Honoured in ancient wisdom as one of the four basic elements, water is now recognized as the most valuable natural resource. As demand steadily increases in the wake of population growth and improved quality of life, the sustainable management of water resources is becoming a more challenging task. One of the most important aspects of this management is groundwater pollution control which consists of several stages, including identification of pollution sources, field measurements, mathematical and numerical modeling of mass transport in different aquifer types and optimization of control measures and techniques.

This book includes eight chapters that cover these stages. The first three deal with specific features of groundwater pollution caused by nitrates (i.e. non-point, agricultural sources), non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) and viruses respectively, while the fourth examines seawater intrusion to coastal aquifers. The fifth chapter presents field measurements for groundwater quality assessment. Field tests are also discussed in the sixth chapter, which deals with the particular features of fractured porous media. Next the powerful optimization potential of genetic algorithms is reviewed, together with a number of relevant applications. Finally, a chapter on water resources management in arid islands concludes the volume.