Application theme 4 – regulatory support. Case study 21:1: the use of 3D models to manage the groundwater resources of the Lower Greensand confined aquifer, Hertfordshire and North London, England

The support of regulation and management of subsurface uses is a new application of 3-D geological models, which is developing alongside their well-established application in the hydrocarbon sector. The use of 3-D models is particularly important in the very rapidly growing cities of south-east Asia. This chapter presents case study of the use of 3-d models to manage the groundwater resources of the lower greensand confined aquifer, Hertfordshire and North London, England. The 3-D geological framework model and a derived steady-state groundwater flow model support government administrative actions, planning for construction projects and issues related to groundwater use and geothermal development. The chapter provides case study that describes the regulatory uses of 3-D geological models by the Federal State of Bremen, the smallest of three German city states, which consists of the two cities Bremen and Bremerhaven. The 3-D geological framework model was designed to support the development of a discrete-element steady-state groundwater flow model.