Impact of Groundwater Recharge on the Surrounding Environment : Applying Remote Sensing, GIS and Numerical Modeling Techniques

The increasing water demands, along with the future development of new areas allover the world and of course in Egypt, stress the need for more freshwater supplies. Groundwater recharge, using surplus surface water or treated waste water, is one of the methods fulfilling this purpose, using surface recharge by basins and/or deep recharge using wells. The main objective of this research is to study the feasibility of recharging the groundwater aquifer at a certain location using drainage water or primary treated sewage water, using the dispersive soil capabilities for making this water suitable to be reused after distances and times determined from this research and hence evaluating the environmental impact of the recharge process. El-Bustan Extension area, West of El-Nubariya Canal, has been selected for conducting this study and it is considered a promising developing area which is in need for more fresh water.Different methodologies were adopted including: Remote Sensing techniques,Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and a numerical model based on the finite differences method.