Critical Zone Hydrology Group

Clogging of water wells by iron-hydroxides

Supervisors and collaborators:

• P.J. Stuyfzand - VU University/KWR Watercycle Research Institute
• B.M. van Breukelen - VU University
• G. van den Berg - KWR Watercycle Research Institute

Duration: since 2008
Funding: Joint water sector research program (BTO) and TTIW -Wetsus

Background and research questions

Drinking water utilities work hard on securing a reliable supply to their clients. Chemical well clogging is a common type of well deterioration occurring in drinking water well fields. Iron oxide encrustations can severely diminish well capacity by clogging the well screen, the well infrastructure and near-well formation including the filter pack. The on-off switching of the pump causes mixing of Fe-containing groundwater and oxic water, thereby creating an ideal environment for iron-oxidizing bacteria and chemical oxidation of ferrous iron to occur. This investigation concentrates on the processes causing (bio) chemical well clogging. It focuses on the study of the relations between hydrogeochemical, microbiological, and near-well hydrological processes. Key research aspects include:

• The relations between well operation and the formation of well-clogging iron hydroxides.
• Geochemical characterization of the formation processes of well clogging iron-hydroxides.
• Risk estimation of well clogging by iron-hydroxides.

Publications

• Bustos-Medina, D., Stuyfzand. P.J. (2013). Iron hydroxide clogging of public supply wells receiving artificial recharge: Near-well and in-well hydrological and hydrochemical observations. Hydrogeology Journal, DOI 10.1007/s10040-013-1005-0.

Related project publications

• Stuyfzand, P.J. (2007). Naar een effectievere diagnose, therapie en preventie van chemische put- en drainverstopping. H2O 8: 44-47.