GROUNDWATER QUALITY AND AQUIFER VULNERABILITY MAPPING

Groundwater protection is one of the most important environmental goals in the twenty-first century. Recognizing and assessing threats to groundwater quality is essential to achieving this goal. In Luzerne County, Pennsylvania there is concern that groundwater resources are threatened and potentially at risk of contamination from ongoing development of the Marcellus Shale gas play. An assessment of groundwater vulnerability was conducted by applying the DRASTIC method to baseline well water quality data from private water wells at two different locations in Luzerne County. The DRASTIC model uses seven hydrogeologic parameters that affect and control groundwater flow; (D) Depth to water table, (R) net-Recharge rates, (A) Aquifer media, (S) Soil type, (T) Topography, (I) Impact of the vadose zone, and (C) hydraulic Conductivity. An index value, or DRASTIC score, was determined for each parameter based on GIS analysis of their associated database. A cumulative DRASTIC score was determined using a weighted relationship of the parameter values. According to the model well water with higher DRASTIC scores should have more frequent incidences of groundwater contamination. However, our results for Luzerne County do not support this correlation but provide insight into overriding influences on groundwater quality.