New Watershare tools to assist in implementation of subsurface solutions for water management
Two new Watershare tools were launched this Wednesday at the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition in Tokyo. The tools help utilities in decision making, planning and implementation of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), managed aquifer recharge (MAR) and other subsurface water solutions. These solution help to preserve and enlarge our fresh groundwater resources, thereby securing the water supply, even in periods of prolonged droughts.
Klaasjan Raat (KWR) gave a brief introduction into the new SWS Design Toolbox and the SWS Knowledge Base. The design toolbox comprises of practical, step-by-step guides that facilitate the implementation of four types of subsurface water solutions: Freshkeeper, Freshmaker, ASR Coastal and ASR reuse. 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.
Practical experiences with subsurface water solutions have been collated in the Watershare SWS Knowledge Base: an online, flexible and adaptable platform to search for and share information. The knowledge base builds on the Reference Applications that have been setup and thoroughly tested by Watershare members and associated partners. One of the references is the Managed Aquifer Recharge and Reuse system of the Town of Atlantis, South Africa. During the tool launch, Shafick Adams (WRC) explained how this system has supplied the town of Atlantis with potable reuse water for over 40 years already.
The new Watershare tools have been developed within the EU Horizon 2020 project SUBSOL – bringing coastal SUBsurface water SOLutions to the market (http://www.subsol.org/). The Watershare community has now officially adopted the tools, encouraging dissemination, application and further development of the tools.
(Photo: Shafick Adams (WRC), Klaasjan Raat and Gerard van den Berg (KWR) celebrate the launch of the two new Watershare tools.)