Le réchauffement climatique est lié aux augmentations des concentrations de gaz à effet de serre dans l'atmosphère terrestre et en particulier aux émissions anthropiques de CO₂. La séquestration géologique a la capacité et la longévité potentielles pour diminuer de façon significative les émissions anthropiques de CO₂. Cette séquestration à grande profondeur induit des risques de fuite des réservoirs géologiques. Parmi les scénarios de fuite envisagés, celui d'une fuite diffuse est le plus inquiétant puisque sans surveillance, cette fuite pourrait perdurer et entrainer des séquelles sur l'environnement ainsi que des risques pour les populations. Des outils et protocoles de surveillance doivent donc être mis au point pour la surveillance en proche surface. Ce travail de thèse s'inscrit dans le cadre de cette problématique. Il a pour objectif la caractérisation, la quantification et la modélisation du transport et des interactions du CO₂ dans une zone non saturée carbonatée. Ce travail a suivi une approche expérimentale sur un site pilote naturel à Saint-Emilion (Gironde, France), avec la réalisation de fuites diffuses en ZNS carbonatée. Cette étude aborde plusieurs thématiques: la description et l'instrumentation du site pilote naturel ; la caractérisation physico-chimique de l'hétérogénéité du réservoir carbonaté ; l'étude du fonctionnement naturel de la ZNS carbonatée et en particulier la mise en place d'une ligne de base des concentrations en CO₂ ; la caractérisation de l'extension des panaches de gaz suite à des expériences de fuite diffuse dans la ZNS carbonatée et l'étude par simulation numérique des interactions gaz-eau-roche lors d'une fuite diffuse de CO₂ dans une ZNS carbonatée. Les résultats de ces travaux montrent l'importance de la caractérisation de l'hétérogénéité du réservoir carbonaté ainsi que des techniques d'échantillonnage et d'analyse des différentes phases en présence. L'établissement de la ligne de base a une importance particulière pour permettre de distinguer les variations naturelles de celles induites par une fuite diffuse de CO₂ dans la ZNS carbonatée. Les modes de transport du CO₂ vont évoluer en fonction des paramètres physico-chimiques. Ce transport se fait par advection et/ou par diffusion. L'utilisation de gaz inertes au niveau du site de séquestration géologique est très importante puisque la détection de ces traceurs permettrait de prédire les arrivées de panaches de CO₂ en proche surface. Par ailleurs, les interactions chimiques doivent être prises en compte dans les modèles de transport afin de pouvoir définir les facteurs de retard et l'impact d'une fuite diffuse de CO₂ sur une ZNS carbonatée. / Global warming is related to atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration increase and especially anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. Geologic sequestration has the potential capacity and the longevity to significantly diminish anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. This sequestration in deep geological formation induces leakage risks from the geological reservoir. Several leakage scenarios have been imagined. Since it could continue for a long period, inducing environmental issues and risks for human, the scenario of a diffusive leakage is the most worrying. Thus, monitoring tools and protocols are needed to set up a near-surface monitoring plan. The present thesis deals with this problematic. The aims are the characterisation, the quantification and the modelling of transport and interactions of CO₂ in a carbonate unsaturated zone. This was achieved following an experimental approach on a natural pilot site in Saint-Emilion (Gironde, France), where diffusive gas leakage experiments were set up in a carbonate unsaturated zone. Different aspects were investigated during the study: natural pilot site description and instrumentation; the physical and chemical characterisation of carbonate reservoir heterogeneity; the natural functioning of the carbonate unsaturated zone and especially the set-up of a CO₂ concentrations baseline; the characterisation of gas plume extension following induced diffusive leakage in the carbonate unsaturated zone and the study of gas-water-rock interactions during a CO₂ diffusive leakage in a carbonate unsaturated zone through numerical simulations. The results show the importance of the carbonate reservoir heterogeneity characterisation as well as the sampling and analysing methods for the different phases. The baseline set-up is of main interest since it allows discrimination between the induced and the natural CO₂ concentrations variations. The transfer of CO₂ in a carbonate unsaturated zone is varying in function of physical and chemical properties. This transfer is done by diffusion and/or advection. Because the detection of the noble gases allows the prediction of CO₂ plume arrival, the use of tracers in the sequestration site is of main importance. The chemical interactions have to be taken under account in transport models in order to predict delay factors and the impact of a CO₂ leakage in a carbonate unsaturated zone.

