Title: Inventory of the potential artificial recharge practice in the Eastern Aquifer basin: the case of Al-Qilt catchment, Palestine

Authors: Dalal Thaher; Marwan Ghanem; Ebel Smidt

Addresses: Birzeit University, P.O. Box 14, Ramallah, Palestine ' Birzeit University, P.O. Box 14, Ramallah, Palestine ' Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5048, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, GA Delft 2600, The Netherlands; SG Consultancy and Mediation, Netherlands

Abstract: The weighted overlay method was applied in order to determine the best locations for artificial recharge in Al-Qilt catchment using parameters of the slope, runoff, infiltration capacity, land use, density of wells and the depth of the ground water table. Results show that 91% of the total area is moderately suitable for artificial groundwater recharge by floodwater with a total area of 159 km². If treated waste water is used as source for artificial recharge 66% of the total area is moderately suitable for artificial recharge with a total area of 115 km². The yearly average recharge mounts is calculated to be 100 mm/year in the upper part of the catchment and drops to about 10 mm/year in its lower part. Based on recharge values and it's good conditions indicated that most of the actual flood runoff which flows to the Jordan valley can be artificially recharged within Al-Qilt catchment.

Keywords: water budget; GIS; geographic information systems; artificial recharge location; groundwater recharge; Al-Qilt catchment; Palestine; weighted overlay; slope; flood runoff; infiltration capacity; land use; well density; wells; groundwater table depth; floodwater; treated wastewater; wastewater treatment; flooding.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGENVI.2017.083422

International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 2017 Vol.16 No.1/2/3, pp.45 - 61

Received: 06 Aug 2016
Accepted: 03 Sep 2016
Published online: 29 Mar 2017 *

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