Evaluation of Groundwater Potential and Safe Yield of Heterogeneous Unconsolidated Aquifers in Chiang Mai Basin, Northern Thailand

Chiang Mai basin has an escalating population growth resulting in high demand for water consumption. Lack of surface water supply in most parts of the basin gives rise to the increasing use of groundwater which leads to a continuous decline in groundwater level in the past decades. This study is the first long-term groundwater monitoring and modeling study that aims at developing a transient, regional groundwater flow model of heterogeneous unconsolidated aquifers based on the MODFLOW program. Long-term groundwater monitoring data from 49 piezometers were used in model calibration and validation. The pilot points technique was used to account for the spatial variability of hydrogeologic parameters of heterogeneous aquifers. The simulation results and statistics showed that most sensitive and significant model parameters were spatially variable hydraulic conductivities and recharge rates. The Chiang Mai basin's unconsolidated aquifers do not have high potential. The water table and/or potentiometric surface in the southeast and southwest areas of Chiang Mai city were continuously decreasing with no sign of recovery indicating critical groundwater condition and careful management must be considered. Safe yield calculation, based on a 2-m average drawdown threshold, suggested that unconsolidated aquifers of the Chiang Mai basin can sustain overall abstraction rates up to 51.2 Mm(3)/y or approximately 214% of the current extraction rates.

Automated summary

The Chiang Mai basin is facing a critical groundwater condition with a continuous decrease in water table and potentiometric surface, indicating the need for careful management. The spatial variability of hydrogeologic parameters significantly affects the accuracy of the groundwater flow model, with hydraulic conductivities and recharge rates being the most sensitive parameters. The safe yield calculation suggests that the unconsolidated aquifers of the Chiang Mai basin can sustain higher extraction rates than the current levels.