Managed Aquifer Recharge: Assessing the Risks of Recharging Regenerated Water (MarAdentro) – MARadentro
Severe shortage in good quality water reserves is a global problem that will increase with a growing world population. Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) will contribute to replenish depleted aquifers and restore ecological services in fresh water ecosystems. However, risks associated to the occurrence of pathogens and anthropogenic emerging pollutants in groundwater have led to question the reuse of reclaimed water for MAR. MARadentro aims to assess and minimize these risks, and to increase the benefits of MAR guaranteeing human health and environment protection through the development of affordable and effective permeable reactive layers. These integrate biotic and abiotic processes to enhance pathogen retention and inactivation and pollutant adsorption and degradation by making available a broad range of sorption sites and a sequence of redox states. The applicability of the proposed MAR layers will be validated by upscaling from lab and pilot experiments to field scale studies. Transport modelling, risk assessment, economic balance and establishment of recommendations to stakeholders and authorities in the water sector will guarantee the smooth implementation of this MAR concept and the positive public response to water reuse. The transfer of the knowledge gathered in MARadentro to policy makers will help in EU regulation on MAR.
Project coordination
Sylvia DIAZ-CRUZ (Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas)
The author of this summary is the project coordinator, who is responsible for the content of this summary. The ANR declines any responsibility as for its contents.
Partner
UPC Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña
CSIC Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
CNR-IRSA Centre Nationale pour le Recherche
SLU Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
GEOSCIENCES MONTP. Géosciences Montpellier
AQUALIA Aqualia Gestion Integral del Agua SA
Help of the ANR 222,570 euros
Beginning and duration of the scientific project:
April 2019
- 36 Months