Assessment of groundwater vulnerability to pollution using the drastic method. Application to the Alqueva area

This paper contains an assessment of groundwater vulnerability to pollution of the aquifers of the Alqueva Project area, in Portugal, based on the DRASTIC method, evaluated both for fertilisers (standard DRASTIC) and for pesticides (pesticide DRASTIC). A general description of the concept of groundwater vulnerability to pollution is presented. This concept was applied aiming the assessment of groundwater vulnerability to pollution of the 110,000 ha potential area to be irrigated by the Alqueva Project, in southern Portugal, using the DRASTIC method, developed by Aller et al. [1] for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In the paper the results evaluated both far fertilisers (standard DRASTIC) and for pesticides (pesticide DRASTIC) are presented.