模的景观改造作业涉及挖掘和移除土料，否则保持完整可提供天然保护，防止地下水污染。因此，当采石场被加深时，调查对地下水系统的影响至关重要。当被挖掘的材料是破裂的岩石时，情况尤其如此，因为这些岩石的性质更容易受到污染，因为这些裂缝可以作为地表水和地下水之间的直接联系。因此，景观的改变可以极大地影响地下水的质量，因此，有一个全球性的需要了解这些影响。在这种情况下，Dolime采石场代表了一个理想的研究场所，以进一步科学地了解这一问题。该采石场位于圭尔夫（人口135，000）8个活跃的市政供水威尔斯井2.5公里范围内，挖掘已经突破了保护城市主要供水含水层的主要弱透水层（低渗透性地质构造）。如果管理不当，这一缺口使城市的供水容易受到病原体、病毒或其他污染物的侵害。该市建议控制采石场的排水作业，以管理这一威胁，但需要仔细的测量，监测和测试计划，以减轻未来的污染风险。为了解决这个问题，这项研究需要比传统方法更高的时空分辨率的数据集。该研究将部署最先进的传感器技术来测量近采石场的水力响应，定义地质和水文地质单元，识别弱透水层，并调查地表水和地下水之间可能的相互作用。这项研究提供了可靠的数据，以了解所有主要采石场对地下水构成的风险，并指导如何在加拿大各地的社区长期最好地管理这些风险，其中3000多个采石场积极影响当地的地下水系统。此外，从应用创新工具和方法中得出的结论也可以推广到依赖断裂岩石含水层提供清洁饮用水、农业和工业用途的其他全球社区。

Quarry and other large-scale landscape modification operations involve excavation and removal of earth material that when otherwise left intact provides natural protection against groundwater pollution. Thus, when a quarry is deepened, it is critical to investigate the impact on the groundwater system. This is particularly true when the material being excavated is fractured rocks that by their nature are more prone to contamination because these fractures can act as a direct connection between the surface and groundwater. Thus, landscape modifications can greatly affect groundwater quality and therefore, there is a global need to understand these impacts. In this context, the Dolime Quarry represents an ideal research site to further scientific understanding of this problem. This quarry is located within 2.5 km of 8 active municipal water supply wells in Guelph (pop. 135,000), and excavations have breached the main aquitard (a low permeability geological formation) that protects the city's primary water supply aquifer. This breach makes the city's water supply vulnerable to pathogens, viruses or other contaminants if not appropriately managed. The city is proposing to take control of the quarry dewatering operation to manage this threat, but careful measurement, monitoring, and testing programs are needed to mitigate future contamination risks. To address this problem, the study requires datasets of higher spatiotemporal resolution than possible with conventional approaches. The research will deploy state-of-the-science sensor technologies to measure near-quarry hydraulic responses, define geological and hydrogeological units, identify aquitards, and investigate possible interactions between surface water and groundwater. This research provides robust data to understand the risks all major quarries pose to groundwater and guidance on how to best manage these risks long-term in communities across Canada, where more than 3000 quarries actively impact local groundwater systems. Moreover, findings from the application of innovative tools and approaches are transferrable to other global communities that rely on fractured rock aquifers for clean drinking water, agricultural and industrial use.