Aquifer vulnerability and potential risk assessment: application to an intensely cultivated and densely populated area in Southern Italy

The use of indices, describing aquifer vulnerability and the risk of groundwater pollution, is a basic tool for the implementation of a sound water management plan, especially in densely populated and intensely cultivated areas. In this study, the groundwater contamination risk of the Caserta Plain (Southern Italy) was assessed through the integration of hazards defined on the basis of the different land uses, of the intrinsic vulnerability calculated by applying the SINTACS model and of the groundwater value evaluated by considering water wells density. In order to evaluate the evolution of the risk of groundwater pollution, the proposed methods were applied in the study area for both 2001 and 2009. The resulting specific vulnerability (SINTACS-L) and the risk (GRA) maps, created in a GIS environment, were validated by the comparison with the nitrate concentration distribution. The application of the proposed approach to the study area highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of each method and, at the same time, showed that their combination can provide an overall view of the threats posed to groundwater resources by the human activities affecting the territory. Considering both the benefits and the issues of the proposed approach, overall, the groundwater risk map is thought to be a robust tool to support water managers in defining future plans for water resources exploitation and land use.