Este trabalho apresenta uma revisão bibliográfica sobre os conceitos de solos não saturados e descreve os diversos tipos de camada de cobertura usadas em aterro de resíduos sólidos urbanos. Apresenta trabalhos científicos que contemplam curvas características de solos tropicais brasileiros. Caracteriza o solo usado antigamente como camada de cobertura do Aterro Morro do Céu e este solo com adição de 5% de bentonita. Determina a curva característica desses dois solos pelo Método do Papel Filtro e pela Placa de Sucção e, em seguida, Placa de Pressão. As curvas obtidas por esses métodos apresentaram diferenças. A adição da bentonita no solo teve como objetivo avaliar o desempenho do mesmo. O solo com adição de bentonita apresentou maior plasticidade, menor permeabilidade e maior capacidade de retenção de água no solo. Apresenta a modelagem de camadas monolíticas, camadas monolíticas evapotranspirativas, barreiras capilares, barreiras capilares evapotranspirativas através do uso do Programa VADOSE/W como ferramenta para aferição. / This study is a review about unsatured soils concepts and describes some types of soil cover systems used in landfills. It presents scientific works about Brazilian tropical soils Water Retention Curve. It characterizes the soil that was used as a cover layer system used at Morro do Céu landfill and the same soil with addition of 5% of bentonite. It determinates the soil water retention curve by Filter Paper Method and Suction Plate and, after that, Pressure Plate. The curves obtained by these two methods showed differences. The objective of the addition of the bentonite in the soil is to evaluate its performance. The soil with the addition of bentonite shows higher plasticity, lower hydraulic conductivity and higher moisture storage. It presents the modeling of monolithic covers, evapotranspirative monolithic covers, capillary barriers and evapotranspirative capillary barriers by the use of VADOSE/W Program as a tool for gauging.

Este trabalho apresenta uma revisão bibliográfica sobre os conceitos de solos não saturados e descreve os diversos tipos de camada de cobertura usadas em aterro de resíduos sólidos urbanos. Apresenta trabalhos científicos que contemplam curvas características de solos tropicais brasileiros. Caracteriza o solo usado antigamente como camada de cobertura do Aterro Morro do Céu e este solo com adição de 5% de bentonita. Determina a curva característica desses dois solos pelo Método do Papel Filtro e pela Placa de Sucção e, em seguida, Placa de Pressão. As curvas obtidas por esses métodos apresentaram diferenças. A adição da bentonita no solo teve como objetivo avaliar o desempenho do mesmo. O solo com adição de bentonita apresentou maior plasticidade, menor permeabilidade e maior capacidade de retenção de água no solo. Apresenta a modelagem de camadas monolíticas, camadas monolíticas evapotranspirativas, barreiras capilares, barreiras capilares evapotranspirativas através do uso do Programa VADOSE/W como ferramenta para aferição. / This study is a review about unsatured soils concepts and describes some types of soil cover systems used in landfills. It presents scientific works about Brazilian tropical soils Water Retention Curve. It characterizes the soil that was used as a cover layer system used at Morro do Céu landfill and the same soil with addition of 5% of bentonite. It determinates the soil water retention curve by Filter Paper Method and Suction Plate and, after that, Pressure Plate. The curves obtained by these two methods showed differences. The objective of the addition of the bentonite in the soil is to evaluate its performance. The soil with the addition of bentonite shows higher plasticity, lower hydraulic conductivity and higher moisture storage. It presents the modeling of monolithic covers, evapotranspirative monolithic covers, capillary barriers and evapotranspirative capillary barriers by the use of VADOSE/W Program as a tool for gauging.

