With increasing abstraction for potable and industrial use, our nation’s groundwater is under more and more pressure. Water scarcity is a critical issue, and many of our aquifers are under significant stress. At the same time, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, and on the west coast and in our dry southwestern states flash flooding poses a significant risk to life and property. Artificial groundwater recharge techniques present an opportunity to replenish our aquifers and reduce the pressure on our nation’s water resources, drawing water away from the surface and infiltrating it where it’s most needed.
Our groundwater recharge solutions help engineers, architects, geotechnical professionals and contractors to plan, design, build and maintain stormwater management systems that replenish aquifers and protect homes, businesses and infrastructure from flooding.
Every site is different, and engineers, architects, and contractors must balance a range of factors to meet site-specific requirements and local regulations. The most important aspects to consider when designing and building a groundwater recharge system are:
Groundwater takes a long time to recharge via natural processes, with surface water taking decades or even centuries to reach deep-lying aquifers.
For sites that have to accommodate large volumes of surface water, storage volume is a critical factor. Not only does this help to move water away from the surface to reduce flood risk.
When dealing with larger volumes of precipitation, collection systems can quickly become overwhelmed and fail to achieve effective infiltration, making drawdown speed a fundamental need.
Some development sites experience space constraints, whether because of existing subsurface infrastructure or geological features. Where this is the case, a collection and infiltration system with a larger surface footprint or underground volume may be impractical.
Oldcastle Infrastructure’s suite of design tools streamlines your planning from concept to completion. Access user-friendly calculators, detailed product drawings, and specification tools that ensure accuracy, efficiency, and compliance, every step of the way.
When it comes to stormwater infrastructure, performance over time is just as critical as performance on day one. That’s why Oldcastle Infrastructure’s MaxWell® drywell system is supported by
As the commercial director for MaxWell® at Oldcastle Infrastructure, I’ve witnessed firsthand how infiltration has evolved from a niche strategy into a central pillar of
Redefining Stormwater Infiltration for a Changing World When we first conceptualized the MaxWell® product, our goal was clear: redefine what a stormwater infiltration system could
While groundwater recharge occurs naturally, as precipitation enters the natural environment and percolates down into the vadose zone, it is a slow process and it is not always sufficient to recharge water at the same rate at which it is lost through abstraction.
Artificial groundwater recharge is the practice of using engineered systems and technologies to collect, store and infiltrate precipitation, increasing the amount of water that is returned to aquifers.
The key to effective groundwater recharge is in optimizing the collection, storage and infiltration rates of a site or catchment area.
To improve collection, civil engineers and architects may modify the landscape to direct rain or snowmelt towards collection points. Features such as canals and swales may be effective to direct surface water toward collection points.
Site characteristics along with municipal or state stormwater management requirements will determine what type of collection, storage and infiltration technique is most appropriate for a given project.
Surface infiltration provides high-amenity collection for low flows, while shallow infiltration may be used to collect large volumes of water and either infiltrate it at the top of the water table or reuse it for local irrigation. The most effective form of groundwater recharge is deep infiltration, which collects high volumes of water rapidly and infiltrates it at depths of up to 120ft.
Infiltration speed and depth are dependent on the geology of a site: the permeability of the geology determines the infiltration rate, while some sites may have impermeable geological features that prevent the implementation of deep infiltration. However, in some cases these geological features may be misleading—the layer of impermeable rock may be very thin—so it’s imperative that geotechnical professionals conduct surveys at sufficient depths to determine whether or not deep infiltration is achievable.
Another restriction that sites may face is existing subsurface infrastructure. For retrofit projects or developments within an already built environment, underground pipes and other features might place space constraints on a groundwater recharge system. In these cases, a narrow-diameter, small-footprint collection, storage and infiltration technology may be used to “thread the needle” and infiltrate at depth.
The objective of groundwater recharge is to return water to aquifers to replenish depleted water supplies, but in reality this is only one side of the equation; on the other side is the rate at which water is being taken from the aquifer.
While it may be difficult or impossible to reduce demand in absolute terms, there are things that we can do to improve the efficiency of water abstracted for human use.
We can improve efficiency and overall demand through implementing harvesting, recycling and reuse systems, for example, or by identifying and fixing the leaks that exist within our water infrastructure.
While aquifers are pressured across the US—due to drought and climate conditions, combined with increased abstraction and demand—states in the southwest and on the west coast are experiencing particular groundwater stresses.
Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, California, Oregon and Washington are all experiencing significant levels of groundwater depletion, so it is these states that can most benefit from implementing effective groundwater recharge systems and techniques.
A key factor in effectively recharging groundwater is the collection and storage of surface water prior to infiltration. All groundwater recharge techniques, whether natural or engineered, involve transferring water from the surface into the water table.
An associated benefit of groundwater recharge, therefore, is in reducing the impact and minimizing the damage associated with flooding.
Engineered systems in particular may be designed with high drawdown speeds and large underground storage capacities, making them extremely effective at mitigating flood risk in areas with poor natural drainage, large areas of impermeable surfaces, or climates where extreme weather events are common.
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