Groundwater Modelling

At AWE, hydrogeologists collaborate closely with modellers to produce high-quality models for water resource management, Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), environmental impact assessments and borefield design.

AWE’s philosophy is that numerical models should be based on a sound conceptual framework and this requires a thorough understanding of the hydrogeological setting and use of the best available data sets.

Our approach necessitates a clear understanding of the physical hydrogeology and the aquifer properties, the historical responses of groundwater levels, and groundwater fluxes to changes in inputs in order to interpret, constrain and provide confidence in model results.

The AWE team has experienced staff who can provide technically sound input to model design and conceptualisation as well as high level, objective review of the existing models.  Our team also includes personnel who can build, run and refine models.

Our capabilities include:

• saturated flow (MODFLOW) models at the conceptual scale to regional scale,
• unsaturated zone flow (HYDRUS) examining recharge concepts and providing inputs to the saturated flow models,
• solute transport modelling (MT3D) and density dependent flow (SUTRA and HYDRUS), and
• aquifer test analysis (AquiferTest Pro).