Climate change is predicted to have a global effect on temperatures and precipitation rates throughout the world. The UK Climate projections expect that in the United Kingdom this will lead to warmer, drier summers and wetter winters, where events of extreme rainfall are more common. These changes are expected to impact on slope hydrology, and concurrently slope stability. In the United Kingdom this impact is expected to be negative, whereas in other countries, such as Italy and France it could lead to slopes being more stable. Infrastructure slopes in the UK range in age and construction quality, they are susceptible to serviceability problems, characterised by heterogeneous material properties and can fail unexpectedly due to progressive reduction in soil shear strength. In this thesis the effects of climate change on a highway cutting in the south of England are modelled, using numerical methods. A finite element model is created and developed in the software package GeoStudio VADOSE/W. The model has been validated against observed pore water pressure trends and magnitudes and is shown to be able to accurately replicate the behaviour. By incorporating the effects of desiccation cracking on the soil s material properties, by the means of bimodal soil water characteristic curve and hydraulic conductivity function, the replication of these trends is improved even further. A series of future climate series were created using the UKCP09 Weather Generator 2.0. These series were implemented with the VADOSE/W model as climate boundary conditions and models were run, and the results compared to control, current climate results. The results were investigated by the means of statistical analyses which revealed that climate change will have some significant effects on the slope s hydrology, increasing magnitudes of evapotranspiration greatly which can have further significant effects on the magnitude of suctions developing in the slope throughout the summer. It is thought that the results suggest that climate change will not have significant negative effects on slope stability. However it is important to remember that the results only apply with certainty to the specific slope and climate change scenario investigated here. The methods used and developed within this thesis can be extended to other locations, in the UK and internationally, analysing the effects of different climate change scenarios.

Magister Scientiae - MSc / The objectives of this study were: To review and understand flow and transport processes in unsaturated zones. In this study, particular emphasis is placed on understanding mechanisms that cause non-uniform (preferential) flow for two casestudies, namely the Cape Flats sandy environment and the Mpumalanga Highveld fractured rock environment. To evaluate the adequacy of models, in particular MACRO 5.0, in simulating flow and transport in the vadose zone, by making use of two case study sites (Cape Flats and Mpumalanga Highveld). Of particular importance is the evaluation of transfer coefficients to represent fluid and solute exchange between macropores and matrix. To run a sensitivity analysis with MACRO 5.0 in order determine which input model parameters are the most relevant in describing the effects of preferential flow in water and solute transport.

[pt] O derramamento no solo de poluentes imiscíveis com a água (NAPLs) devido a vazamentos de tanques de armazenamento ou dutos e acidentes de transporte é de grande interesse, pois o NAPL e/ou seus constituintes podem migrar através da zona vadosa até atingir o lençol freático e contaminar as fontes de água potável. No Brasil, a maioria dos postos de combustível e terminais de armazenamento possui tanques de etanol, gasolina misturada com etanol e óleo diesel. Um eventual derramamento ou vazamento de hidrocarbonetos derivados de petróleo, conhecidos como LNAPL, misturados com etanol tem um maior potencial de contaminação em função do efeito de co- solvência. A motivação deste trabalho é que muitos estudos têm sido realizados com principal interesse na zona saturada e pouco se sabe sobre o comportamento destes contaminantes na zona não saturada (McDowell e Powers, 2003 e Österreicher et al., 2007). Portanto, foram realizados ensaios de coluna com esferas de vidro com o objetivo de simular os vazamentos de hidrocarbonetos líquidos na superfície e comparar a massa de benzeno que fica retida no meio poroso em um vazamento de gasolina pura ou com etanol. Para avaliar estes ensaios em uma dimensão foi utilizado um programa disponível no sítio da Agência de Proteção Ambiental dos Estados Unidos (EPA) chamado Hydrocarbon Spill Screening Model (Weaver et al., 1994) e implementado um modelo para efetuar o balanço de massa e considerar o efeito de co-solvência em função da adição de etanol na gasolina comercial brasileira. Os resultados dos ensaios de laboratório foram comparados com os obtidos através do modelo supracitado e apresentaram uma aproximação satisfatória da previsão do comportamento do contaminante. / [en] The subsurface release of water immiscible pollutants (NAPLs) due to leaks in storage