Groundwater Detection

We were approached by an Engineering company for assistance in detecting the presence of Groundwater (freshwater found beneath the Earth’s surface) at a local school based in Pitas, Sabah. Rural areas often face water shortages due to the water supply not being able to reach undeveloped areas. Detecting and harnessing groundwater sources is one of the most effective solutions to resolve water supply shortages in an area such as the site we investigated.

 

 

 

 

 

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Our groundwater exploration was focused on water bodies trapped in fractured rocks.

Ground subsurface mapping is crucial to study the potential groundwater resource of an area. A groundwater survey was conducted, with our team settling on 2D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Induced Polarization (IP) as the most appropriate geophysical methods for the project due to their sensitivity to water and moisture content. These methods were used to identify targeted groundwater zones for water extraction.

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Three survey lines were laid out crossing regional fracture trend to map the structure and increase the chance of groundwater encounter. They were also designed in a grid to validate the processed profiles especially at the intersection points. Based on our comprehensive survey data, two tube wells were suggested to be drilled at the locations with the highest probability of yielding a high volume of groundwater.

The appointed Independent Checker was thoroughly satisfied with our practice and explanation of the work conducted. We used #ABEM Terrameter LS2 to gather the data, which was then processed using Seequent's #Res2DInv software.