Atrium Lobby (Hyatt Regency Baltimore on the Inner Harbor)
Temporal and spatial disparity of water supply and demand is one of the main problems being faced by water managers. Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) systems utilize wells to store water into an aquifer, which can be recovered at a later time. The main concerns associated with the operation of an ASR system are developing an operational policy, minimizing impacts on nearby wells, and avoiding degradation of native groundwater quality. This work focuses on characterizing the effects of mixing municipal drinking water and groundwater as a result of ASR operations. The USGS software program PHREEQC was used to determine the speciation as well as the precipitation and dissolution of chemical species and minerals. A case study was performed for the Gulf Coast aquifer in the Corpus Christi ASR Ground Water Conservation District (CCASR) area. Water quality data from wells in Nueces and San Patricio Counties in Texas in conjunction with information of drinking water from the City of Corpus Christi were analyzed to determine the impacts of various levels of mixing likely to be encountered in the proposed ASR operations at different locations within the study area. Preliminary results showed a ~2.6 increase of major cations (Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, and Potassium) in the mixed water and an increase 3.6% of major anions (bicarbonate and chloride). Results of speciation and geochemical interactions will be presented for different locations within the study area. The significance of this work is that it serves to identify possible locations for ASR operations. This study also provides information of species that may be problematic if dissolved in large quantities such as arsenic and uranium. Additionally, the methodology presented can assist water resource planners in estimating the economical feasibility of ASR operations as it provides a framework for determining if additional treatment of extracted water is needed.
