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Tunnelling, Chalk and turbidity: conceptual model of risk to groundwater public water supplies

P. Burris, C. D. Speed, A. E. Saich, S. Hughes, S. Cole and M. Banks
Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 54, qjegh2020-032, 3 November 2020, https://doi.org/10.1144/qjegh2020-032
P. Burris
1Wardell Armstrong, Baldhu House, Wheal Jane Earth Science Park, Baldhu, Truro TR3 6EH, UK
Roles: [Conceptualization (Lead)], [Data curation (Equal)], [Formal analysis (Equal)], [Investigation (Equal)], [Methodology (Lead)], [Validation (Equal)], [Visualization (Lead)], [Writing - Original Draft (Lead)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Lead)]
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  • For correspondence: pburris@wardell-armstrong.com
C. D. Speed
1Wardell Armstrong, Baldhu House, Wheal Jane Earth Science Park, Baldhu, Truro TR3 6EH, UK
Roles: [Data curation (Equal)], [Formal analysis (Equal)], [Investigation (Equal)], [Methodology (Equal)], [Project administration (Lead)], [Resources (Lead)], [Supervision (Lead)], [Writing - Original Draft (Equal)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Equal)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
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A. E. Saich
1Wardell Armstrong, Baldhu House, Wheal Jane Earth Science Park, Baldhu, Truro TR3 6EH, UK
Roles: [Data curation (Supporting)], [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Investigation (Equal)], [Writing - Original Draft (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
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S. Hughes
2Thames Water Utilities Ltd, Clearwater Court, Vastern Road, Reading RG1 8DB, UK
Roles: [Formal analysis (Equal)], [Validation (Equal)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
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S. Cole
3Environment Agency, Kent, South London and East Sussex Area, Orchard House, London Road, Addington ME19 5SH, UK
Roles: [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
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M. Banks
4National Grid, 4th Floor, Crossgates House, Crossgates, Leeds LS15 8DU, UK
Roles: [Funding acquisition (Lead)], [Investigation (Equal)], [Resources (Equal)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
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Abstract

Tunnelling for infrastructure developments within sections of Chalk below the water table creates suspended sediment, which may give rise to turbidity risks where tunnel alignments pass close to abstraction boreholes used for public water supply. In high-transmissivity zones in Chalk it is predicted that groundwater velocities within fractures are high enough to maintain continual suspension and transport of sediment. The assessment of risk from turbidity has been conceptually modelled in a manner akin to a source–pathway–receptor contaminant transport model. Turbidity characteristics in Chalk are described as well as turbidity effects upon public water supplies. Data from a case study of a proposed tunnelling project have been used in this study. Data acquired from the site investigation stage indicated that turbidity levels of over 4000 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) were created from drilling and abrading the Chalk, which may be a proxy for what occurs at tunnelling cutting faces. The sediment generated had a d80 particle passing size value of 10.5 µm and groundwater velocities in fractures were calculated to be c. 0.5 mm s−1; literature values suggest that higher velocities are attainable and therefore these values are considered sufficient for suspending the sediment. The conceptualization used information from hydrogeological, geotechnical, engineering and water-resource assessments. The risk assessment part of the model focuses on how turbidity could be released from tunnelling machinery in specific circumstances (the source term), how the continued suspension of sediment and movement within the aquifer (the pathway) could occur and assessment of consequences at the receptor. The conceptualization concludes that there is a plausible risk of turbidity pollution in the Chalk aquifer from tunnelling, with a discussion on further data acquisition and approaches to quantitative analysis and modelling.

Thematic collection: This article is part of the Ground models in engineering geology and hydrogeology collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/Ground-models-in-engineering-geology-and-hydrogeology

  • © 2020 The Author(s). Published by The Geological Society of London. All rights reserved
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Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology: 54 (2)
Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology
Volume 54, Issue 2
May 2021
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Tunnelling, Chalk and turbidity: conceptual model of risk to groundwater public water supplies

P. Burris, C. D. Speed, A. E. Saich, S. Hughes, S. Cole and M. Banks
Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 54, qjegh2020-032, 3 November 2020, https://doi.org/10.1144/qjegh2020-032
P. Burris
1Wardell Armstrong, Baldhu House, Wheal Jane Earth Science Park, Baldhu, Truro TR3 6EH, UK
Roles: [Conceptualization (Lead)], [Data curation (Equal)], [Formal analysis (Equal)], [Investigation (Equal)], [Methodology (Lead)], [Validation (Equal)], [Visualization (Lead)], [Writing - Original Draft (Lead)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Lead)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: pburris@wardell-armstrong.com
C. D. Speed
1Wardell Armstrong, Baldhu House, Wheal Jane Earth Science Park, Baldhu, Truro TR3 6EH, UK
Roles: [Data curation (Equal)], [Formal analysis (Equal)], [Investigation (Equal)], [Methodology (Equal)], [Project administration (Lead)], [Resources (Lead)], [Supervision (Lead)], [Writing - Original Draft (Equal)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Equal)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
A. E. Saich
1Wardell Armstrong, Baldhu House, Wheal Jane Earth Science Park, Baldhu, Truro TR3 6EH, UK
Roles: [Data curation (Supporting)], [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Investigation (Equal)], [Writing - Original Draft (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
S. Hughes
2Thames Water Utilities Ltd, Clearwater Court, Vastern Road, Reading RG1 8DB, UK
Roles: [Formal analysis (Equal)], [Validation (Equal)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
S. Cole
3Environment Agency, Kent, South London and East Sussex Area, Orchard House, London Road, Addington ME19 5SH, UK
Roles: [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
M. Banks
4National Grid, 4th Floor, Crossgates House, Crossgates, Leeds LS15 8DU, UK
Roles: [Funding acquisition (Lead)], [Investigation (Equal)], [Resources (Equal)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site

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Tunnelling, Chalk and turbidity: conceptual model of risk to groundwater public water supplies

P. Burris, C. D. Speed, A. E. Saich, S. Hughes, S. Cole and M. Banks
Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 54, qjegh2020-032, 3 November 2020, https://doi.org/10.1144/qjegh2020-032
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  • Article
    • Abstract
    • Turbidity as a groundwater risk parameter
    • Framework considerations
    • Case study and hydrogeological setting
    • Data collected; outline of site investigations undertaken
    • Turbidity release
    • Pathway
    • Receptor
    • Summary and conceptual model
    • Acknowledgements
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