Study and prevention of groundwater contamination in a sample coastal area

The deep groundwater contamination risk map of a sample coastal area  between Taranto to the North and Porto Cesareo to the South on the Lower Ionian coast of Italy was produced. This area extends for approx. 343 km2 and represents the most important and rich in water basin of Apulia region, with the presence of an industrialised area near Taranto, whose activities are responsible of many deposits of waste materials from which many contaminants have been released to the subsurface environment. The basement of the region is of Mesozoic carbonate rocks, accommodating deep groundwater, covered by lower-middle Pleistocene deposits, resulting from the sedimentary cycle of the Bradanic foredeep. These deposits are surmounted in succession by terraced bioclastic marine deposits, constituting superficial aquifer, Holocene continental deposits and recent continental deposits. The coastal belt is one of the most beautiful of the Ionian gulf because of the existence of humid zones, dune bars and lagoon areas. Furthermore, the area is interested by spring phenomena. In the last few years it is registered a gradual and constant fall in the volume of underground waters available in the main water-structures of the region; this is consequent to the overexploitation of groundwater resources through excessive extraction. The aims of the research are to assess the intrinsic vulnerability, obtained using SINTACS method, and to compare these results with the evidences got by observations in situ. Geographical Information System (GIS) played an important role for constructing and overlaying thematic maps, integrating the obtained results with morpho-geological observations and experimental surveys with the anthropic factors of degradation. In order to estimate the groundwater content, a large spectrum of information is required, especially related to: hydrogeology, geology, hydrology, meteorology, water engineering, land management, and environment. In this case GIS has represented a powerful software that permits the integration of data and produces maps, that are very useful in the domain of prevention and mitigation of natural catastrophes In particular it has been optimised considering not only the geological characteristics but also other risk factors evidenced by in situ investigations, mainly due to anthropic activities.