What impact does ATES have on quality of groundwater?
HEAT EXCHANGERS are used to protect groundwater from exposure to contaminants or unfavorable conditions. The system is designed to prevent exposure of the groundwater to the atmosphere because naturally occurring dissolved gases would be released from the groundwater. The only change to the groundwater is in its temperature, which is lowered to 41 degrees F. What about quantity of groundwater? ATES does not consume any groundwater. All the water that is withdrawn is returned to the same aquifer. Why doesn’t the chilled water go away between winter and summer? Water in the Cohansey aquifer moves very, very slowly, so at least 90% of the cold can be recovered. The aquifer was carefully evaluated to determine its suitability for this project. What permits and approvals were required for this project? This project was carefully reviewed by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (Bureau of Water Allocation), the NJ Pinelands Commission and the NJ Department of Community Affairs. What
