Groundwater vulnerability mapping is one of the tools most often applied to analyse the sensitivity of karst aquifers to pollution. These maps aim to support stakeholders in decision-making and to promote land-use management compatible with water protection; however, the validation of these maps is still a challenge in many cases, triggering high uncertainty. For karst media, due to the strong heterogeneity in recharge mechanisms and hydraulic characteristics, validation is a significant stage and it must be inherent within the groundwater vulnerability assessment process. This work aims to assess the implementation of tools used for protecting the quality of water discharging or extracted from the Ubrique karst system in southern Spain, which supplies drinking water that is threatened by periodical pollution/turbidity episodes. A groundwater vulnerability map, attained by application of the COP method and validated by multiple in-situ observations, shows an extremely vulnerable system due to the absence of protective overlayers and the significant development of exokarst landforms, including shallow holes. This map could constitute the basis for defining protection zones for the Ubrique springs; however, their comprehensive protection requires the implementation of monitoring tools and an effective management strategy, through an early warning system that assures stable environmental and hydrogeological conditions and improves operational procedures associated with the drinking water service. This research establishes the strong relationship of the different methods applied to protect the source from contamination events, ranging from classical hydrodynamic and hydrochemical approaches to the implementation of protection zones and early warning groundwater quality monitoring networks.

地下水脆弱性制图是最常用于分析岩溶含水层对污染敏感性的工具之一。这些地图旨在支持利益相关者的决策，并促进与水资源保护相适应的土地利用管理；然而，在许多情况下，验证这些地图仍然是一个挑战，从而引发高度不确定性。对于岩溶介质，由于补给机制和水力特征存在很大的异质性，因此验证是重要的阶段，它必须在地下水脆弱性评估过程中固有。这项工作旨在评估用于保护西班牙南部Ubrique岩溶系统排放或提取的水质的工具的实施情况，该系统供应的饮用水受到周期性污染/混浊事件的威胁。通过使用COP方法获得的地下水脆弱性图，并通过多次现场观测得到了验证，该图显示了一个极其脆弱的系统，这是由于缺少保护性覆盖层以及包括浅孔在内的现成的地貌的显着发展。该图可构成为Ubrique弹簧定义保护区的基础；然而，对它们的全面保护需要通过预警系统来实施监控工具和有效的管理策略，以确保稳定的环境和水文地质条件并改善与饮用水服务有关的操作程序。这项研究建立了用于保护源不受污染事件影响的各种方法之间的密切关系，