Defining Groundwater Remediation Objectives with Cost-benefit Analysis: Does It Work?

Jean-Daniel Rinaudo (1) , Stéphanie Aulong (1)

1 BRGM - Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières

The use of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is increasingly advocated as a tool for supporting water planning decisions, in particular at the local (site) level. This paper questions whether CBA is relevant for evaluating groundwater management options at the scale of large regional aquifers. It highlights the difficulties related to estimating the cost of groundwater protection and remediation measures at the regional (water body) level. It also identifies methodological challenges in estimating the economic value of the benefits of groundwater protection. The paper is based on an original case study carried out on the upper Rhine valley aquifer in eastern France. The methodology deployed combines engineering approaches to assess the cost of remediation and economic methods (contingent valuation) to estimate the benefits associated with groundwater improvement.

Mots clés: Cost-benefit analysis; Groundwater remediation; Contingent valuation survey; Volatile organic compounds (VOC); Willingness to pay

Domaines: Environnement et Société; Economies et finances; Etudes de l'environnement

Jean-Daniel Rinaudo, Stéphanie Aulong. Defining Groundwater Remediation Objectives with Cost-benefit Analysis: Does It Work?. Water Resources Management, 2014, 28 (1), pp.261-278. ⟨10.1007/s11269-013-0483-0⟩. ⟨hal-00934930⟩