Methodology for the optimization of groundwater quality monitoring networks oriented to satisfy a specific spatial coverage

Through the optimal design of groundwater monitoring networks, it is possible to obtain the maximum level of information for certain variables (water level, some quality indicator parameters, and/or the presence of some contaminant) at minimum cost; the methodologies for this kind of designs follow a procedure to discard wells that provide redundant information. The information collected by monitoring networks is fundamental for supporting decision making that aims for a sustainable management of groundwater. In this paper, an existing methodology for the design of optimal groundwater quality monitoring networks is modified to include a new algorithm that allows to obtain alternative spatial distributions of the wells that provide the highest level of information, expressed in terms of the estimated uncertainty over an estimation grid. Additionally, different weights can be assigned to each monitoring site and to the analyzed variable(s) within the objective function in order to accomplish specific objectives without a significant loss of information. The final result represents a significant improvement to the original methodology by adjusting the spatial coverage of the optimal monitoring network to satisfy specific objectives. © 2019, ALÖKI Kft., Budapest, Hungary.

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