Penshui, Chongqing

Hydrogeology Field Demonstration and Training Project

Penshui, the location of a CEHP water quality demonstration site, is located near the Southwest University of China (SWUC) campus in the municipality of Chongqing.

Western Kentucky University scientists are working with colleagues at SWUC to conduct hydrogeologic research associated with improvement of water quality and to develop and implement associated training materials for teachers, local government officials, and citizens. These training materials will address issues surrounding the nature of karst hydrogeology, particularly relationships between land use and karst groundwater quality.

In this region the direct introduction of human waste underground into a disappearing underground stream is contaminating a significant section of a nearby surface river that might otherwise provide a potable water source. The relationship between such surface activities and groundwater quality is not always obvious to those not specifically trained in hydrology. Analogous examples of such contaminating activities exist in Kentucky, Croatia, Mexico, and elsewhere. Fortunately, this is a problem that can be rectified, in large part, by education, which is a key focus of this technical and outreach program. The Dean of the School of Resources & Environmental Sciences at SWUC has enthusiastically endorsed and offered his support to this idea, as closely in-line with the School’s service mandate of providing community outreach.