What is aquifer replenishment? How does it work?
Aquifers are natural stores of water in the ground – between soil particles. Water from these aquifers is extracted for use when water is pumped from groundwater bores. Aquifers are naturally replenished through infiltration of rainfall and stormwater in stormwater infiltration basins. Artificial aquifer replenishment involves the injection through bores, or engineered infiltration of water to an aquifer. Any type of water can be used for injection or infiltration, but the quality of water when extracted must be appropriate for its end use. Given that wastewater is produced all year, it is a very reliable source of water, but its most appropriate use is for irrigation – that is only required in dry months. Therefore treated wastewater can be stored through aquifer replenishment in winter for summer extraction by groundwater bores. Surface drainage water produced in winter can also be recharged to an aquifer for storage for use in dry weather.
