Complexity and Fragility of Apulian Groundwater Resources

Apulia, southern Italy, is an almost entirely carbonate peninsula, with widespread karst landforms. Lacking superficial runoff, the water stored into the subsoil represents the only resource, to be protected and pre- served. The geological and geographical characteristics of Apulia make freshwater resources very fragile and subjected to degradation via both seawater intrusion and anthropogenic pollution, especially along its coast- lines, where a high number of wells are present. The worst situation occurs in central Apulia where a high salinity area crosses the whole peninsula, linking the two sides of the region, a sort of underground connec- tion between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Further, anthropogenic pollution contributes to reduction of freshwater resource volume, through high rates of in- dustrial and agricultural chemical pollution (i.e., PCA,PCB, oil, pesticides, etc.), and microbiological pollution (i.e., fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, etc.) close to wastewater treatment plants. The only efficient app- roach to protect freshwater resource, in such a fragile setting, is represented by monitoring actions. At this goal, the only two caves in Apulia reaching ground- water have become hydrogeological natural labora-tories. There, two multiparameter probes have been installed to measure temperature, electrical conduc-tivity and water level. Groundwater quality has been assessed by chemical and microbiological analyses, and through biospeleological studies to ascertain the pre- sence of species characteristics of unpolluted environ- ment. All these actions, necessary to assess the ground- water quantity and quality, should be continued and reinforced in the future to guarantee a full comprehen- sion of available Apulian groundwater resources.