In this study, we applied DRASTIC and SINTACS models for the assessment of groundwater vulnerability to Buyeo-eup area in Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea. Currently, DRASTIC model is a main tool for the assessment of groundwater vulnerability, which has been widely applied for the multiple purposes related to local developments, construction projects, groundwater investigations, etc. since 1980s. Because DRASTIC model has been the sole tool used for the domestic environment, there has been doubt about the degree of reliability of the model, and a benchmark model has been sought by the many practitioners. The objective of this study is to check the applicability of SINTACS model to domestic environment, which is the first attempt in Korea as far as authors understand. The comparative results show that the DRASTIC assessment underestimates groundwater vulnerability of the aquifers composed of fractured bedrocks while that from the SINTACS model is relatively higher. Through this study, it is expected that SINTACS model serves as a reasonable alternative of DRASTIC model where the subsurface is composed of more than two different media such as fractured rocks and alluvium.

Keywords: DRASTIC;SINTACS;Overlay-and-index;Groundwater;Vulnerability;