Numerical assessment of ASR recharge using small-diameter wells and surface basins

- Small-diameter direct-push (DP) wells are a viable ASR recharge approach.
- Two 0.05-m shallow vadose-zone wells have a larger recharge rate than a 60 m2 basin.
- Near-surface, low K-layers have a small impact on the well recharge capacity.
- DP well has a strong dependence on the horizontal component of hydraulic conductivity.

SummaryAquifer storage and recovery (ASR) methods are increasingly used to overcome the temporal imbalance between water demand and availability. Common ASR recharge methods utilize large-diameter injection wells or surface infiltration basins and trenches, and can be costly to implement. A new low-cost ASR recharge method is currently being developed. This approach is based on recharge via gravity in small-diameter wells installed with direct-push (DP) technology. Numerical modeling is used here to assess the potential of this new approach under conditions commonly faced in field settings. The primary objective is to investigate if a battery of small-diameter DP wells can serve as a viable alternative to a surface basin under typical field conditions, while the secondary objective is to assess which subsurface parameters have the greatest control on DP well performance. Simulation results indicate that gravity recharge via small-diameter wells appears to have a distinct advantage over recharge via surface infiltration basins. For example, two 0.05-m shallow vadose-zone wells with 9-m screens can recharge water at a greater rate than a 60 m2 basin. Also, results reveal that, contrary to an infiltration basin, the recharge rate in a DP well has a much stronger dependence on the horizontal component of hydraulic conductivity than on the vertical component. Moreover, near-surface layers of low hydraulic conductivity, which can significantly reduce the recharge capacity of a surface basin, have a relatively small impact on the recharge capacity of a well as long as a significant portion of the well screen is installed below those layers. Given that installation and operation costs can be low in comparison to common ASR recharge methods, this new approach appears to have great potential for recharging good quality water in shallow unconsolidated aquifers. A field investigation has recently been initiated to follow up the findings of this simulation assessment.