Programme

Content Outline

Focusing on the fundamental aspects of hydrogeology and water treatment, the research-oriented summer school HYDRO 2025 is a strong 60-hour training programme that delves into the fundamental aspects of hydrogeology and water treatment.

It will offer top scientific lectures with leading researchers in the fields of hydrology, chemistry and geology, as well as an introduction to research through a supervised project. The quality of the work undertaken and the scientific potential of the participants will be assessed.

Particular emphasis will be laid on the quantification of groundwater flow (distribution, velocity and flux of groundwater), its impact on surface water quality and the processes that affect groundwater geochemistry (water pollution in particular). There will be example applications for water resources, environmental impact, industrial wastewater treatment process and social development.

Cultural visits and social events will enrich this international programme, promoting friendliness and personal development. These activities will enable participants to build connections, exchange ideas, and immerse themselves in a stimulating and rewarding intercultural experience.

34 h — Scientific Lectures & Visits
6 h — Scientific Research Project
1 h — Lille & Hauts-de-France: A Dynamic Environment for Researchers
13 h — Cultural Visits & Social Events
3 h — Introduction to the French-Speaking World
3 h — Welcome & Closing Events

Keywords

#hydrogeology, groundwater modelling, hydrogeochemistry, wastewater treatment, rainwater management, water resource policy, pollution, smart technologies

Programme At A Glance

Scientific Lectures & Visits

Minor modifications to the programme may occur.

1 Introduction to Water Rock Interaction
Hydrogeology is the study of the interrelationships of geologic materials and processes with groundwater. A lot of the laws governing the movement of subterranean water, the mechanical, chemical, and thermal interaction of this water with the porous solid, and the transport of energy and chemical constituents by the flow. The course will introduce to basic hydrogeological principles including groundwater’s role in the hydrologic cycle, properties of aquifers, principles of flow in porous media, Darcy’s law and applications of analytical solutions to steady-state and unsteady-state groundwater problems, and basic groundwater chemistry. Emphasis will be placed on solving problems that are faced by geologists, hydrogeologists, and civil engineers.
2 Underground Water Circulation: Drilling and Pumping
Drilled water wells are vital to achieving universal, clean drinking water, with the sources safe, affordable, reliable and available. Services also need to be constructed in order to last. To achieve this, water wells, or boreholes must be drilled, developed and completed in a professional manner. Key elements of a drilling sector are procurement, contract management, siting, borehole design, construction, and supervision. The different drilling methods will be presented according to the type of geological formations to be exploited. There will be a focus on the different hydrodynamic parameters of the groundwater that can be found depending on the drilling regime. Water resources must also be considered and long-term support is required to maintain water supply services.
3 Hydrogeochemistry and Polluting of Groundwater
Because groundwater pollution is the key issue in the study of groundwater chemistry, this course focuses on geochemical principles and understanding of geochemical processes in groundwater. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the interaction between groundwater, the geological environment and anthropogenic wastes to provide an integrated understanding of groundwater chemistry and contaminant hydrogeology. Concrete case studies will be presented, highlighting the behaviour of contaminants, as well as the treatment methods that need to be put in place to clean up groundwater.
4 Introduction to Groundwater Modelling
Groundwater modeling is an important part of many hydrogeologic projects, and various software are recognized standards in groundwater flow and solute transport modeling programs. The course is designed to introduce the participants to the concepts and applications of groundwater modeling using the Processis Modflow interface. It will focus on groundwater modelling and the use of softwares for the development of conceptual and numerical models. The course provides a combination of lectures and comprehensive hands-on exercises taught by one of our well-experienced instructors and are based on real-world problems.
5 Introduction to Smart Water Technology
Starting from simple surface water treatment through to drinking water storage and distribution and complex wastewater treatment techniques, there is an enormous blend of energy input, human intervention and applied technologies. This combination of activities requires demanding monitoring regimes and intelligent application of mature technologies in order to achieve the desired results. This is where Smart Water Technologies come into play. This introduction will present the different areas/sectors in which Smart Water Technologies are applied and examine in detail their specific characteristics and potential. It will address new emerging technologies and how they can be applied in the context of sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
6 Mine Water Drainage
Mine water management is a critical issue for safe and efficient underground and pit mining operations and to minimise environmental impacts at all stages from feasibility assessment to mine closure. Leading practices for mine site water accounting and assessment will include depressurization and dewatering, geotechnical stability, sustainable water supplies and surface diversions. Fundamentals of hydrogeology and hydrogeochemistry for mining will include monitoring and management of groundwater storage, salinity and acid mine drainage; potential contaminant migration processes; geochemical reactive transport modelling and tracing methods. The course will focus on aqueous aspects of mine water including engineered seepage barriers, water recycling and treatment options, with an overview of waste rock and tailings management.
7 Drinking Water Treatment
The aim of this course is to explain today’s and future challenges related to production of drinking water, such as climate change, a chemicalized world, flooding, population growth and urbanisation, and provides technological knowledge to handle these. The course introduces conventional and new emerging treatment technologies, covering physical, chemical and biological unit processes: Sedimentation and flotation, rapid filtration, membrane filtration, coagulation & flocculation, oxidation & disinfection, softening and hardening, corrosion control, adsorption and ion exchange, aeration and stripping and biological treatment. The role of each treatment process and its location in a typical treatment chain is discussed.
8 Wastewater Treatment
This introduction to wastewater treatment training course will be provided with an understanding of the components of wastewater, how these relate to consents to discharge and the different stages of treatment in a wastewater treatment plant. It will cover examples in domestic and industrial applications and expected performance based upon real world data. It provides a review of common pollutants found in wastewater, the regulatory environment for the treatment and discharge of waste waters, discharge tariffs and how they are calculated. It also looks at application areas including settlement, activated sludge and sludge minimisation. The course reviews biological systems and typical liquid-solid separation techniques including clarification using coagulation and flocculation.

