Application of Aquifer Vulnerability Index (AVI) method to assess groundwater vulnerability to contamination in Semarang urban area

Abstract

An approach to assess groundwater to contamination is developing groundwater vulnerability map. Groundwater vulnerability is formulated as an intrinsic relative, the dimensionless property of a groundwater system that depends on its sensitivity to unfavourable human and natural impacts. Thus, to assess groundwater vulnerability to contamination in Semarang urban area is the objective of this research by using Aquifer Vulnerability Index (AVI). This method considered of two parameters related to the unsaturated zone, i.e. thickness (d) of each sedimentary layer in the unsaturated zone and Estimated hydraulic conductivity (K) of these sedimentary layers. There are five levels of groundwater vulnerability by using AVI method, i.e. extremely low, low, moderate/medium, high, and extremely high. The thinner the layer covers the aquifer, and the higher the value of the hydraulic conductivity of sediment layers will be increasingly vulnerable to pollution.