The Guarani aquifer system's capability to supply the city of Bauru (SP)

• Grant number: 23/07237-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2023
• End date: December 29, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geology
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo César Aoki Hirata
• Grantee: Julia Belandrino Rusig
• Supervisor: David Leo Rudolph
• Host Institution: Instituto de Geociências (IGC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Waterloo, Canada
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/16409-4 - The lithostratigraphy of the Guarani Aquifer System and its relationship with well productivity and longevity of exploitation in the city of Bauru (SP), BP.IC

Abstract

The Guarani Aquifer System (GAS), formed by the Botucatu and Piramboia formations, is the main source of water supply for the city of Bauru (SP). The SAG is a confined fossil water unit (with ages of approximately 600 k.a), which makes it a non-renewable and finite resource. This makes necessary for its planned exploitation, the estimation of the amount of stored water, from the interpretation of pumping tests, evaluation of the lithological framework, and reservoir geometry, besides the estimation about the current pumping. The development of a numerical model of underground water flow, calibrated in a transient state situation, is fundamental for this estimation, when the ideal location of the wells will also be evaluated in order to minimize hydraulic interferences and increase the longevity of its exploitation. To this end, a four-month stay at the University of Waterloo, one of the largest hydrogeological research centers in the world, under the co-supervision of Prof. David Rudolph, also a renowned and awarded hydrogeologist, is proposed. The period in Canada will allow the scholar to discuss the topics of her project with other students and researchers, in addition to learning about the management of water resources in the Waterloo-Guelph region, the most dependent on groundwater in Canada, and which already faces several conflicts. The scientific initiation project, as well as this research project for Research Internship Abroad (BEPE), are part of the Thematic Project Integrated Water Solutions for Resilient Cities SACRE (FAPESP 2020/15434-0), in which Prof. David Rudolph participates. Therefore, during the period of this BEPE, other students from the project will be in Canada, benefiting the applicant, particularly the Direct PhD student (FAPESP 2020/09991-3) who works with numerical modeling in the city of Bauru itself, the subject area of this major project. (AU)