Novel Hybrid Machine Learning Algorithms for Lakes Evaporation and Power Production using Floating Semitransparent Polymer Solar Cells

The present study predicts the future evaporation losses by applying novel hybrid Machine Learning Algorithms (MLA). Water resources management is achieved by covering the reservoir water surface with floating semitransparent polymer solar cells. The energy produced by these panels will be used in the irrigation activities. The study is applied for the mass water body of Nasser Lake, Egypt and Sudan. Five MLAs namely additive regression (AR), AR-random subspace (AR-RSS), AR-M5Pruned (AR-M5P), AR-reduced error pruning tree (AR-REPTree), and AR- support vector machine (AR-SVM) were developed and evaluated for predicting future evaporation losses in the years 2030, 2050, and 2070. The study concludes that the hybrid AR-M5P ML model was not only superior to the AR model alone but also outperformed other hybrid models such as AR-RSS and AR-REPTree. The expected total annual water saving are projected to reach 3.47 billion cubic meters (BCM), 3.68 and 3.90 BCM, while the total annual power production is observed to be 1389 × 109 Megawatt (MW), 1535 × 109 MW and 1795 × 109 MW in the years 2030, 2050 and 2070, respectively. These results were achieved by covering the shallow water depths from contour level 0 m to 10 m below the surface water level. Additionally, this study shows the ability of using MLAs in the estimation of reservoir evaporation and addressing the water shortages in high stress regions.

Graphical Abstract

Assessment of riverbank filtration performance for climatic change and a growing population

Riverbank filtration (RBF) consists of green drinking water production in many regions and is used as a pre-treatment phase. This study investigates the performance of the RBF in the Nile delta, Egypt, for climate change and population growth scenarios of 2030, 2040, and 2050. This study presents a new method for predicting the sharing of riverbanks considering three cases: i) the river stage controlling the water levels in the river, ii) increasing RBF pumping, and iii) changing the groundwater levels. This last scenario is achieved by changing the general head in the MODFLOW model. The results showed that RBF sharing (RBFS) is a proportion of the river leakage inflow, in which the decrease of the river stage due to the influence of climate change reduced the river leakage inflow and RBFS. In addition, increasing RBF pumping, decreasing RBF pumping, and lowering the groundwater levels due to the increase in the future drinking water pumping for the population growth increased the river leakage inflow and RBFS. Finally, combining the three cases decreased RBFS in the coming years of 2030, 2040, and 2050, respectively, due to more groundwater sharing than the river inflow. The results show that the water budget is a good tool to investigate RBFS compared with MT3D results. This technique can reduce the cost of water quality collection and analysis; moreover, it will help with the estimation of RBF and save time compared with solute transport modeling.

Forecasting Long-Series Daily Reference Evapotranspiration Based on Best Subset Regression and Machine Learning in Egypt

The estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ETo), a crucial step in the hydrologic cycle, is essential for system design and management, including the balancing, planning, and scheduling of agricultural water supply and water resources. When climates vary from arid to semi-arid, and there are problems with a lack of meteorological data and a lack of future information on ETo, as is the case in Egypt, it is more important to estimate ETo precisely. To address this, the current study aimed to model ETo for Egypt’s most important agricultural governorates (Al Buhayrah, Alexandria, Ismailiyah, and Minufiyah) using four machine learning (ML) algorithms: linear regression (LR), random subspace (RSS), additive regression (AR), and reduced error pruning tree (REPTree). The Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) was used to gather daily climate data variables from 1979 to 2014. The datasets were split into two sections: the training phase, i.e., 1979–2006, and the testing phase, i.e., 2007–2014. Maximum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin), and solar radiation (SR) were found to be the three input variables that had the most influence on the outcome of subset regression and sensitivity analysis. A comparative analysis of ML models revealed that REPTree outperformed competitors by achieving the best values for various performance matrices during the training and testing phases. The study’s novelty lies in the use of REPTree to estimate and predict ETo, as this algorithm has not been commonly used for this purpose. Given the sparse attempts to use this model for such research, the remarkable accuracy of the REPTree model in predicting ETo highlighted the rarity of this study. In order to combat the effects of aridity through better water resource management, the study also cautions Egypt’s authorities to concentrate their policymaking on climate adaptation.

