GROUNDWATER RESOURCE (AND SURFACE WATER) MANAGEMENT

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Teacher Earth Science Education Programme PARTNERS
PRINCIPAL
PLATINUM
GOLD
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Teacher Earth Science Education Programme PARTNERS
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme PARTNERS

• BRONZE
• Anglo Coal
• Australian Nuclear Science and Technology
  Organisation
• CS Energy
• Department of Sustainability and Environment, Vic
• Essential Petroleum
• Flinders University
• Gordon Wakelin King
• Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee
• Hot Dry Rocks
• Macquarie University
• Sandy Menpes
• Monash Energy
• Museum Victoria
• Our Water Our Future, Vic
• Petroleum Geo-Services
• Primary Industries and Resources SA
• Stanwell Corporation
• Velseis

• SILVER
• The Australian National University
• Department of Primary Industries, Vic
• Earth Science Western Australia
• Pitney Bowes Business Insight
• PowerWorks
• Queensland Resources Council
• Rob Kirk Consultants
• The University of Sydney
• The University of Tasmania

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Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Wet Rocks Learning about Groundwater
Using Gnasty Gnomes game as a teaching tool
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Gnasty Gnomes protect groundwater from
pollution

• Key concepts
• Many people are dependent on groundwater as their
  primary source of water
• There are many things that contaminate
  groundwater
• This game is designed to communicate that
  preventing contamination is more cost effective
  than fixing it!
• Three contamination management options are
  included prevention, bioremediation (for
  organic contaminants) and drill (dig and dump).

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Game framework
Cash for clean-up options
Remediation options
Source of contamination
Fresh groundwater
Supply bore
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Threats of pollution on groundwater
The many sources of contamination to groundwater
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A complex picture...
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Advective processes, concentrations single
point source
Single point source
t1
t2
t3
1
t1
0
1
t2
0
1
t3
0
Distance (x)
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Concentrations continuous point source
Continuous point source
t1
t2
t3
At t2
1
0
Distance (x)
Distance (x)
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Mechanical Dispersion
Dispersivity is a function of the porous media
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Dispersion of the solute
Continuous point source
Transverse (t)
Longitudinal (l)
At t2
Results in spreading of the front
1
0
Distance (x)
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Dispersion effect
Instantaneous point source
1
t1
0
1
t2
0
1
t3
0
Distance (x)
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Cleaning it up

• Bioremediation for organic chemicals (what are
  these?), often there are really small bugs (eg.
  microbial bacteria) that love to eat them. If
  you can find the right bugs and give them the
  right conditions, they can eat up the
  contamination. But be careful . What the bugs
  produce can sometimes be as nasty as the
  contaminant in the first place!
• Chemical treatment sometimes the best way to
  treat a contaminant (especially the inorganic
  ones (what are these?) is to add another chemical
  that reacts with them. This can assist in
  getting rid of the contaminant.

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Cleaning it up

• Digging and dumping
• This basically digs up the contamination, and
  then moves it somewhere else
• It solves the problem here, but what might be
  some of the consequences ..

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Use in the class room

• Unstructured observation10 to 15 minutes of
  play, recording and or discussing observations
  at the conclusion. Some observations may be

• Can keep the water quality ok longer if you stop
  the Gnomes from dropping pollution!Drilling is
  cool, but expensiveWhat do the bugs do?What do
  the chemicals do?

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Use in the class room
Competitive gamesWho can keep groundwater
safe for the longest!
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Links to other topics

• Permeability and porosityWater resource
  managementConcepts of sustainability