Understanding and Mitigating the Environmental Impacts of Dewatering.
Protecting the environment, understanding, and considering the potential effects of construction on the environment is the need of the moment. Dewatering and groundwater control includes a number of solutions that allow constructions and mining to be carried out; however, we must also take into consideration the impacts of these solutions on the environment.
The potential impacts of dewatering and groundwater control on the environment are discussed below:
Potential Groundwater Impacts of Dewatering
· Contamination
Dewatering can cause the development of hydraulic gradients that are also necessary for drawing out water towards wells. Dewatering near a site with a history of pollution in groundwater can result in hydraulic gradients that can carry the polluted groundwater towards the dewatering system and cause contamination. In most cases, contaminated water requires filtration. To avoid this problem, the best method is to install screen walls and vertically separate areas using bentonite seals.
· Geotechnical Damage
Dewatering can cause the ground to lose structural integrity, which causes ground settling. If the extent of ground settling is large, it can damage nearby buildings and structures. When groundwater is extracted from the soil, it causes the soil to compress. It can also be caused by small soil and ground partials being extracted with the groundwater through well.
This impact can be reduced by better design and the use of filters and groundwater treatment that prevent the particles from being extracted.
· Impacts on Water Features
Water-dependent features that include rivers, lakes, and springs have a close relationship with groundwater and are, therefore, affected by dewatering and groundwater control by exclusion. It is vital to keep into consideration that groundwater, and water depended features have eco-systems and serve as habitats. An adverse effect of these water bodies will have a significant negative impact on the environment.
· Water Resource Depletion
When groundwater is extracted for lengthy periods and in large quantity for drinking or industrial use, it can potentially lower groundwater levels and decrease yields. This depletion results in a reduction of valuable water resources for others. A solution to this problem can be an artificial recharge technique that injects discharge from pump water back into the ground.
Conclusion
It is vital to recognize and reduce the impacts of dewatering and groundwater control on the environment as responsible citizens of the world. We must adopt good construction dewatering treatment system design, investigation techniques, and better groundwater remediation technology to mitigate these issues before it is too late.
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