An approach to improve current practices to protecting water sources from carbonate aquifers through the use of karst-adopted research methods

Aquifers with karst porosity contain important groundwater resources and their importance is increasing. Many studies indicate that existing strategies to protect karst water sources are inadequate due to the special nature of karst hydrology. This study was undertaken with the aim of overcoming the limitations of the legal frameworks and providing an example of good practice for the sustainable management of karst water sources. The results show that current approaches to karst water source protection are inconsistent and that a simplified approach based on single research methods may be associated with a high degree of uncertainty. The combination of several parallel karst-adopted research methods to investigate groundwater flow in the catchment area of water sources is necessary to ensure their adequate protection. In addition to basic geological, geomorphological and hydrogeological mapping, special attention should be paid to monitoring natural and artificial tracers that most reliably confirm the directions and characteristics of groundwater flow, as well as to assessing the vulnerability of groundwater to contamination, which allows identification of the most sensitive areas and increases delineation accuracy. A novel multi-method approach incorporating these methods has been proposed to improve current practices for protecting water sources from carbonate aquifers. The application of this approach to a selected karst area has resulted in a comprehensive database of general knowledge and relevant insights into the functioning of the hydrological system. It also has important practical implications for improved spring protection strategies.