Groundwater in Iraq is considered to be an alternative water resource, especially for areas far away from surface water. Groundwater is affected by many factors including climate change, industrial activities, urbanization, and industrialization. In this study, the effect of artificial recharge on the quantity of groundwater in the Dibdibba unconfined aquifer in Iraq was simulated using a groundwater modeling system (GMS). The main raw water source used in the artificial recharge process was the reclaimed water output (tertiary treatment) from the main wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Kerbala, with 20 injection wells. After calibration and validation of the three-dimensional numerical model used in this study and taking wastewater recharge rates into account, two different scenarios were applied to obtain the expected behavior of the aquifer when the groundwater levels were augmented with 5% and 10% of the daily outflow production of the WWTP in Kerbala. The model matched the observed head elevations with R² = 0.951 for steady state and R²= 0.894 for transient simulations. The results indicate that the injection of treated water through 20 wells raised the water table in more than 91 and 136 km² for 5000 and 10,000 m³/day pumping rates, respectively. Moreover, increasing the volume of water added to the aquifer could lead to establishing new agricultural areas, spanning more than 62 km², extending about 20 km along the river.

Groundwater is one of the most important water resources in Iraq, so efficient management of storage, recharge, and consumption rates is required, for maintaining the sustainability of groundwater supplies. Some of the most valuable methods for ensuring the long-term sustainability of groundwater aquifers are those that provide artificial recharge. This study was conducted to determine the effect of artificial recharge on groundwater levels and quality in Iraq’s Dibdibba unconfined aquifer, utilizing groundwater modeling system software (GMS). Reclaimed water (tertiary treatment) from Kerbala’s central wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was used as raw water to recharge the aquifer. The effects of this artificial recharge were determined using built-up groundwater flow (MODFLOW) and dissolved transport (MT3DMS) simulation models. Model calibration and validation were implemented based on groundwater monitoring data from 2016 to 2017. The model matched observed elevations at R² = 0.96 for steady state and R² = 0.92 in transient state simulations. After the 3D numerical model was calibrated and validated, two scenarios were explored based on the daily production of 5000 and 10,000 m³/d from Karbala’s WWTP. The results indicated that the pumping of the treated wastewater through the pond would increase water levels by more than 20 cm for more than 78.2 and 110 km² for pumping rates of 5000 and 10,000 m³/day, respectively. More than 40 km² would be added (reclaimed) to the agricultural areas in the region as a result of the use of artificial recharge using a pond. Groundwater quality was also improved, as the TDS decreased by more than 55%, down to 1900 ppm, and the EC decreased by more than 68%, down to 1500 µ.S/cm. The findings of this study can assist decision-makers in developing strategies to reduce water scarcity and adapt to climate change.

Evapotranspiration represents one of the main parameters in the hydrological cycle. It is usually expressed by the term Reference evapotranspiration (ETo), that is affected by some meteorological parameters. This study aims to find the difference amount in reference evapotranspiration (ETo)...

Urban stormwater management is one of the biggest challenges facing modern cities. The current stormwater networks are likely to be insufficient under continuous urbanisation and the development of residential areas in addition to increases in rainfall intensity, especially in areas with relatively high slopes, which may thus be subject to flooding. This study aimed to mitigate the overflow rate of the selected case study area using a pervious inlets pavement technique based on porous asphalt concrete pavements with a reservoir layer. The current stormwater network system of the Al-Yarmouk quarter (located at the centre of Karbala City, Iraq) was evaluated by exposing it in simulation to a rainfall intensity equivalent to the 5-year return period and applying storm and sanitary analysis (SSA) and GIS software. The simulation results showed that constructing 50% of the road surface area (5% of the total studied area) with porous asphalt concrete with air voids of about 20% and variable reservoir thicknesses, could reduce water runoff entering the network significantly. Moreover, placing 240 mm, 328 mm and 400 mm of No.75 aggregate layer within reservoir depths would result in further mitigations of surface runoff quantity by about 15%, 30%, and 45%, respectively. A reservoir depth of 240 mm was found to reduce flooding quantities and times by about 71% and 18.29%, respectively, while creating a 328 mm reservoir depth under the porous asphalt results in quantity and time reductions of about 98.5% and 81%, respectively. No surface flooding was observed when reservoir depth was changed to 400 mm.