Cost-effective management measures for coastal aquifers affected by saltwater intrusion and climate change

Sustainable management of natural water resources and food security in the face of changing climate conditions is critical to the livelihood of coastal communities. Increasing inundation and saltwater intrusion (SWI) will likely adversely affect agricultural production and the associated beach access for tourism. This study uses an integrated surface-ground water model to introduce a new approach for retardation of SWI that consists of placing aquifer fill materials along the existing shoreline using Coastal Land Reclamation (CLR). The modeling results suggest that the artificial aquifer materials could be designed to decrease SWI by increasing the infiltration area of coastal precipitation, collecting runoffs from the catchment area, and applying treated wastewater or desalinated brackish water-using coastal wave energy to reduce water treatment costs. The SEAWAT model was applied to verify that it correctly addressed Henry's problem and then applied to the Biscayne aquifer, Florida, USA. In this study, to better inform Coastal Aquifer Management (CAM), we developed four modeling scenarios, namely, Physical Surface Barriers (PSB), including the artificial aquifer widths, permeability, and side slopes and recharge. In the base case scenario without artificial aquifer placement, results show that seawater levels would increase aquifer salinity and displace large amounts of presently available fresh groundwater. More specifically, for the Biscayne aquifer, approximately 0.50% of available fresh groundwater will be lost (that is, 41,192 m³) per km of the width of the aquifer considering the increasing seawater level. Furthermore, the results suggest that placing the PSB aquifer with a smaller permeability of <100 m per day at a width of approximately 615 m increases the available fresh groundwater by approximately 45.20 and 43.90% per km of shoreline, respectively. Similarly, decreasing the slope on the aquifer-ocean side and increasing the aquifer recharge will increase freshwater availability by about 43.90 and 44.50% per km of the aquifer. Finally, placing an aquifer fill along the shallow shoreline increases net revenues to the coastal community through increased agricultural production and possibly tourism that offset fill placement and water treatment costs. This study is useful for integrated management of coastal zones by delaying aquifer salinity, protecting fresh groundwater bodies, increasing agricultural lands, supporting surface water supplies by harvesting rainfall and flash flooding, and desalinating saline water using wave energy. Also, the feasibility of freshwater storage and costs for CAM is achieved in this study.

Forecasting of Flash Floods Peak Flow for Environmental Hazards and Water Harvesting in Desert Area of El-Qaa Plain, Sinai

Water resources in arid and semi-arid regions are limited where the demands of agriculture, drinking and industry are increasing, especially in drought areas. These regions are subjected to climate changes (CC) that affect the watershed duration and water supplies. Estimations of flash flooding (FF) volume and discharge are required for future development to meet the water demands in these water scarcity regions. Moreover, FF in hot deserts is characterized by low duration, high velocity and peak discharge with a large volume of sediment. Today, the trends of flash flooding due to CC have become very dangerous and affect water harvesting volume and human life due to flooding hazards. The current study forecasts the peak discharges and volumes in the desert of El-Qaa plain in Southwestern Sinai, Egypt, for drought and wet seasons by studying the influence of recurrence intervals for 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 years. Watershed modeling system software (WMS) is used and applied for the current study area delineation. The results show that the predictions of peak discharges reached 0, 0.44, 45.72, 195.45, 365.91 and 575.30 cubic meters per s (m³ s⁻¹) while the volumes reached 0, 23, 149.80, 2,896,241.40, 12,664,963.80 and 36,681,492.60 cubic meters (m³) for 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 years, respectively, which are precipitation depths of 15.20, 35.30, 50.60, 70.70, 85.90 and 101 mm, respectively. Additionally, the average annual precipitation reached 13.37 mm, with peak flow and volume reaching 0 m³ s⁻¹ where all of water harvesting returned losses. Moreover, future charts and equations were developed to estimate the peak flow and volume, which are useful for future rainwater harvesting and the design of protection against flooding hazards in drought regions due to CC for dry and wet seasons. This study provides relevant information for hazard and risk assessment for FF in hot desert regions. The study recommends investigating the impact of recurrence intervals on sediment transport in these regions.

