scholarly journals Agricultural managed aquifer recharge — water quality factors to consider

2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 144-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waterhouse Hannah ◽  
Bachand Sandra ◽  
Mountjoy Daniel ◽  
Choperena Joseph ◽  
Bachand Philip A.M. ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Managed Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Wine Grape ◽  
Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Quality Factors ◽  
Soil Permeability ◽  
Salt Leaching ◽  
Groundwater Overdraft ◽  
Irreversible Reduction ◽  
Almond Orchards

The resilience and productivity of California's agriculture is threatened by groundwater overdraft, reduction in aquifer water quality, increased land subsidence damage to infrastructure and an irreversible reduction in groundwater storage capacity. Intentionally flooding agricultural fields during winter — a practice referred to as agricultural managed aquifer recharge (AgMAR) — can help counteract overdraft. However, the potential for AgMAR to exacerbate nitrate/salt leaching and contamination of at-risk aquifers remains a critical concern. To quantify the risk of groundwater contamination with AgMAR, we took 30-foot-long soil cores in 12 almond orchards, processing tomato fields and wine grape vineyards on low- and high-permeability soils, measured nitrate and total dissolved solids concentrations and calculated stored nitrate-N. Wine grape vineyards on permeable soils had the least nitrate leaching risk observed. However, almond orchards and tomato fields could be leveraged for AgMAR if dedicated recharge sites were established and clean surface water used for recharge. Historical land use, current nitrogen management and soil permeability class are the main factors to consider before implementing AgMAR.

scholarly journals Surface Water Quality Regulation as a Driver for Groundwater Recharge

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nell Green Nylen
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Managed Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Nutrient Pollution ◽  
Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
Groundwater Overdraft ◽  
Quality Regulation

Water scarcity commonly motivates managed aquifer recharge projects, but other factors can motivate recharge efforts, including in relatively water-rich areas. Surface water quality regulation has been a major driving force behind a large-scale recharge project in development in Virginia’s Coastal Plain region, where nutrient pollution from agricultural and urban sources has degraded the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystems, leading state and federal regulators to require dischargers to reduce their nutrient contributions to the watershed over time. Hampton Roads Sanitation District is pursuing the Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow, an innovative, multi-benefit initiative designed to address both nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and regional groundwater overdraft in the Coastal Plain. When fully implemented, the initiative is expected to recharge approximately 100 million gallons per day of drinking-water quality, treated municipal wastewater into the Potomac Aquifer System through injection facilities located at five of the District’s wastewater treatment plants. As a result, the District expects to reduce its nutrient discharges from those plants by approximately 90%, enabling it to meet its own mandated nutrient limits while also generating nutrient credits that it can trade to other dischargers. Modeling suggests that the initiative will increase regional water pressure within the confined aquifer system, helping to combat groundwater overdraft and its negative impacts, including aquifer compaction and related land subsidence, falling water levels in wells, and saltwater intrusion. This case study provides insights into the influence of institutional context on managed aquifer recharge and on multi-benefit water resource projects more generally.

scholarly journals Comparative assessment of managed aquifer recharge versus constructed wetlands in managing chemical and microbial risks during wastewater reuse: a review

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Hamadeh ◽  
S. K. Sharma ◽  
G. Amy
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Constructed Wetlands ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Managed Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Water Recovery ◽  
Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Natural Treatment Systems ◽  
Natural Treatment ◽  
Pre Treatment

Constructed wetlands (CWs) and managed aquifer recharge (MAR) represent commonly used natural treatment systems for reclamation and reuse of wastewater. However, each of these technologies have some limitations with respect to removal of different contaminants. Combining these two technologies into a hybrid CW-MAR system will lead to synergy in terms of both water quality and costs. This promising technology will help in the reduction of bacteria and viruses, trace and heavy metals, organic micropollutants, and nutrients. Use of subsurface flow CWs as pre-treatment for MAR has multiple benefits: (i) it creates a barrier for different microbial and chemical pollutants, (ii) it reduces the residence time for water recovery, and (iii) it avoids clogging during MAR as CWs can remove suspended solids and enhance the reclaimed water quality. This paper analyzes the removal of different contaminants by CW and MAR systems based on a literature review. It is expected that a combination of these natural treatment systems (CWs and MAR) could become an attractive, efficient and cost-effective technology for water reclamation and reuse.

scholarly journals Microbial population changes during managed aquifer recharge (MAR)

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Simon Toze ◽  
Deborah Reed
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Population Structure ◽  
Microbial Population ◽  
Managed Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Quality Changes ◽  
Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Population Changes ◽  
Recycled Water ◽  
Microbial Population Dynamics

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is a technique that can be used to capture and store water in aquifers under managed conditions for later recovery and use for specific purposes. There is a need to predict water quality changes during MAR, particularly when recycled water is used as the recharged water. An understanding of the interaction between the geochemistry of the aquifer and the microbial population dynamics in the groundwater is important for understanding any water quality changes. A study was undertaken to monitor the changes in the microbial population and link this to changes in the geochemistry. The results obtained showed that the recharge of recycled water to aquifers causes a change in microbial population structure which has direct links to corresponding changes in geochemistry.

Managed aquifer recharge: state-of-the-art and opportunities

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 578-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G. Maliva
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Managed Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Aquifer Characterization ◽  
Modeling Methods ◽  
Local Solutions

The performance of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) systems is highly dependent upon local hydrogeology, which controls the movement and mixing of stored water and fluid–rock interactions, which can impact recharged water quality. The leading edge of MAR technology is the integration of data obtained using conventional and advanced aquifer characterization technologies into groundwater models that have improved predictive capabilities. Borehole and surface geophysical technologies and geostatistical and stochastic modeling methods, in particular, offer opportunities for improved aquifer characterization and modeling. The objective is to develop more accurate groundwater models that can be used as site-screening tools to identify locations and aquifers that have the greatest potential for successful implementation of MAR and to evaluate various design and operational options to find optimal local solutions.

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