Evaluation of pedotransfer functions of a heterogeneous soil, the receptor milieu for treated wastewater, a dedicated pilot site

The soil is an essential compartment in hydrologic cycle of water in the nature. Therefore, it is clear that taking into account the properties and organization of the soil is essential to the understanding and management of flows involved in the development of the quality of groundwater and surface water. The on-site sanitation (ANC) is a management method of domestic wastewater, by which the water is sent into the soil after settling and filtration liquefaction / aerobic degradation. The second step was often provided by the top soil in place himself, and this continues to this day on many plots of on-site sanitation.This thesis was carried out under ANCRES project. Its role was to ensure the physical understanding of the receptor medium, soil, while another research team was investigating the physico-chemical impact of treated wastewater on the sol. To ensure it, we have to understand its textural and structural properties controlling its purifying power and hydrodynamic processes. So, the problematic is to understand the process of infiltration imposed by an ANC in a heterogeneous stony soil. At first, due to the positioning of the pilot ANC site, at the foot of a slope in the Yonne department in France, a type of complex and heterogeneous soil, a colluvion, was identified. This soil has not been mapped on the BRGM (Bureau de recherches géologiques et minières) geological map of the area. So, the thesis was focalised on this soil. Then, in this soil complex at a depth of the 120 cm of the excavation of the ANC, the soil hydraulic conductivity was first measured by a Guelph apparatus on 15 m². We totally made 15 infiltration tests. Furthermore, we have collected 15 soil samples with each Guelph test for physics laboratory physical characterization. Then, in order to study the soil functions, this site was instrumented by the water monitoring devices (tensiometers, water content probes, and piezometer) and the interstitial water sampling device from the soil. In addition, the bulk of this heterogeneous soil was determined. Among the measured parameters, a series of indicators chosen to characterize the soil as a potential receptor medium of treated wastewater of the ANC. Then, the bulk density of the soil matrix using pedotransfer functions called BD-FPTs was estimated and the relationship between saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks and the texture of the soil complex (by Ks-FPT function) was tested. For this aim, a four-phase methodology was developed to assess the predictive ability of Ks- FPTs functions. This methodology in four phases is not found in the literature but was prepared for the purposes of the thesis. We concluded the best Ks- FPTS for this type of soil. Finally, with the volumetric water content and soil matrix potential data acquired by a the data loggers, the hydrodynamic regime of the soil under the sand pack of the ANC has been studied and demonstrated the preferential flow in a stony soil was demonstrated. The results showed that in the colluvion, although the soil matrix is fine, the measured hydraulic conductivity is higher than expected. This shows that the stone fraction in the soil plays an important role in accelerating the evacuation of treated wastewater and also rainwater to the underlying layers, and finally to the water table. This property would be a strong point for the transfer function of the soil and we can deduce a method to improve the transfer function of heavy soils in urban or peri-urban development projects. This could be possible by adding the gravel and -limestone to soil matrix and mixing them. It has been concluded that this experiment, unique in its kind, has been useful in evaluating the function of retention / transfer of water in the soil receiving treated wastewater. In addition, the relevant predictor parameters and empirical relationships that make the economy of many water tests were identified