Seepage loss from unlined, lined, and cracked-lined canals: a case study of Ismailia canal reach from 28.00&#8211;49.00 Km, Egypt.. [DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-egu22-13134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

&lt;p&gt;Water resources face global and local challenges. In Egypt, for example, &amp;#160;the negative impacts of climatic changes and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), cause a shortage of water resources. Shortage of water resources is considered an urgent issue particularly in semiarid regions (like many MENA countries) and arid ones (like Egypt). Therefore, the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has launched the national project of canals rehabilitation and lining for effective water resource management and decreasing seepage losses. This study dealt with three different lining techniques, as well cracked-liner for the Ismailia canal, which is considered the largest end of the Nile in Egypt. A steady-state 2-D seep/w model was established for the Ismailia canal section, at the stretch from 28&amp;#160; to 49 km. The results showed that the amount of seepage was considerably depending on the hydraulic characteristics of the lining material. Pumping from aquifers through wells also has a significant influence on the seepage rate from the unlined canal. Nevertheless, a negligible effect was present in the lined canal case. The highest efficiency was obtained with the concrete liner, after that the geomembrane liner, and then the bentonite liner; with nearly 99%, 96%, and 54%, respectively, in the case of no pumping from aquifer via wells. The efficiency decreased by 4% for the bentonite and geomembrane liners during pumping from the aquifer, but the concrete liner efficiency did not change significantly. However, in the case of deterioration of the lining material through cracks, the efficiency strictly decreased to 25%, irrespective of the utilized lining technique. The dual effect of both cracked-liner material and extraction from the aquifer via pumping wells revealed an efficiency of 16%, regardless of the utilized liner type.&lt;/p&gt;

Environmental coastal management for groundwater resources using different aquifer bed slopes considering sea level rise risk.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1307616/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

Todays, coastal groundwater management is a challenging research topic due the relevance of these water resources and the huge suffered risks due to the global change in the coastal areas. The geometrical features of coastal aquifers play a control role on salt water intrusion (SWI). Seawater level rise (SLR), groundwater over pumping and aquifer recharge reduction promoting SWI. All these key factors are considered are considered with two different numerical approaches defining schematic management criteria. The former approach adopts the well-known Henry's problem; the latter is based on the real study case of the Gaza aquifer (Palestine). Different aquifer bed slopes, hydraulic and physical methods, including physical subsurface barriers, earth fill, check dam, abstraction, and natural or artificial recharge are considered together with SLR, recharge reduction, and over pumping. The different scenarios are compared in terms of position of saltwater intrusion interface, measured as distance from the coastline at the aquifer bottom using the numerical code SEAWAT. Useful comparing tables and considerations are defined with the purpose to guide the preliminary selections of new management solutions for reducing the effect of the global change on coastal groundwater resources around the coastal world. The land side bed slope cases show more SWI than sea side and horizontal bed slopes. Cut-off walls and check dams are effective technique to manage SWI in horizontal bed aquifers slopes more than other slopes, also the subsurface dams, earth fill and recharge of freshwater are good methods to control the SWI in land bed slopes while abstraction of brackish water and combine of freshwater recharge with brackish water abstraction are better to mitigate of SWI in sea side slopes.

Effects of groundwater abstraction and desalination brine deep injection on a coastal aquifer

As a result of climate change, population increase and improvement of living standards, the water demand is annually growing drawing worldwide attention on seawater desalination to face water crisis. The total global desalination capacity is dominated by Reverse Osmosis (RO) and, often, this desalination process is fed with the brackish water extracted from coastal aquifers. After this process the desalted freshwater is obtained at a recovery factor of ca. 50%, while concentrate byproduct, named brine, is disposed back to coastal aquifers, seas, oceans or evaporative ponds, determining detrimental effects on the surrounding environment. A common approach to clean out the brine is the deep-well injection into coastal aquifers, exacerbating the seawater intrusion. The ultimate result is a reduction of the available water both in terms quantity and quality hampering the benefits of the desalination. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of brine water injection in the Nile coastal aquifer, one of the largest underground freshwater reservoirs in the world, and to find a way to minimize and manage the environmental impact of the RO process. In order to simulate the effects of the brackish water extraction and the brine deep-injection on the Nile coastal aquifer, a combined seawater intrusion, numerical models for flow and salt transport model in aquifers and the solution-diffusion in RO practices were implemented. Different management scenarios were considered and their consequences on salt mass storage in the Nile coastal aquifer evaluated. According to the numerical results, the salinization of the coastal aquifer can be mitigated by reducing the concentration of the water feeding the reverse osmosis plant, i.e., mixing the extracted brackish water with a lower salinity water. Besides, low feed salinity leads to significant gains by decreasing the specific energy consumption of the desalination process.

