Temple of Edfu Groundwater Lowering

Conquering Groundwater to Protect Egypt’s Antiquities

Egypt Ministry of Antiquities, USaid EGYPT

CDM Smith’s award-winning dewatering systems at Temple of Edfu mitigate groundwater’s corrosive effects, enable exploration and conservation, improve public health, and support Egypt’s vital tourism economy.

Egypt’s Pharaonic monuments in the Nile River Valley hold some of ancient civilization’s most respected treasures. However, many were deteriorating from rising groundwater caused by urbanization and agricultural practices. Determined to mitigate the water’s corrosive effects at the prominent Temple of Edfu, CDM Smith applied 3D numerical hydrogeological modeling to design dewatering systems.

meters of groundwater drawdown

age of temple of Edfu

2,073

age of temple of Edfu

length of gravity trench drains (meters)

Leveraging our earlier work at Luxor West and an exceptional understanding of the region’s unique geology, we were able to minimize invasive work, maintain the project schedule during Ramadan and Egypt’s recent revolution, and build trust with the Ministry. To ensure long-term success, we conducted community outreach to identify and incorporate benefits for local residents; simplified operations and maintenance; drained entire sites efficiently; and built local human capacity to maintain the program into the future.

To ensure long-term success, we conducted community outreach to identify and incorporate benefits for local residents.

The award-winning protective systems have successfully achieved targeted water levels, enabling exploration and conservation work to continue unhampered by high groundwater, improving public health, providing immediate and long-term job opportunities, and supporting Egypt’s vital tourism economy. Fulfilling our pledge to protect Egypt’s antiquities, we secured contracts for two more groundwater lowering assignments at Kom El Shoqafa and the Temple of Kom Ombo.

The goal of this program was to preserve significant archeological sites for the benefit of Egypt and world’s heritage, increase the potential for archaeological discoveries, and enhance the economic development value of tourism in Egypt.

The porous sandstone blocks from which Egyptian monuments are constructed absorb water. Corrosive salts concentrate as water evaporates, causing mechanical and chemical destruction of the stone blocks over a relatively short period of time.

Project Details

This New York Times article reports how engineers and archaeologists are saving the ancient Kom Ombo Temple. CDM Smith is working at several location across Egypt to lower groundwater and preserve these ancient sites.

Read on nytimes.com

CDM Smith’s groundwater lowering project to protect Egyptian antiquities has earned the Outstanding Groundwater Project Award from the National Ground Water Association for outstanding science, engineering, or innovation in the area of protecting groundwater.