Sixty years of global progress in managed aquifer recharge

Abstract

The last 60 years has seen unprecedented groundwater extraction and overdraft as well as development of new technologies for water treatment that together drive the advance in intentional groundwater replenishment known as managed aquifer recharge (MAR). This paper is the first known attempt to quantify the volume of MAR at global scale, and to illustrate the advancement of all the major types of MAR and relate these to research and regulatory advancements. Faced with changing climate and rising intensity of climate extremes, MAR is an increasingly important water management strategy, alongside demand management, to maintain, enhance and secure stressed groundwater systems and to protect and improve water quality. During this time, scientific research-on hydraulic design of facilities, tracer studies, managing clogging, recovery efficiency and water quality changes in aquifers-has underpinned practical improvements in MAR and has had broader benefits in hydrogeology. Recharge wells have greatly accelerated recharge, particularly in urban areas and for mine water management. In recent years, research into governance, operating practices, reliability, economics, risk assessment and public acceptance of MAR has been undertaken. Since the 1960s, implementation of MAR has accelerated at a rate of 5%/year, but is not keeping pace with increasing groundwater extraction. Currently, MAR has reached an estimated 10 km 3 /year,~2.4% of groundwater extraction in countries reporting MAR (or~1.0% of global groundwater extraction). MAR is likely to exceed 10% of global extraction, based on experience where MAR is more advanced, to sustain quantity, reliability and quality of water supplies. Keywords Managed aquifer recharge. Artificial recharge. Review. Water banking. History of hydrogeology This article is one of a series developed by the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) Commission on Managing Aquifer Recharge

Spatial Data Management and Numerical Modelling: Demonstrating the Application of the QGIS-Integrated FREEWAT Platform at 13 Case Studies for Tackling Groundwater Resource Management

“…In such cases, GWRM is of paramount importance to adequately plan the conjunctive use of ground-and surface-water. This is being recently assisted also through Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) solutions aimed at improving water quality, sustaining water demand during dry periods, and sustaining groundwater-dependent ecosystems [55][56][57]. This topic was treated at three case studies using FREEWAT in Slovenia, Czech Republic, and Turkey.…”

HESS Opinions: The Myth of Groundwater Sustainability in Asia

“…It is worthwhile to consider research to support those sustainability initiatives that are likely to be undertaken. For example, India appears poised to invest in traditional MAR schemes (Dillon et al, 2018). There are significant opportunities in reimagining this overall approach by adapting modern practices to the design and restoration of traditional water-harvesting 300 systems.…”

Water quality changes and organic matter removal using natural bank infiltration at a boreal lake in Finland

“…In enhanced infiltration, surface water from a lake or from a river is pumped and infiltrated in an aquifer by ponds, sprinklers, or injection wells; it is used at 39% of the active European MAR sites (Sprenger et al 2017). MAR has been in use for over two centuries in the USA and in Europe (Ray et al 2003;Schubert 2002;Sprenger et al 2017), and from 1965 to 2015, the MAR water production capacity worldwide has grown from 1 to 10 km 3 /year, currently the largest producer being India (Dillon et al 2019).…”

“…Managed aquifer recharge is primarily used for drinking water production, and it is often applied in combination with engineered pre-and post-treatments (e.g., Dillon et al 2019;Kuehn and Mueller 2000;Kurki et al 2013). Other uses are production of process water for industry, agricultural irrigation, water storage for dry seasons, mine water treatment, wastewater treatment, and urban storm water reuse (Dillon et al 2019;Kurki et al 2013). In drinking water production, MAR is used to remove suspended solids, particles, biodegradable compounds, bacteria, viruses and parasites (Hiscock and Grischenk 2002).…”

“…Recent research on MAR has concentrated on existing plants or on column tests simulating the MAR process (Dillon et al 2019); thus, the sustainability of MAR over a long time span is not known. In the long term, the essential question is how the capacity to remove organic matter evolves in the aquifer (Kurki et al 2013).…”