Environmental rethinking of wastewater drains to manage environmental pollution and alleviate water scarcity

The conservation of water resources in developed countries has become an increasing concern. In integrated water resource management, water quality indicators are critical. The low groundwater quality quantitates mainly attributed to the absence of protection systems for polluted streams that collect and recycle the untreated wastewater. Egypt has a limited river network; thus, the supply of water resources remains inadequate to satisfy domestic demand. In this regard, high-quality groundwater is one of the main strategies for saving water supplies with water shortage problems. This paper investigates the critical issues of groundwater protection and environmental management of polluted streams, leading to overcoming water demand-about 18 × 10³ km of polluted open streams with a discharge of 9.70 billion Cubic Metter (BCM). We have proposed proposals and policies for the safe use of groundwater and reuse of wastewater recycling for agriculture and other purposes. This study was carried out using the numerical model MODFLOW and MT3DMS-(Mass Transport 3-Dimension Multi-Species) to assess the Wastewater Treated Plant's (WWTP) best location and the critical path for using different lining materials of polluted streams to avoid groundwater contamination. The three contaminants are BOD, COD, and TDS. Five scenarios were applied for mitigating the impact of polluted water: (1) abstraction forcing, (2) installing the WWTP at the outlet of the main basin drain with and without a lining of main and sub-basin streams (base case), (3) lining of main and sub-main streams, (4) installing WWTP at the outlet of the sub-basin streams, and (5) lining of the sub-basin and installing WWTP at the outlet of the sub-basin. The results showed that the best location of WWTP in polluted streams is developed at the outlets of sub-basin with the treatment of main basin water and the lining of sub-basins streams. The contamination was reduced by 76.07, 76.38, and 75.67% for BOD, COD, and TDS, respectively, using Cascade Aeration Biofilter or Trickling Filter, Enhancing Solar water Disinfection [(CABFESD)/(CATFESD)] and High-Density Polyethylene lining. This method is highly effective and safe for groundwater and surface water environmental protection. This study could be managing the water poverty for polluted streams and groundwater in the Global South and satisfy the environmental issues to improve water quality and reduce the treatment and health cost in these regions.

Investigating and Managing the Impact of Using Untreated Wastewater for Irrigation on the Groundwater Quality in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions

This study aims to investigate the impact of using untreated wastewater in irrigation. Different scenarios of management were applied by mixing it with treated wastewater or freshwater on groundwater quality. A hypothetical case study is presented. The numerical model of MODFLOW is used in the simulation by applying four stages (21 scenarios) including: different values of pumping rates, changing wastewater recharge rates, and a combination of the previous scenarios. Additionally, protection scenario for groundwater was applied by using different values of mixing of freshwater with wastewater. The simulation was carried out for the contamination of Chemical Oxygen Demand COD and the concentration reached 48.6 ppm at a depth of 25 m and 19.41 ppm at a depth of 50 m in the base case. The results showed a negative impact on groundwater quality had occurred due to increasing the pumping rates, wastewater recharge rates, and combination between two scenarios, which led to an increase of the contaminants in the aquifers. However, positive protection effects occurred due to mixing the wastewater with treated wastewater. The results of COD concentration in groundwater using treated wastewater reached 81.82, 77.88, 74.03, 70.12, and 66.15 ppm at a depth of 25 m and 53.53, 50.95, 48.43, 45.87, and 43.28 ppm at a depth of 50 m, at concentrations of 93, 88.52, 84.14, 79.7, and 75.19 ppm with constant pumping and recharge rates of 4320 m³/d and 547.5 mm/year, respectively. The using of treated wastewater could improve the groundwater quality to be used in the irrigation process and help to minimize groundwater contamination. Moreover, the abstraction of the groundwater should be optimized, and the qualities of wastewater should be constrained in agriculture to protect the groundwater quality.

