Water recycling via managed aquifer recharge in Australia

The number of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) projects has been increasing in Australia in recent years, partly as a response to drought and growing urban populations. Applications have largely been in cities with recycling of reclaimed water and stormwater via aquifers for urban irrigation, toilet flushing and industrial use. Drinking water supplies are now beginning to be developed using these same methods. In rural areas river water and reclaimed water have also been stored in aquifers during the wet season to supply irrigation water in the dry season. To facilitate these various developments, national guidelines for managed aquifer recharge have been developed, along with discussion papers dealing with economic and policy aspects. Even so, there are still challenges in integrating managed aquifer recharge into urban water planning and infrastructure, and in determining its effective use in groundwater resources management particularly for depleting systems. This paper will describe some of the interesting developments and the information available to assist proponents and regulators of MAR projects.