tanks or pipelines and spilling transportation accidents is of great concern, since the NAPL or its constituents may migrate through the vadose zone until reaching the water table and eventually contaminate clean water sources. In Brazil, most of the gas stations store ethanol, pure and gasoline blended ethanol, diesel, among others in tanks. A spill or leak of petroleum hydrocarbons, known as LNAPL (light Nonaqueous phase liquid), combined with ethanol has a major contamination potential associated to cosolvency effects. The motivation of this work is that many studies have been developed with special interest in the saturated zone and little is known about the behavior of these pollutants in the vadose zone (McDowell e Powers, 2003 e Österreicher et al., 2007). Thus, one dimensional column tests were performed in a glass porous media to simulate the spill of hydrocarbons in the subsurface and compare the retained mass of benzene in the porous media after a release of a pure or ethanol blended gasoline. In order to evaluate these 1D tests results, the Hydrocarbon Spill Screening Model - HSSM (Weaver et al., 1994) was used. This program can be found in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website. A model was also implemented to consider the cosolvency effects in function of the ethanol addition in Brazilian`s commercial gasoline. The laboratory`s results were compared with the ones obtained by the model mentioned above and showed a satisfactory approximation for the prediction of the contaminant behavior.

<p><font face="Helvetica"> <p align="left">The objectives of this study were:&nbsp / To review and understand flow and transport processes in unsaturated zones. In this study, particular emphasis is placed on understanding mechanisms that cause non-uniform (preferential) flow for two casestudies, namely the Cape Flats sandy environment and the Mpumalanga Highveld fractured rock environment.&nbsp / To evaluate the adequacy of models, in particular MACRO 5.0, in simulating flow and transport in the vadose zone, by making use of two case study sites (Cape Flats and Mpumalanga Highveld). Of particular importance is the evaluation of transfer coefficients to represent fluid and solute exchange between macropores and matrix.&nbsp / To run a sensitivity analysis with MACRO 5.0 in order determine which input model parameters are the most relevant in describing the effects of preferential flow in water and solute transport.</p> </font></p>

Chemical dynamics in the vadose zone are poorly understood due to the transient nature of chemical and hydrologic conditions, but are nonetheless critical to understanding contaminant fate and transport. This work explored the effects of soil structure (i.e. layers, lenses) on linked geochemical, hydrological, and microbiological processes under changing hydrologic conditions (e.g. rainfall, introduction of groundwater, and fluctuating water table heights). A homogenized medium-grained sand, homogenized organic-rich loam and a sand-over-loam layered column were constructed for the first series of experiments. The second series of experiments employed two soil columns with lenses that were packed identically with sterilized and untreated sediments. Each consisted of two lenses of organic-rich loam in a medium-grained sand matrix. Lenses were located at different vertical depths and were horizontally offset. In-situ collocated probes collected soil hydrologic and chemical data. In the layered column, enhanced biogeochemical cycling was observed over the texturally homogeneous soil columns. Enumerations of Fe(III) and SO42- reducing microorganisms also show 1-2 orders of magnitude greater community numbers in the layered column. The greatest concentrations of aqueous FeS clusters (FeSaq) were observed in close proximity to the soil interface. To our knowledge, this was the first documentation of FeSaq in partially saturated sediments. Mineral and soil aggregate composite layers were also most abundant near the soil layer interface; the presence of which, likely contributed to an order of magnitude decrease of hydraulic conductivity. In the live lens column, Fe-oxide bands formed at the fringes of the lenses that retarded water flow rates by an order of magnitude compared to the sterilized column. Microbial activity also produced insoluble gases and that led to the creation of a separate gas phase that reduced hydraulic conductivity. This limited the interaction between groundwater with soil-pore waters that led to the formation of geochemically distinct water masses in relatively close proximity to one another. No such changes were observed in the sterilized column. When compared to homogenous columns, the presence of soil heterogeneities altered biogeochemical and hydrologic processes considerably which highlights the need to consider soil heterogeneity in contaminant fate and transport models. These findings suggest that quantifying coupled hydrologic-biogeochemical processes occurring at small scale soil interfaces is critical to accurately describing and predicting chemical changes at the larger system scale.

