View Technical Program - Levant Desalination Association

AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY OF RECLAIMED WATER:
THE USE OF UNDERGROUND STORAGE TO FACILITATE WATER
CONSERVATION AND REUSE
Thomas M. Missimer* and Robert G. Maliva
Water Resources Sector Leader - Schlumberger Water Services -USA
REF# IDA_DM2010-Missimer
ABSTRACT
Water use is rapidly rising in the Middle East region as population and land use
changes occur. It is now extremely important to invoke the integrated management
of all water sources, including desalted water, storm water, and reclaimed water from
the treatment of domestic (treated sewage effluent) and industrial wastewaters.
Since the cost of desalination is quite high, it is economically significant to reuse as
much treated sewage effluent (TSE) as possible.
Efficient reuse of TSE commonly requires that some type of storage infrastructure
must be constructed so that the water can be used as needed or more efficiently
without discharge to tidal waters. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is a proven
method of storing TSE underground during peak production periods and recovering
it during peak demand periods. The goal should be to reuse all of the TSE for
beneficial purposes, such as irrigation of ornamental vegetation, landscape plants,
and certain types of fruit trees and crops. There is no current suggestion to use
reclaimed water directly for potable supply, although the technologies exist to purify
this water to the highest degree.
ASR has been used to store and recovery TSE at many locations around the world.
A good example of this concept is the facility at Destin, Florida. Destin is located
along the northwest Florida coast and lies on an environmentally sensitive barrier
island. Destin has a very active TSE reuse program, but produces too much TSE at
specific times of the year. The existing surface reservoirs and percolation ponds have
insufficient volume to meet the seasonal storage requirements. Therefore, Destin
had the need to either add more percolation ponds or reservoirs or use another
method to effectively store the reclaimed water or discharge the water to tidal water.
Discharge of TSE into the sensitive marine environment would produce undesirable
environmental impacts and would waste a quite valuable resource. Therefore, they
initiated an ASR program was initiated to store TSE in a shallow aquifer during peak
production periods. There is a legal prohibition against the development of private
wells in the shallow aquifer in the City of Destin, so there is no possibility that the
reclaimed water ASR system would result in the consumption of the storedwater by
humans. The combination of the ASR and wells used for irrigation by the residents
produces a very economical irrigation water supply, reduces any potential adverse
environmental impacts of a surface discharge, and conserves a valuable resource.
Another added benefit is that Destin does not have to develop a new potable water
supply to meet irrigation demands taken for the potable water distribution system.
Water Reuse and Desalination: Experience and Opportunity
TECHNICAL PROGRAM 25