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U of M researching Memphis aquifer

Questions about Memphis' water supply have surfaced in researchconducted at the well field near The University of Memphiscampus.

"Our primary research interest is to better understand thesource of Memphis ground water, any possible threats to the watersupply, and ways in which the water supply can be protected," saidDan Larsen, department of earth sciences associate professor.

University faculty and students are continuing research on theShelby County water supply through the efforts of The University'sGround Water Institute.

The Institute is using sample water from the Sheahan well field,located East of The U of M main campus in its research. The Memphisaquifer is the source of the water in the 72-year-old wellfield.

Recent studies indicate new surface water -- 15 to 20 yearsold-- may be entering the Memphis aquifer that lies underneath theSheahan well field.

"We are able to date water by when it was last exposed to theatmosphere," Larsen said. Researchers are measuring amounts of theradioactive element tritium in water from the deep productionswells to establish its age. Studies have not identified the sourceof the new water entering the aquifer, but evidence suggests it iscoming from Nonconnah Creek. Nonconnah Creek contains pollutantsfrom both urban and agricultural runoff and the GWI is concernedabout pollutants in the shallow aquifer below the creek.

The seepage of surface water through localized areas calledwindows, concerns researchers because contaminated water could bereplenishing the Memphis aquifer.

Leakage of surface water into underground aquifers can be animportant way to replenish the water source, but in urban areaslike Memphis, the threat of surface water contaminating groundwater supplies is greater.

U of M faculty and Shelby County officials are lobbying forFederal appropriations for extensive ground water research in theMemphis metropolitan area that includes East Arkansas and NorthMississippi.

The GWI is also proposing additional research to the TennesseeWater Resources Center to determine if Nonconnah Creek is the mainsource of water replenishing the Memphis aquifer near the Sheahanwell field.

"Nonconnah Creek is one of many areas that has been identified,"Larsen said, adding that at present, there is no water qualitythreat for the Memphis metropolitan area indicated in theirresults.

"The main issue we run into in the Memphis area is not quantitybut quality," he said. "We believe this poses a potential threat tofuture water supplies in Shelby County."

The findings from the GWI include the work of 20 U of M studentsover a four-year period. Researchers involved in the GWI includeundergraduate and graduate students in engineering, geology andgeography. Larsen said that the United States Geological Survey hasalso played an important role in GWI studies.

"We've gone outside of The University and have been able tointegrate our research with government agencies," Larsen said."This has been a great collaborative effort."


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