Groundwater Levels Evaluation in AL-Khoms City

Abstract

Al-Khums city is located in northwestern of Libya, approximately 120 km from the capital, Tripoli. The Al-Khums region is influenced by a Mediterranean climate in the north and a desert climate in the south. Groundwater is the main water source in Al-Khums, and the scarcity of water resources in the region is a concern.
This research paper investigates the potential impact of groundwater level changes on the oil storage facilities in the area belonging to the Brega Oil Marketing Company. The paper assesses the groundwater level in the Al-Khums region based on available data to ensure that groundwater levels will not affect the construction of the Brega Oil Marketing Company's fuel storage terminal.
The assessment was conducted using the MODFLOW numerical model, calibrating groundwater levels based on the water levels of monitoring wells.
After calibrating the model, two scenarios were adopted. The first scenario assumes that the water withdrawal rate equals the maximum needs of the population and agriculture, while the second scenario assumes that the groundwater recharge rate has doubled.
Data from the pumping wells were inputed into the model, and simulations were performed. The results showed that the groundwater level is continuously decreasing because urban and agricultural consumption exceeds the recharge rate of the aquifers. Based on these results, Brega Oil Company can establish a fuel storage and distribution terminal without any concerns about rising groundwater levels.