Sustainable groundwater management under impacts of urban growth in a developing country ‐ a case study in the city of Shijadran, China

Urban groundwater is an important and valuable resource for Shijadran City, China. With the impact of rapid urban growth Shijadran is at risk of severe aquifer depletion, regional water table decline and supply facilities refurbishment. This paper presents a multi‐plan management of urban groundwater with two optimisation scenarios in order to alleviate and improve the environmental, social and economic situations caused by over‐exploitation of groundwater. It was developed based on the analysis of regional hydrogeology, water use and land use. A calibrated groundwater flow model was incorporated into the optimisation models through a water head response matrix of the Quaternary aquifer. The current supply optimisation not only met the increasingly growing need of water demand but also controlled and eliminated the various hazards caused by groundwater over‐pumping. Artificial recharge management, with conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater, provided a practical solution to the overall groundwater exhaustion and led to a solution for water table recovery, aquifer protection and sustainable water use. A comprehensive water management strategy for decision making was developed to reduce the negative impacts of urban growth on water use.