Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) involves the intentional recharge of water to aquifers for subsequent recovery or for environmental benefits. It is an increasingly common water resources management strategy but, despite its use for many decades, is unfamiliar to many. This lack of widespread understanding makes it essential that MAR projects are developed using a systematic, comprehensive and transparent approach. This paper outlines a proven and successful approach to planning and developing MAR projects. The process includes three steps, consisting of developing project objectives, developing evaluation criteria for potential MAR projects, and, after collecting and evaluating pertinent data, ranking potential projects against those criteria. Project objectives help define the data that should be collected and the evaluation criteria that are relevant to consider. Commonly used criteria include those relating to water supply, aquifer restoration, water quality and environmental protection. Key evaluation criteria that are discussed in more detail include the availability of water that would be used for recharge, the suitability of receiving aquifers to accept and retain the recharged water, and the compatibility of recharged water with the aquifer into which it is placed. Potential MAR projects can be ranked objectively by quantifying the evaluation criteria and assigning ranking scores to them. The potential project that best meets the project objectives will score the most favorably. Using a quantitative and objective process to evaluate and rank potential projects will increase support by project stakeholders and increase the likelihood that the project will be successful.
Climate change poses multiple challenges to water resources and wastewater management. Changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather and even the regular precipitation patterns, as well as sea level rise, are serious issues for water resources, stormwater infrastructure, floodplain development, and wastewater management. Changing weather patterns will impact the way local governments manage water resources, land use, flood control, agriculture, fisheries, disaster planning, and many other issues of economic importance. This paper explores the science available for more proactive resources and infrastructure management, and provides some real-world solutions to these challenges through case studies in climate adaptation planning for water and wastewater management. Three important learning objectives are addressed in this paper: understand the range and significance of challenges to water resources, wastewater management, and infrastructure posed by climate change; become familiar with sources of relevant scientific data to support decision making, planning, and policy development; and learn from examples implemented by local governments how to address these challenges.
Agricultural, rural residential, and pastoral land uses give rise to separate impacts on water quality in receiving surface or groundwater systems through leachate percolation and recharge to shallow groundwater systems and the streams into which they discharge. Land use planners can benefit from a rapid method to evaluate water quality impacts due to these land uses. A method was developed to quickly and effectively assess the nitrate loading rates from surface application of fertilizer and from septic systems into local groundwater and surface water bodies. A range of expected loading rates can be used to assess the resulting groundwater and surface water nitrate concentrations from proposed development densities and land uses.The methodology incorporates a water balance model to determine groundwater recharge based on local climate and soils conditions. A nitrate concentration in the aquifer recharge is computed using a mass balance approach that incorporates loading rates from the surface infiltration and septic system inputs of nitrate. A leachate/groundwater mixing model is then used to compute the resultant groundwater concentration from recharge of nitrate-containing leachate and from background nitrate conditions. In cases where groundwater discharges to surface water bodies, a groundwater/surface water mixing model is used to compute river or lake nitrate concentrations. The mass balance and mixing models are developed and implemented in a spreadsheet software package to provide a simple yet robust means to assess potential groundwater and surface water nitrate concentrations due to a range of loading rates.This method was applied to a case study in central Minnesota to identify the acceptable housing densities being considered for new development that would meet state and federal water quality criteria for nitrate in the receiving waters. The effects of housing density were evaluated for two target populations: one home per two acres and one home per ten acres. Nitrate loading was calculated for a range of wastewater loading rates, agricultural nitrate loading rates, precipitation-based recharge, and soil denitrification rates. The analysis tool also was used to identify an acceptable housing density based on specified soil, recharge and wastewater loading characteristics for a potential housing development. KEYWORDSNitrate loading, water quality, land use, groundwater. 5751 WEFTEC®.07
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