Investigating the possible measure to protect groundwater from polluted streams in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions: the Eastern Nile Delta case study.. [DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-egu21-14734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

&lt;p&gt;Groundwater is the main source of drinking water in the Nile Delta. Unfortunately, it might be polluted by seepage from polluted streams. This study was carried out to investigate the possible measures &amp;#160;to &amp;#160;protect groundwater&amp;#160; in the Nile delta aquifer using a numerical model (MT3DMS - Mass Transport 3-Dimension Multi-Species). The sources of groundwater contamination were identified and the total dissolved solids (TDS) was taken as an indicator for the contamination. Different strategies were investigated for mitigating the impact of polluted water: i) allocating polluted drains and canals in lower permeability layers; ii) &amp;#160;installing cut-off walls in the polluted drains, and finally, iii) using lining materials in polluted drains and canals. Results indicated these measures effective to mitigate the groundwater pollution. In particular, the cut-off wall was effective for contamination reduction in shallow aquifers, whereas it had no effect in the deep aquifer, while lining materials in polluted drains and canals were able to prevent contamination and to protect the freshwater in the aquifers. &amp;#160;It is worth mentioning that this study was partially supported by a bilateral project between ASRT (Egypt) and CNR (Italy).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

Simulation-Based Solutions Reducing Soil and Groundwater Contamination from Fertilizers in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions: Case Study the Eastern Nile Delta, Egypt

Intensive agriculture requires increasing application of fertilizers in order to sustain food production. Improper use of these substances in combination with increasing seawater intrusion results in long-term and nonpoint soil and groundwater contamination. In this work, a 3-D groundwater and solute transport numerical model was created to simulate the effect of excessive fertilizers application along the Bahr El Baqar drain system, in the eastern Nile Delta, Egypt. The geotechnical properties of the soils, hydrologic parameters, and unconfined compressive strength were determined at different sites and used as input parameters for the model. Model results showed that silty clay soils are able to contain the contaminations and preserve the groundwater quality. Nevertheless, sandy soils primarily located at the beginning of the Bahr El Baqar drain allow leakage of fertilizers to the groundwater. Thus, fertilizer application should be properly managed in the top sandy layers to protect the groundwater and soil, as increasing aquifer by excess irrigation water increased the groundwater contamination in confined layers due to the high value of cumulative salt for the current situation while the unconfined zone decreased groundwater and soil contamination. A mass transport 3-D multi-species (MT3D) model was set to identify the optimal measure to tackle soil and groundwater contamination along the Bahr El-Baqar drain system. A potential increase of the abstraction rates in the study area has a positive impact in reducing the transfer of fertilizer contamination to groundwater while it has a negative impact for soil contamination. The scenario analysis further indicated that the installation of a drainage network decreases the groundwater and soil contamination. Both solutions are potentially effective for protection against nonpoint contamination along the Bahr El Baqar drain system. However, a more sustainable management approach of fertilizer application is needed to adequately protect the receptors located further downstream in the Nile Delta.

Mitigation of seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers using coastal earth fill considering future sea level rise

Saltwater intrusion (SWI) is a physical problem that threatens many coastal aquifers all over the world. Saltwater intrusion is increasing with abstraction and rise in sea level. Coastal aquifer protection is essential to protect groundwater resources in these areas. A number of methods have been developed to protect coastal aquifers from SWI. This paper presents the impact of sea level rise on SWI in coastal aquifers and application of coastal earth fill as a new technique to control SWI. Different future sea level rise scenarios were studied and different coastal earth fill with an appropriate soil to extend the coastline towards the sea in order to control SWI was studied using SEAWAT model. The proposed control measure is numerically assessed by Henry's problem and then applied to a real case study of Biscayne aquifer, Florida, USA. For each aquifer, the corresponding relation was developed between the intrusion length of saltwater wedge and the width of fill. The results showed that increasing the fill width resulted in decreasing the intrusion length. In the case of Biscayne aquifer, increasing the fill width by 10, 20, 30, and 40% of the aquifer length resulted in retarding the intrusion to 329, 192, 42, and - 48 m respectively. Using 150- and 300-m fill widths retards the intrusion length by 32.3% and 60.5%. In addition, increasing the fill width to 465 m can retard SWI by 91.3%. This approach is capable to control the future risks of SWI and sea level rise.

