Сегодняшняя глобальная стратегия по повышению надежности систем хозяйственно-питьевого водоснабжения определяется нацеленностью на максимальное использование подземных вод для обеспечения населения питьевой водой. В большинстве случаев информация о наличии, объеме и качестве подземных вод играет решающую роль при принятии решений об эффективности освоения определенной территории, а также об улучшении и расширении физической среды и объектов, необходимых для поддержания экономической деятельности и обеспечения жизненных потребностей людей данного региона. Поэтому решающим фактором в изучении гидрогеологических условий региона являются знания о распространении подземных вод, величине их ресурсов, качестве и особенностях их формирования. Выполнена оценка ресурсного потенциала подземных вод Западного Казахстана для обеспечения устойчивого питьевого водоснабжения населения. При оценке характеристик пресных подземных вод применены гидрогеологические, гидрогеохимические, геоинформационно-аналитические, статистические и лабораторные методы исследований (в том числе хроматографический, спектрофотометрический, атомноабсорбционный и др.). Оценка ресурсного потенциала пресных подземных вод и перспектив их использования для водоснабжения городов и населенных пунктов позволит выявить высоко-, средне- и малообеспеченные подземными водами территории, а это, в свою очередь, даст возможность найти новые источники для покрытия нужд хозяйственно-питьевого водоснабжения, что будет способствовать устойчивому социально-экономическому развитию Западного Казахстана.

Groundwater plays a crucial role in the geochemical cycle as the “life force of the Earth,” serving as the main agent of geochemical exchange between the hydrosphere and lithosphere. This is attributed to its typically long residence time underground and the extensive contact surface between water and the solid matrix of subsurface rocks. For the quantitative assessment of hydrogeochemical runoff, 14 areas corresponding to the basins of four major inland water bodies were identified. The study determined the magnitude of chemical flux carried by groundwater and surface waters, as well as the input of salts from atmospheric precipitation. In the study area, where surface runoff is limited, groundwater serves as the primary mechanism for the redistribution of matter within the Earth’s crust. In addition to the gravitational movement of groundwater through the rocks of the upper crust from recharge zones to discharge areas, there is migration of chemical elements entering groundwater as a result of various physicochemical and biological processes occurring within the rock–water system.

The increasing water shortage caused by climate change, rising water consumption, and uneven distribution of surface runoff necessitates the implementation of effective groundwater management methods in arid regions. For Central Kazakhstan, characterized by a sharply continental climate, a limited river network, and high seasonal runoff variability, Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) technologies are one of the most promising approaches. The objective is to substantiate standard MAR technological schemes considering the region’s physiographic, hydrogeological, and hydrological conditions. A regional zoning assessment was conducted based on a set of criteria, resulting in the identification of four groups of areas: areas suitable for the development of large, medium, and small groundwater reservoirs, as well as areas considered unsuitable for MAR implementation. River valleys, buried valleys, and carbonate structures were identified as the most promising settings for MAR. It was established that up to 80–90 % of the annual river runoff occurs during the spring period, providing a substantial seasonal water resource for aquifer recharge. Infiltration basins were identified as the primary technology for shallow unconfined aquifers, while infiltration wells and recharge wells were recommended for deeper and fractured-karst aquifers. The MAR technological schemes developed in the study, including both open and closed systems, allow engineering solutions to be adapted to specific natural conditions. The use of infiltration basins, regulated water-intake structures, and recharge wells can not only increase groundwater reserves but also provide effective control over groundwater levels and flow regimes.

The most acute problem of pasture watering is bound to one of the arid regions of the Republic that is Central Kazakhstan. Under the current conditions, groundwater plays a significant role in providing high-quality drinking water resources. Conservation of surface flow in underground aquifers in arid and semi-arid areas of Central Kazakhstan is of great importance. For the first time in the practice of watering pastures in the foothills and hilly areas of Kazakhstan, the process of creating underground reservoirs based on low-power flows of underground fissure-groundwater is studied. The result of this study is a substantiated and developed concept scheme for creating watering structures on pastures based on artificial groundwater recharge (creation of mainly small underground reservoirs) in the hilly areas of Central Kazakhstan (Sary-Arka pasture).