<p><font face="Helvetica"> <p align="left">The objectives of this study were:&nbsp / To review and understand flow and transport processes in unsaturated zones. In this study, particular emphasis is placed on understanding mechanisms that cause non-uniform (preferential) flow for two casestudies, namely the Cape Flats sandy environment and the Mpumalanga Highveld fractured rock environment.&nbsp / To evaluate the adequacy of models, in particular MACRO 5.0, in simulating flow and transport in the vadose zone, by making use of two case study sites (Cape Flats and Mpumalanga Highveld). Of particular importance is the evaluation of transfer coefficients to represent fluid and solute exchange between macropores and matrix.&nbsp / To run a sensitivity analysis with MACRO 5.0 in order determine which input model parameters are the most relevant in describing the effects of preferential flow in water and solute transport.</p> </font></p>

Die Modellierung von komplexen Systemen, wie dem Untergrund, ist ein Hilfsmittel zur Beschreibung der in der Realität ablaufenden Prozesse. Die Durchführung von Experimenten an einem Modell, um qualitative Aussagen über ein reales System zu erhalten, wird als Simulation bezeichnet. Dabei können vielfältige Modelle, wie z.B. physikalische und mathematische, zum Einsatz kommen. Die ungesättigte Bodenzone (vadose Zone) bezeichnet den Bereich zwischen der Landoberfläche und dem Grundwasserspiegel, innerhalb dessen der Wassergehalt geringer als bei Vollsättigung, und der Druck geringer als der Atmosphärendruck ist. Dieser Bodenbereich hat für die Landwirtschaft, Geobiologie, aerobe Abbauprozesse und Grundwasserneubildung eine große Bedeutung. Für die Nachbildung von Strömungs- und Stofftransportprozessen der ungesättigten Bodenzone existieren numerische Simulationsprogramme. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist eine umfangreiche Validierung des Programms PCSiWaPro® (entwickelt an der TU-Dresden, Institut für Abfallwirtschaft und Altlasten) für unterschiedliche Anwendungsfälle. Ein weiteres Ziel der Arbeit besteht in der Untersuchung der Anwendbarkeit des aktuellen Stands des Simulationsprogramms PCSiWaPro® auf unterschiedliche Praxisfälle bei Kombination der ungesättigten Bodenzone mit technischen Anlagen. Vier Anwendungsfälle mit unterschiedlichen Zielen wurden dafür im Rahmen dieser Arbeit untersucht: die Simulation von dezentraler Abwasserversickerung (Kleinkläranlage - KKA) anhand entsprechender Säulen- und Feldversuche, die Berechnung der Grundwasserneubildung am Beispiel von Lysimetern, der Wasserhaushalt von Erddämmen und die Modellierung von Deponieabdeckungssystemen. Die Anwendungsfälle unterscheiden sich durch den Zweck der Simulation, die Geometrie, die Größe, die festgelegten Anfangs- und Randbedingungen, die Simulationszeit, die Materialien, das Koordinatensystem sowie die Ein- und Ausgabewerte. Die Simulationsergebnisse konnten eindeutig zeigen, dass das Programm PCSiWaPro® für alle im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit untersuchten Fälle, mit unterschiedlichen Strömungsregimen, Stofftransport-Parametern, Randbedingungen, Koordinatensystemen sowie Raum- und Zeitdiskretisierungen anwendbar ist. Die Simulationsergebnisse der Säulenversuche am Beispiel dezentraler Abwasserversickerung zeigten eine sehr gute Übereinstimmung zwischen gemessenen und mittels PCSiWa-Pro® berechneten Werten des Wasser- und Stoffhaushaltes (Druckhöhe, Abfluss und Stoff-konzentration) der untersuchten Bodentypen B3 (schwachschluffiger Sand), B4 (Grobsand) und B5 (mittelschluffiger Sand). Die Wurzel des mittleren quadratischen Fehlers (RMSE) betrug für die Berechnung der Druckhöhe 1,84 cm bei B5, 3,61 cm bei B3 und 1,27 cm bei B4. Die relative Abweichung betrug für die Berechnung der Druckhöhe 2,19 % bei B5, 1,3 % bei B3 und ca. 5,3 % bei B4. Die Durchführung der Sensitivitätsanalyse