Probabilistic risk analysis and fault trees: Initial discussion of application to identification of risk at a wellhead

Wellhead protection is of critical importance for managing groundwater resources. While a number of previous authors have addressed questions related to uncertainties in advective capture zones, methods for addressing wellhead protection in the presence of uncertainty in the chemistry of groundwater contaminants, the relationship between land-use and contaminant sources, and the impact on health of the receiving population are limited. It is herein suggested that probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) combined with fault trees (FT) provides a structure whereby chemical transport can be combined with uncertainties in source, chemistry, and health impact to assess the probability of negative health outcomes in the population. As such, PRA-FT provides a new strategy for the identification of areas of probabilistically high human health risk. Application of this approach is demonstrated through a simplified case study involving flow to a well in an unconfined aquifer with heterogeneity in aquifer properties and contaminant sources.

Research highlights
► Wellhead protection is of critical importance for managing groundwater resources.
► Identifying risks to the wellhead is an important aspect of wellhead protection.
► Uncertainty/variability inherently exist in surface, subsurface and human systems.
► Probabilistic risk analysis and fault trees (PRA-FT) can address this concern.
► Application of this approach is demonstrated through a simplified case study.