Water sampling from the MAR Infiltration Gallery.

Managed aquifer recharge: turning wastewater into a resource

Water for a Healthy Country Flagship scientists have conducted research into managed aquifer recharge to add recycled water to underground aquifers.

• 30 March 2010 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Project summary
• Project outcomes
• Future research
• Partners

Project summary

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) has been identified as a potential major water source for Western Australia for the future.

MAR involves adding a water source such as recycled water to underground aquifers under controlled conditions.

An A$3 million project has been investigating the different aquifers across the Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia that may be used for MAR schemes.

Research projects included:

• a three-year pilot research project trialling the infiltration of recycled water to the Superficial Aquifer in Perth, based at CSIRO’s Floreat headquarters and using infiltration galleries and treated wastewater supplied from the Water Corporation’s Subiaco Wastewater Treatment Plant
• associated research at the Halls Head wastewater treatment plant, investigating water quality improvements associated with using infiltration ponds and the feasibility of using covered infiltration galleries
• studying the impact of different recycled water qualities ranging from high quality, low salt water produced by the Kwinana Wastewater Reclamation Plant to secondary treated effluent on aquifer material sourced from the Gnangara Mound.
  Managed aquifer recharge has been identified as a potential major water source for Western Australia for the future.

Project outcomes

The research has helped define the appropriateness of aquifer recharge and pre-treatment requirements for MAR in the Superficial Aquifer in Western Australia.

Outcomes demonstrated that treated wastewater can be efficiently and sustainably recharged to the superficial aquifer in urban areas on the Swan Coastal Plain using infiltration galleries.

A comprehensive investigation of water quality during recharge and movement through the aquifer indicated that changes occurred for most of the tested analytes in the recharge water.

When introducing MAR in urban environments such as Perth, government regulators need to plan this very well. Research showed that the public values open and transparent communication and information.

Regulators also need to ensure that communities are involved in the decision making processes.

Project outcomes will enable government regulators to develop more rigorous guidelines and will advance water recycling as a reliable alternative for safe new supplies of water.

Future research

The project also identified a number of issues for consideration. Issues related to factors such as the initial design and set up of the MAR schemes and the understanding the reliability of the supply and the influence this may have on the day to day operation of the MAR scheme.

Further research is needed to test the robustness of the concept so it can achieve the maximum sustainability and optimum water quality improvements appropriate for different types of use.

Partners

The MAR project was a partnership between the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship and the Water Corporation in association with:

• Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia
• The University of Western Australia, Perth
• Chemistry Centre (WA), Perth,
• Centre for Groundwater Studies, Perth.

The project is supported by the Western Australian State Government through the Water Foundation.

Read more about Urban water: recycling and diversified supply.