TIAC12: IV INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TECHNOLOGY SEAWATER INTRUSION IN COASTAL AQUIFERS III INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON COASTAL AQUIFERS AND DESALINATION

PLANTS

The imaGeau observatory: Moving towards the innovative management of coastal aquifers Jean-Philippe Bellot1, Olivier Depraz1, Denis Neyens1, Simon Barry1, Benoit De Mezzo1, Loc Baqu1, Gilles Henry1, 2, Laurent Depraz1 and Philippe Pezard1, 2
1 imaGeau, Cap Alpha 9 avenue de lEurope 34830 Clapiers, France www.imageau.eu, +33 4 67 20 41 31 - jean-philippe.bellot@imageau.eu 2 Geosciences Montpellier, UMR 5243 du CNRS, Montpellier 2 University, 34070 Montpellier cedex 5, France

imaGeaus underground observatory has been designed to develop the innovative management of salt water intrusion in coastal aquifers thanks to high frequency, in-situ and in real-time monitoring devices measuring water salinity in a given aquifer. This hydro geophysics observatory is installed in a borehole and without gravel packing. This enables the measuring of aquifer salinity in-situ with high resolution, both vertically and in time. Based on the electrical investigation method (measures the level of resistivity) around the borehole rather than inside it, this new device incorporates numerous electrodes placed on a vertical column in direct contact with the water reservoir. They can thus measure the conductivity of the pore fluid over time. The observatory is calibrated using petrophysics measures in borehole and on cores in order to allow the conductivity data to be translated into useable fluid salinity data.

This high frequency monitoring (monthly to hourly, if necessary) is also used close to the dynamic flows in zones of salt water and fresh water near a - sometimes but not always coastal - borehole. It is hence particularly well suited to the management of coastal aquifers. This network of devices placed at strategic points to collect data can help in several ways:

To adjust the volume of water extracted from the aquifer in order to preserve its quality in the long term; To control the optimum volume of salt water re-injected into the water reservoir in order to optimise the process of desalination of brackish waters; To control the optimum volume of sewage waters re-injected into the aquifer in order to ensure its protection against saline intrusions.