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Recovery of Injected Freshwater from a Brackish Aquifer with a Multiwell System
Author(s) -
Miotliński Konrad,
Dillon Peter J.,
Pavelic Paul,
Barry Karen,
Kremer Sarah
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/gwat.12089
Subject(s) - aquifer , brackish water , groundwater recharge , water quality , hydrology (agriculture) , residence time (fluid dynamics) , environmental science , specific storage , groundwater , geology , salinity , petroleum engineering , geotechnical engineering , ecology , oceanography , biology
Herein we propose a multiple injection and recovery well system strategically operated for freshwater storage in a brackish aquifer. With the system we call aquifer storage transfer and recovery ( ASTR ) by using four injection and two production wells, we are capable of achieving both high recovery efficiency of injected freshwater and attenuation of contaminants through adequately long residence times and travel distances within the aquifer. The usual aquifer storage and recovery ( ASR ) scheme, in which a single well is used for injection and recovery, does not warrant consistent treatment of injected water due to the shorter minimum residence times and travel distances. We tested the design and operation of the system over 3 years in a layered heterogeneous limestone aquifer in Salisbury, South Australia. We demonstrate how a combination of detailed aquifer characterization and solute transport modeling can be used to maintain acceptable salinity of recovered water for its intended use along with natural treatment of recharge water. ASTR can be used to reduce treatment costs and take advantage of aquifers with impaired water quality that might locally not be otherwise beneficially used.