Groundwater quality monitoring system in zones of infrastructure facilities

Protection of groundwater already is and will also be in the future, a particularly important environmental, socio-economic, social welfare and political task. The fact that the costs of preventive measures are 10–20 times lower than the funds needed to clean up and revitalize polluted aquifers, as well as the fact that the area to be occupied with transport communications and other infrastructure facilities will aggravate protection, both call for an urgent introduction of modern methods of monitoring and preserving all the existing and potential groundwater resources. The basic principle of groundwater protection against pollution means constant control and preventive measures of protection, namely prevention of incidental and other kinds of pollution. The very construction of communications and all accompanying facilities changes and degrades the existent natural geological environment, and when in use they may become structures in whose immediate surrounds surface and ground waters may be polluted by the toxic and waste substances transported. The experience gained through the following activities: the ‘pilot model’ for groundwater monitoring in the zone of Makis, the investigations and monitoring of critical sites polluted with xylene (CIP, Belgrade, 1994/95), and information on the latest achievements in this field in the world (obtained while working on the study of methodology of hydrogeological investigations needed for groundwater quality monitoring system — Jaroslav Cerni Institute for the Development of Water Resources, Belgrade, 1998), stresses a necessity to obligatory design and construct operational systems for groundwater quality monitoring, particularly in the zones of infrastructure facilities (roads, railway, gas pipelines, oil pipelines), which can be considered as potential linear polluters. In that light, this paper is a contribution to developing hydrogeological investigation methodology for designing and operating a monitoring system in the zones of roads, and its legal and practical incorporation in the technical documents of each project. Besides, an emphasis is put on multidisciplinary approach to system implementation, its full automation, rational management, and effective and optimal measures for groundwater protection.