der für die Modellierung relevanten Parameter zeigte eine sehr hohe Sensitivität der VAN GENUCHTEN-Parameter und der gesättigten hydraulischen Leitfähigkeit des Bodens. Darüber hinaus führten die Parameter nach DIN 4220 und die mithilfe von Pedotransferfunktionen aus Siebanalysen genommenen Parameter zu unterschiedlichen Ergebnissen. Im Rahmen des am Institut für Abfallwirtschaft und Altlasten durchgeführten Projektes EGSIM wurden die Programme SENSIT und ISSOP (in Zusammenarbeit mit DUALIS GmbH IT Solution) entwickelt und zur Parameteridentifikation/-kalibrierung benutzt. Die im Rahmen dieser Arbeit erzielten Ergebnisse konnten nachweisen, unter welchen Bedingungen eine Nachklärung des vollbiologisch gereinigten Abwassers innerhalb der Bodenzone möglich ist, so dass am Ort der Beurteilung (Grundwasseroberfläche) kein unzulässiger Schadstoffeintrag erfolgt. In Bezug auf die KKA-Feldmodelle ist die Anwendung des rotationssymmetrischen Koordinatensystems als Voraussetzung der Realität besser zu entsprechen und nicht als Option zu betrachten. Darüber hinaus wurden anhand der Feldmodelle verschiedene Szenarien mit kontinuierlicher und diskontinuierlicher Versickerung sowie zwei unterschiedlich großen Einleitflächen durchgeführt. Das Programm PCSiWaPro® ist sowohl für ungesättigte als auch für variabel-gesättigte porösen Medien anwendbar. Dies wurde im Rahmen der Simulation des Wasserhaushaltes eines Erddamms nachgewiesen. Die durchschnittliche relative Abweichung zwischen gemessenen und mittels PCSiWaPro® berechneten Wasserständen des entsprechenden Beobachtungspunkts im untersuchten Dammkörper lag bei 0,08 % (entspricht 5,8 cm bei einer Müchtigkeit von ca. 70 m) und das Bestimmtheitsmaß (R2) betrug 0,987. Die Simulation des Wasserhaushaltes unterschiedlicher Deponieabdichtungssystemen mittels PCSiWaPro® zeigte im Allgemeinen ein funktionierendes Ableiten des auf Deponien anfallenden Regenwassers (auch bei Starkregenereignissen). Darüber hinaus haben die durchgeführten Bewuchs-Modelle nachweisen können, dass die Vegetation der Deponieoberflächen den Wassergehalt, durch Pflanzenwurzelentzug bzw. Evapotranspiration, reduzieren können. Die Simulationsergebnisse der durchgeführten Szenarien des Wasserhaushaltes von Lysimetern zur prognostischen Berechnung der Grundwasserneubildung mittels PCSiWaPro® konnten nachweisen, dass das Programm für die Berechnung der Grundwasserneubildungsrate für diesen Zweck anwendbar ist. Die relativen Abweichungen der be-rechneten von den gemessenen Grundwasserneubildungsraten sind auf die verwendeten Materialparameter sowie auf Vernachlässigung der möglicherweise in Lysimetern sich befin-denden Makroporen (duale Porosität) zurückzuführen. / The modelling of complex systems such as the underground is a means to describe the processes occurring in the reality. The conducting of experiments on a model to obtain qualitative evidence about a real system is referred to as a simulation. Thereby, various models (e.g. physical and mathematical models) can be used. The unsaturated zone (vadose zone) is the region between the land surface and the water table, in which the water content is less than full saturation, and the pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure. The unsaturated zone is very significant for agriculture, geobiology, aerobic degradation processes and groundwater recharge. The processes of water flow and solute transport in the unsaturated zone can be described by means of numerical simulation programs. The aim of the present work is a comprehensive validation of the simulation program PCSiWaPro® (developed at the TU-Dresden, Institute of Waste Management and Contaminated Site Treatment) for different applications. Another aim of this work is to investigate the applicability of the current version of PCSiWaPro® for different cases of a combination between the unsaturated zone and