Hydrogeoenvironmental Studies for the Attempt to Revive an Old Medical Spa - Termas da Touca - Fundão (Portugal)

This article presents a case study of the essentially hydrogeological nature, serving as an example of a place where a thriving medical spa once operated in the last century, but which, due to various setbacks, closed down, leaving the site almost unpopulated and in ruins. The location of these Thermal Baths is charming in terms of landscape. Because it is served by a deep sulphurous aquifer system, which has water with an extensive and deep underground path, with several thousand years old, it provides the place with unique conditions for the revival of a quality thermal health resort. Thus, after an introduction about the importance of the subject, historical note, and objective, the methodology of the work is presented. The results are presented below, consisting of the geomorphological, geological and hydrogeological framework of Termas da Touca, followed by a detailed presentation of the hydrogeological and other elements associated with the quality of the resource, to optimize the flow rate of a borehole, with water samples collected for microbiological and physical - chemical analysis, for legalization of the resource as natural mineral water for thermalism, by current regulations. The difficulties encountered in the process are explained, which are essentially a consequence of the site's high vulnerability to potential contamination and the poor quality of the current abstraction, preventing the objective from being achieved. It is understood that the solution will involve neutralizing the existing ground water abstraction and boreholes, as well as installing an adequate drainage system for surface rainwater and groundwater, and finally constructing a new, relatively deep hole to obtain the resource at a depth where the aquifer system is not susceptible to the contamination.