Securing freshwater for drinking water, industry and agriculture requires innovative thinking in the management of water resources, including our resources underground. The applicability of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), managed aquifer recharge (MAR) and other subsurface water solutions has increased dramatically over the last few years thanks to innovations in pre-treatment, water well design, and groundwater modelling and management – all verified in recent pilots and full-scale applications.

Experiences from these Reference Applications have been collated in the Watershare SWS Design Toolbox. It constitutes practical, step-by-step  guides and tools that facilitate the implementation of four types of subsurface water solutions: Freshkeeper, Freshmaker, ASR Coastal and ASR reuse. The design toolbox is meant for freshwater end users (drinking water, industry, agriculture ), engineering companies, technology providers, and other practitioners. It assists in the identification of available options for SWS implementation, understanding of their key characteristics, and communication with policy makers and regulators to identify and address regulatory issues and potential barriers.

The SWS Design Toolbox has been developed as part of the European Horizon 2020 project SUBSOL (2015 - 2018), , and has been adopted by Watershare.

How does it work?

The user is guided through a checklist of activities and data requirements for the implementation of a specific SWS concept at the location of interest. A supplemented Microsoft Excel Tool allows to study the actual technical feasibility of a specific SWS concept at the location of interest, based on the water balance and geohydrology that are specified by the user. The initial appropriate design, operational parameters, and costs involved for a specific SWS concept are estimated based on this information. In addition, the reader is guided through the risk assessment and processes of permitting and compliance.

Process scheme for the ASR-Coastal implementation. The left side of the figure compiles the necessary steps to reach a decision regarding the implementation of the ASR-Coastal concept. The right part of the figure indicates for which steps the ASR-Coastal Tool is required alongside this Technological and Economical guide.

Acknowledgements

The SUBSOL project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 642228