technical facilities. Four application cases with different objectives were investigated within the present work, which are: the simulation of decentralized wastewater infiltration with corresponding column and field experiments, the computation of groundwater recharge by means of lysimeters, the water balance of earth dams and the modelling of landfill covering systems. The application cases differ from each other by the objective of the simulation, the geometry, the size, the specified initial and boundary conditions, the simulation time, the applied materials, the coordinate system, the input and output data. The simulation results clearly showed that PCSiWaPro® is applicable for all investigated cases under consideration of different flow and solute transport regimes, parameters, boundary conditions, spatial and temporal discretization, and coordinate systems. The simulation results of the experimental soil columns for the decentralized treated wastewater infiltration case showed a very good agreement between measured and computed values of water and solute balance (pressure head, flow and solute concentration) of the investigated soil types B3 (slightly silty sand), B4 (coarse sand / gravel) and B5 (medium silty sand). The root of the mean squared error (RMSE) for the computation of the pressure head was 1,84 cm at B5, 3,61 cm at B3 and 1,27 cm at B4. The relative deviation in case of pressure head computation was 2,19 % at B5, 1,3 % at B3 and 5,3 % at B4. The implementation of the sensitivity analysis of the relevant parameters for the modelling showed a very high sensitivity of the VAN GENUCHTEN parameters and the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil. Moreover, the parameters according to DIN 4220 led to different results than the estimated ones according to pedotransfer methods based on sieve analysis. Within the project EGSIM, which was carried out at the Institute for waste management and contaminated sites treatment in collaboration with DUALIS GmbH IT Solution, the programs SENSIT and ISSOP were developed and used for parameter identification/ calibration. The results obtained in this Work showed under which conditions is a secondary treatment of full biologically treated wastewater in the soil possible, so that no unallowable pollutants entry in the groundwater occurs. With regard to the field models of this application the implementation of the rotationally symmetric coordinate system should be considered as a condition and not as an option for a better corresponding to the reality. Furthermore, different scenarios of the field models were carried out with continuous and discontinuous infiltration, as well as under different initiation areas. PCSiWaPro® could be applied for both unsaturated and variably-saturated porous media. This could be proven by the simulation of the water balance in an earth dam. The average relative deviation between measured and simulated water levels of the corresponding observation point in the investigated dam embankment was 0,08 % (corresponding to 5,8 cm at 70 m thickness) and the coefficient of determination (R2) was 0,987. In general, the simulation of the water balance using PCSiWaPro® of different landfill covering systems showed a successful draining of the falling rainwater (even under heavy rainfall). In addition, the implemented vegetation models have proven that the vegetation of the landfill surface can reduce the water content in the landfill by evapotranspiration and water uptake by roots. The water balance simulation results of the scenarios for the computation of groundwater recharge by means of lysimeters showed that the program is applicable for this case. The relative deviation of the simulated from the measured groundwater recharge rates occur due to the implemented material parameters as well as to the neglect of macro pores effects (dual porosity).