DEEP-WELL INFILTRATION IN THE NORTH-HOLLAND DUNE AREA

Abstract

ABSTRACT The policy of the National Government concerning dune management in the Netherlands on behalf of the natural environment is constraining waterworks located in the dunes on the North Sea coast. Expansion of existing artificial recharge systems, mostly ponds and open canals, in which importedpre-treated surface water is infiltrated (injected) for the sake of providing a reliable drinking water supply in the province of North-Holland, will no longer be possible. Because of this, many experiments have been performed to provide a substitute with the same level of drinking water supply recharge performance without the negative environmental impacts. Deep-well infiltration is now generally considered to be the hope for the future expansion of artificial groundwater recharge within or outside the dunes. The Provincial Waterworks of North-Holland are constructing a pilot plant with a capacity of 5 million m3/a to prove its reliability and, moreover, its capability to fit into the plans for development as natural as possible for this region. This paper presents in a nutshell the events leading to this new system of artificial recharge; an overall look at the preliminary investigations, and an impression of the main issues for actual engineering.