Water Use and Reuse Stream Projects
Premier's Water Foundation MAR
project - Determining requirements for
managed aquifer recharge in Western Australia
CSIRO site,
Floreat, WA
Introduction
Pilot scale infiltration galleries with
reclaimed water are being trialled in Perth,
Western Australia to investigate improvements
in water quality and optimal design and
performance criteria. The galleries are
covered engineered structures that facilitate
the infiltration of water into the soil.
The study area is located on the Oval at
the CSIRO Centre for Environment and Life
Sciences site in Floreat near the Subiaco
Wastewater Treatment plant. Water quality
improvements are anticipated in the unsaturated
section of the Superficial aquifer, one
of the major regional aquifers on the Swan
Coastal Plain, which will likely be targeted
for other managed aquifer recharge projects
in the Perth Region. Preliminary work has
been undertaken to characterise the hydrogeology
and hydrochemistry of the field site.
Objectives/Scope
Our goal is to provide research outcomes
that underpin recycled water schemes involving
aquifer replenishment technology. Specifically
we aim to identify and resolve operational
issues with infiltration methods and to
inform human health- and environmental
health risk assessment, accounting for
attenuation of pathogens and pollutants
during infiltration and storage.
Activities
- Hydrogeological characterisation, including
estimation of aquifer properties from
sediment core analyses
- Installation of piezometers and analyses
of background groundwater hydrochemistry
and microbial activity
- Tracer tests and calibration of groundwater
flow and transport model
- Microbial pathogen survival experiments
with flow-through chambers in the piezometers
- Installation of infiltration galleries
and connection pipes to the wastewater
treatment plant
- Experimental trials to test the infiltration
performance of the galleries
- Ongoing monitoring of the treatment
system and water quality improvements
Key Staff
Simon
Toze, Elise
Bekele, Jatinder
Sidhu, Jeannette Ruemmler (student
trainee from May–November 2004)
Partners
Water
Corporation in Western Australia,
Curtin University, University of Western
Australia, Chemistry Centre WA and
Centre for Ground Water Studies
Timeline
2005-2008
Figure 1: Design
plans for the covered infiltration galleries
to be located at the CSIRO Laboratory
in Floreat, Western Australia
Figure 2: Installation of the covered
infiltration galleries in January 2005
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