Abstract
The recharge of non-potable water into a drinking water aquifer is one means to overcome decreasing groundwater supplies and maintain availability of these resources for current and future generations. However, health concerns exist regarding the use of waters of “impaired quality” such as reclaimed wastewater for aquifer recharge. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential risk to drinking water from the use of reclaimed water for recharge purposes using computational modeling with MODFLOW and MT3D groundwater transport simulation based on an actual situation using rotavirus as a surrogate. The results from the simulation showed that after seven months, the risk of contamination based on concentration contours from the injection well to the production wells was stabilized below 10-6.
Highlights
Surface waters supply the majority of people connected to water utilities, but these same surface waters are used many times over for water supplies, irrigation, industrial and waste disposal
The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential risk to drinking water from the use of reclaimed water for recharge purposes using computational modeling with MODFLOW and MT3D groundwater transport simulation based on an actual situation using rotavirus as a surrogate
The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential to develop risk contours for aquifer recharge programs using reclaimed water for aquifer recharge
Summary
Surface waters supply the majority of people connected to water utilities, but these same surface waters are used many times over for water supplies, irrigation, industrial and waste disposal. Groundwater resources are often thought of as being of higher quality than surface. These groundwater supplies have the benefits of being more drought resistant and more protected than surface waters, and as a result, they are easier to treat. Unlike surface waters that recharge with rain, many aquifers are confined from the surfaces and are far less responsive to precipitation.
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