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Critical Zone Hydrology Group

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L.A. Bruijnzeel

P.J. Stuyfzand

H. Kooi

M.J. Waterloo

B.M. van Breukelen

H.J. van Meerveld

J. Groen

M.M.A. Groen

H.P. Broers

J. Schellekens

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Diego Bustos Medina

Position: PhD student
VU room: WN-E244 (Thursdays)
Email: diego.bustos-medina@kwrwater.nl
Telephone: +31 30 60 69606

Position: Scientific Researcher
KWR Watercycle Research Institute
Groningenhaven 7
3433 PE Nieuwegein
The Netherlands


Clogging of water wells by iron-hydroxides

Supervisors and collaborators:

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:

Publications

Related project publications