Hydrogeological characterization and groundwater vulnerability to pollution assessment of the High Basento River Valley carbonate hydrostructure (Basilicata, southern Italy).

The High Basento River Valley, located in the central western sector of the Basilicata region (southern Italy), is a productive carbonate hydrostructure of the Lucanian Apennines, which represents a strategic water resource for drinking purposes. Huge discharges, quantified at about 10 Mm3/y, flow from several exploited springs afferent to the groundwater system, many other springs are not picked up, even if characterized by a considerable amount of water. The aim of this study was to improve the understanding in the hydrogeological features of the aquifer system through performing geostructural field surveys finalized to define the effective hydraulic fracture permeability and the equivalent permeability of the carbonate hydrostructure. Furthermore, the application of an inverse hydrogeological water balance method to evaluate the effective recharge amount and the intrinsic vulnerability assessment of the hydrogeological basin were also performed. The purpose of these investigations was to obtain a detailed understanding of the carbonate hydrostructure, which may be useful in order to define integrated action criteria and safeguard strategies for the effective protection and sustainable management of groundwater resources.