Small scale aquifer storage and recovery - A case study from England and implications for wider development

Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) is a water resource management technique that is growing in popularity around the world, particularly for municipal or public water supply. A number of schemes have been developed in the UK for agricultural irrigation. The schemes demonstrate that the technique is feasible for smaller scale operations supplying 150 000 - 200 000 m(3)/year. The success of these smaller scale schemes has implications for the use of ASR techniques in the management of water resources in other situations such as tourist centres, mineral exploitation sites and remote villages or towns. In order to develop small scale schemes, the health, economic and development benefits must be judged against over cautious aquifer protection.