Lessons Learned from Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Systems in the United States

Frederick Bloetscher^1*, Chi Ho Sham², Joseph J. Danko III³, Samuel Ratick⁴

¹Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, USA.
²The Cadmus Group, Inc., Waltham, USA.
³University of Connecticut, Mansfield, USA.
⁴Clark University, Worcester, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/jwarp.2014.617146                

Abstract

This paper is the result of a survey and analyses of available data from 204 Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) sites in the United States. This ASR site survey included all active and inactive sites and collected both operational and construction details. The inactive sites are of particular interest here because these are the projects from which valuable lessons can often be learned. The intent of this paper is to examine the reasons for those projects that are terminated. Statistical analyses indicated that there were factors associated with terminated ASR projects: general geographic location (e.g., region), operational issue, storage cycle, casing material, and injection formation. The injection formation involves local geology and aquifer characteristics (i.e., whether the aquifer is leaky and/or unconfined, and if water can be displaced to surface water bodies or adjacent aquifers). Operational problems associated with inactive projects include well clogging, metals mobilization, a low percentage of recovery for injected water, and disinfection byproducts in the recovered water.

Keywords

Aquifer Storage and Recovery, Inactive, Clogging, Recovery

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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