Potential of Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) for a climate-proof irrigation water supply

Potential of Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) for a climate-proof irrigation water supply

Koen Zuurbier, Marcel Paalman

KWR Watercycle Research Institute

Bodem Breed, 29 november 2011

Session 5.3: Hydrology of the soil and physical aspects of groundwater

I. Knowledge for Climate…

• Development of knowledge and services that make the Netherlands climate proof

Fresh water supply:

• Develop robust, flexible and long-term solutions to bridge mismatch between fresh water demand and supply (quantity and salinity)

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Westland horticulture, 5% dry year

Water demand (1000 m3) Precipitation (1000 m3)

Water shortage (1000 m3)

Basins Shortage

II. Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR)

• Short-term storage (replacing normal basins / storage tanks);

• Seasonal storage: potential freshwater supply during summer droughts;

• Applied since 1983, ~ 100 systems installed.

• Successful in Bleiswijk region (Z-H) (‘Oostland’)

III. No guarantee for freshwater recovery

Early salinization of wells caused by

• Mixing

• Lateral groundwater flow

• Buoyancy / density-driven flow in brackish – saline groundwater

What is controlling Recovery Efficiency (RE)?

Controlling factors:

• Geological (aquifer thickness, hydr. conductivity, anisotropy)

• Hydrological/hydrochemical (hydr. gradient, salinity)

• Operational scheme (pumping rate and duration injection, storage and recovery)

Ÿ

Ÿ

Salinity (mg/l Cl)

Aquifer Thickness (m)Aquifer Hydraulic Conductivity (m/d)

Hydraulic gradient (m/m)

Anisotropy (-)Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ Pumping rate (m/d)Operational scheme

3Ÿ

III. No guarantee for freshwater recovery

What is the potential of this technique in Hotspot Haaglanden?

IV. Methods

Thickness

Hydr. conductivity

Chloride (mg/l)

RASR <0.1: good performance

0.1<RASR <10: uncertain

RASR>10: no recovery

Maximal RESum factor Rasr (-), indicative

Buoyancy without lateral flow, isotropy no mixing

Buoyancy and lateral flow, no mixing

Bakker (2010): BAKWard et al. (2009): WEA

RE

GIS

II.1O

ude E

ssink

et a

l. (20

10)

Greenhouses, groundwater pressure heads and 8 existing ASR systems in the hotspot Haaglanden

A: Performance estimation tools

B: Input (aquifer 1, GIS)

V. Results

• Large spatial variations in analyzed areas

• Always some freshwater recoverable, most in central Eastland (RASR <0.5, RE: 40

– 90 %)

• Less suitable ASR condition in the Westland area (RASR>0.5, RE: 5 – 70%)

Ward et al. (2009): indicative performance under lateral flow and buoyancy

Bakker (2010): exact RE under buoyancy only

Lower aquitard absent

Plume distortion

(Ceric and Haitjema, 2005)

Q=500 m3/d, tin=trec=120 d, tstor= 0 d

V. Results

Comparing both methods and 8 existing ASR systems

Still large uncertainties in Ward et al (2009), results Bakker (2010) reasonably match the existing systems

VI. Discussion, conclusions

• A first regional ASR performance estimation shows large variations

• ASR may only be successful in designated areas

• Further knowledge on bounding aquitards required (hydr. resistance)

• Effect of engineering solutions like skimmer wells, freshkeeper…

What is the potential of this technique in Hotspot Haaglanden?

End of presentation

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