ABCWUA Aquifer Storage and Recovery

The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) is implementing aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) projects for conjunctive management of surface water and groundwater resources using treated San Juan-Chama water diverted from the Rio Grande. The purpose is to recharge the Santa Fe Group aquifer system of the Middle Rio Grande Basin and to recover the water for later use.

Following successful implementation of a demonstration project using instream infiltration at Bear Canyon in 2008 and 2009, the full-scale project has been permitted by the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer. The first recharge event under the full-scale permit occurred in November 2014–March 2015, and the project will now be operated on an ongoing basis, with up to 3,000 acre-feet of water being recharged during winter months. Water is discharged into Bear Canyon arroyo and infiltrates through approximately 500 feet of unsaturated material (vadose zone) before reaching the aquifer.

The Water Authority is also working to develop additional recharge projects, including the Large-Scale ASR Project, which will establish a long-term drought reserve using treated surface water from the Water Authority’s drinking water treatment plant (DWTP). This project includes recharge demonstration using vadose zone and ASR wells at the DWTP. This presentation will provide an overview of the Water Authority’s ASR project operations and future plans.