Numerical analysis of physical barriers systems efficiency in controlling saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers

Saltwater intrusion (SWI) increases salinity of aquifers and depletion of groundwater resources in coastal aquifers. Different methods have been used to control SWI in the coastal aquifers in order to protect groundwater. In this paper, applicability of physical subsurface barriers (PSB) methods to control SWI in the Biscayne aquifer in Florida, USA, is studied. Numerical models have been developed to study and compare performance of two types of the PSB namely cutoff wall and subsurface dam for SWI control. The developed numerical models have been verified through simulation of benchmark examples and then have been used to simulate a semi-hypothetical case study relying on hydrogeological data measured in the Biscayne aquifer. Different scenarios of barriers depths, locations, and permeability have been analyzed. The results indicated that the PSB can effectively control the intrusion of saline into coastal aquifers. However, cutoff wall gave higher retardation than sub-surface dams.

Effects of climate change on the design of subsurface drainage systems in coastal aquifers in arid/semi-arid regions: Case study of the Nile delta

The influence of climate change on the availability and quality of both surface- and ground-water resources is well recognized nowadays. In particular, the mitigation of saline water intrusion mechanisms in coastal aquifers is a recurrent environmental issue. In the case of the Nile delta, the presence of sea level rise and the perspective of other human-induced stressors, such as the next operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, are threats to be taken into account for guaranteeing resilient agricultural practices within the future possible scenarios. Subsurface drainage offers a practical solution to the problem of upward artesian water movement and the simultaneous downward flow of excess irrigation water, to mitigate the salinization in the root zone. Subsurface draining systems can contribute to mitigate the vulnerability to climate change and to the increased anthropic pressure insofar they are able to receive the incremented flow rate due to the foreseen scenarios of sea level rise, recharge and subsidence. This paper introduces a rational design of subsurface drainage systems in coastal aquifers, taking into account the increment of flow in the draining pipes due to future possible conditions of sea level rise, artificial recharge and subsidence within time horizons that are compatible with the expected lifespan of a buried drainage system. The approach proposed in this paper is characterized by the assessment of the incremental flow through the drains as a function of various possible scenarios at different time horizons. Our calculations show that the impact on the discharge into the existing subsurface drainage system under the new foreseen conditions is anything but negligible. Thus, future climate-related scenarios deeply impact the design of such hydraulic structures, and must be taken into account in the frame of the next water management strategies for safeguarding agricultural activities in the Nile delta and in similar coastal contexts.

Numerical analysis of the effects of changing hydraulic parameters on saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a numerical model to study the effect of changing hydraulic parameters on saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers.

Design/methodology/approach

The numerical model SEAWAT is validated and applied to a hypothetical case (Henry problem) and a real case study (Biscayne aquifer, Florida, USA) for different values of hydraulic parameters including; hydraulic conductivity, porosity, dispersion, diffusion, fluid density and solute concentration. The dimensional analysis technique is used to correlate these parameters with the intrusion length.

Findings

The results show that the hydraulic parameters have a clear effect on saltwater intrusion as they increase the intrusion in some cases and decrease it in some other cases. The results indicate that changing hydraulic parameters may be used as a control method to protect coastal aquifers from saltwater intrusion.

Practical implications

The results of the application of the model to the Biscayne aquifer in Florida showed that the intrusion can be reduced to 50 percent when the hydraulic conductivity is reduced to 50 percent. Decreasing hydraulic conductivity by injecting some relatively cheap materials such as bentonite can help to reduce the intrusion of saltwater. So the saltwater intrusion can be reduced with relatively low cost through changing some hydraulic parameters.

Originality/value

A relationship to calculate intrusion length in coastal aquifer is developed and the impact of different hydraulic parameters on saltwater intrusion is highlighted. Control of saltwater intrusion using relatively cheap method is presented.