ABSTRACT
The origin of saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers can come from natural sources such as seawater, and deep formation brines, or from anthropogenic sources such as de-icing salt, agricultural return flow, and leachate from landfills. The most frequent occurrences are found in coastal regions where overexploitation of groundwater has caused the encroachment of seawater into freshwater aquifers. Once an aquifer is invaded, a part of the salt will adsorb onto the solid surface making it difficult to reverse the process and restore the aquifer. The slow movement of groundwater also makes the remediation time long. Salinity in water poses health hazard for human and livestock, damages crops, and corrode pipes and boilers in industrial uses. Hence, the invasion of saltwater into a freshwater aquifer means the loss of that aquifer for water sources.
