ECO RIPPLE

Global Examples of Managed Aquifer Recharge

Abu Dhabi UAE

MAR (Managed Aquifer Recharge) of the Al Dafrah Aquifer from a desalination plant

  • 300 recharge wells created to inject desalinated water into the Al Dafrah Aquifer
  • Recharge capacity of 26 million cubic meters of water, which is a 90 day  emergency Aquifer buffer storage for the Emirates of Abu Dhabi 
  • The desalination plant is located 160km away from the recharge site and the total managed aquifer recharge project has been constructed at a cost of approximately 350 – 500 million USD.
  • Project went onstream in Dec 2017 and was a joint effort by Rainer Consultancy and ACC-POSCO JV, with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and other entities overseeing the project.  

Perth, Australia

MAR (Managed Aquifer Recharge) through water water treatment.

  • Plant commissioned in 2017, in Craigie, Perth, Stage 2 commissioned in Aug 2022
  • Treats and recharges 28 billion litres/year.
  • Recharges one aquifer near the Recycling Plant and another 13 km away.
  • Recharge bores at Leedervilleare are between 200 to 500m deep.
  • Recharge bores at Yarragadee are between 700m to 1400m deep.
  • This project will create a net zero water balance for Perth by 2035.
  • The Phase 1 project cost was AU$ 128million and Phase 2 cost was AU$320 million.
  • The project was the work of Water Corporation, the WA Government-owned water, wastewater, and drainage services provider
Perth Waste Water Treatment Plant

ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA, USA

MAR (Managed Aquifer Recharge) through water water treatment.

  • Worlds largest waste water treatment plant (treats 130 MGPD), operational since 2008
  • The recharged groundwater basin provides 85% of the water supply for 19 cities and retail water districts in north and central Orange County, serving 2.5 million people.
  • Pumps 90 million gpd for Aquifer recharge at the basins at Anaheim and Orange.
  • Pumps 30 million gpd into Aquifers at Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley to create a seawater intrusion barrier
  • Pumps approx. 10 MGD are piped to the Mid-Basin injection wells in Santa Ana
  •  Estimated Project Cost 900 Million USD 
Orange County Water Treatment Plant