Scientific Research Project

Designed to facilitate your acculturation to research in France, the Scientific Research Project will require both personal and teamwork. It will include sessions of tutorials or free discussion with researchers from the LGCgE and LASIRE laboratories.

The project will cover the socio-economical and environmental aspect of water management, and explore how water is becoming an essential element in urban development projects or in the management of rural areas.

The project will involve the analysis of articles, bibliographical summaries, a presentation of state-of-the-art trends in the chosen research topic, simulations when appropriate and a final project defence in front of the scientific board.

You will have every opportunity to contact teachers/researchers with a view to identify a research project; assistance will be provided in maintaining contact in order to finalise the project up to potential enrolment in a (post-)doctoral programme.

Literature

1. Bresciani, E. Davy, P. and de Dreuzy, J.R., 2014, Is the Dupuit assumption suitable for predicting the groundwater seepage area in hillslopes? Water Resources Research}, 50, 2394-2405.

2. Cohen, A.J.B., and Cherry, J.A., 2020, Conceptual and Visual Understanding of Hydraulic Head and Groundwater Flow.

3. The Groundwater Project, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, Conceptual and visual understanding of hydraulic head and groundwater flow.

4. Cormican, A., Devlin, J.F. and Divine, C. , 2020, Grain size analysis and permeametry for estimating hydraulic conductivity in engineered porous media. Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation, 40, 65-72.

5. Domenico, P.A., and Schwartz, F.W., 1998, Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology, second edition, John Wiley and Sons, New York, USA, 506 pages.

6. Eslinger, E., Oko, U., Smith, J.A., and Holliday, G.H., 1994, Introduction to Environmental Hydrogeology. SEPM Society for Sedimentary Geology.

Cultural Programme

EXCITING VISITS & EVENTS

Gain a richer perspective on the Hauts-de-France region!

The Hauts-de-France region is typified by its maritime and Flemish borders, agrarian economy, ancient trade fairs tradition, former textile and mine industries steeped in the Catholic values of its captains and vivid memory of wounds inflicted by two world wars. France’s youngest region is now renowned for its competitiveness, dynamic cultural and social life, and a unique mix of Flemish cheerfulness and French elegance.

OLD LILLE: Guided tour of streets, squares and monuments of the old town and its beautiful ancient architecture.
CH’TI EVENING: Local cuisine in a traditional restaurant and introduction to the Ch’ti linguistic and cultural specificity.
BRUGES, BELGIUM: Free time in the charming old Flemish city, also known as “the Venice of the North” thanks to its beautiful canals.
FINE ARTS MUSEUM OF LILLE: Visit the exciting collection and splendid building of the largest fine arts museum in France beside Paris.

Introduction to the French-Speaking World

Getting a taste for the French language or rediscovering it.

Spoken by over 300 million people worldwide, French is a beautiful and fascinating language with a rich history and culture. One of the most compelling reasons to learn French is the vast amount of cultural and artistic treasures it unlocks. Besides, knowing French, official language of diplomacy, can open doors to many career opportunities. French is relatively accessible for English speakers, thanks to its many cognates (words that are similar in both languages) that make it easier to build vocabulary and to understand.

An interactive workshop will take the participants through an exploration of the presence and role of French language in the world as well as key linguistic features. Whether they are beginners or intermediate French speakers, the participants will be initiated to basic day-to-day French (greetings, first interactions) or lead to refresh and develop their communication skills.

Water Resource Management