Research project "Effects of the 2002 flood on groundwater"

The impact of the August 2002 flood events on valley groundwater bodies in the Dresden area - approaches and recommendations for action

Work package 3.1: Contaminated sites

Partners:
- Environmental Agency of the City of Dresden
- Dresden Groundwater Research Center e.V.
- BGD GmbH Dresden

Funding:  Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Duration:  08/2003 until 03/2004

Project description and results:

Due to the flood events in the summer of 2002, short- and medium-term consequences for the valley aquifer had to be expected. Therefore, under the leadership of the state capital Dresden, supported by the Saxon State Ministry for Environment and Agriculture (SMUL) and accompanied by the technical authorities, different questions of a possible change of the groundwater dynamics, quality, the situation of contaminated sites, wastes, sludges as well as the sewerage system were investigated within the framework of an ad hoc research project.

With financial support from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), work package 3.1 investigated the possible effects of groundwater rise on contaminated sites and, in turn, on groundwater.

This included an extensive literature review. This revealed that the effects of flood events on groundwater characteristics have been poorly reflected in the national and international literature to date. Work addressing fluctuating groundwater levels has been conducted primarily on a laboratory scale.

The results of investigations of flood-induced changes in groundwater conditions in the Dresden metropolitan area show no longer-term hydrochemical changes in the aquifer. Short- and medium-term deviations do not follow a uniform trend and are locally and regionally differentiated due to different site conditions.