Water Harvesting

for Groundwater
Recharge
Is it effective?

ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE BASICS

1. Conserve and dispose of runoff and flood waters

2. Supplement the quantity of groundwater available
3. Reduce or eliminate decline in the water level of groundwater reservoirs
4. Reduce or balance salt water intrusion
5. Store water to reduce costs of pumping and piping

6. Store water in off-seasons for use during the growing seasons

7. Conserve energy in geothermal applications
8. Remove suspended solids by filtration through the ground

INTRODUCTIOIN

Water scarcity is becoming an increasing problem

worldwide.

35% of global land surface is semi-arid

In 1997 it was reported that 80% of countries

suffered from serious water shortage, which
encompasses 40% of the worlds population

Main reason due to a shift in water management

across the world.
Individuals/communities have given over the role of
water management to the State/Government.
Increasing exploitation of rivers and groundwater
these are now the key sources of water supply
across the world.
However, it is generally believed that enough
precipitation falls on the worlds land surfaces to
supply the global population.
Use of water harvesting to capture the water that
falls before it gets chance to be evaporated

WATER HARVESTING

Term was 1st used by the Australian HJ Geddes to

denote:
the collection and storage of any farm waters,
either runoff or creek flow, for irrigation use.

Idea has been around since early civilization,

beginning about 4000years ago in the Bronze Age

Desert dwellers smoothed hillsides to increase runoff and

built ditches to collect the water and convey it to lower
lying fields
Also included collection from rooftops and courtyards

There has been an increasing interest i the

redevelopment and implementation of water harvesting
systems, especially of water harvesting for
groundwater recharge
Groundwater is a more favourable source of water for
several reasons
It provides ready made storage reservoirs
It helps reduce the problems of evaporation
It protects against pollution due to the filtering
action of the aquifer
It helps keep saline waters from intruding
It helps convert/dispose of floodwaters
It helps to prevent subsidence of the ground above
the depleted aquifer

WATER HARVETSING TECHNIQUES FOR

GROUNDWATER RECHARGE

Artificial recharge of groundwater as define

by UNEP is
The planned human activity of augmenting
the amount of groundwater available
through the works designed to increase the
natural replenishment or percolation of
surface waters into the groundwater
system, resulting in a corresponding
increase the amount of groundwater
available for abstraction.

2 main techniques have been described for increasing

groundwater recharge in arid areas
The planting of trees
Estimates have been suggested that the planting
of trees can increase precipitation by over
300% and therefore more water is available for
recharge to the aquifer

The construction of water harvesting devices

Include the use of both floodwater and rainfall

Increasing surface runoff into storage/collection areas

by decreasing infiltration
Increasing infiltration into the aquifer along the route of
travel of surface water
Use of engineering structures to collect and pump the
water into the deep aquifer

Floodwater harvesting for groundwater

recharge
There are several methods by which floodwater
harvesting can be carried out for aquifer recharge
Check dams
Percolation tanks
Groundwater dams
These are amongst the cheapest and most widely
used methods for groundwater recharge for 2 main
reasons
Relatively low construction costs
Easy to operate and maintain

Check dams

Temporary structures constructed from locally

available material such as brushwood, loose rock or
woven wire
Aim to impede the soil and water removed from
the catchment the impeded water collects behind
the dam and infiltrates the soil, recharging the
aquifer
Cheap to construct costing approx. US $200-400
depending on the material used, size of the gully
and the height of the dam
Life span of 2-5 years
More permanent dams constructed using stones,
brick and cement, but costs increase to US
$1000-2000

Percolation tanks
This is a dam built on permeable ground so that
floodwater is held back long enough to percolate
into the ground
More permanent and larger than check dams
Constructed by excavating a depression to form a
small reservoir or by constructing an embankment
in a natural ravine or gully
Cost is estimated to be approx. US $5,00010,000
Capacity varies from 10,000-15,000m3
2-3 filling expected per wet season (30,00045,000m3)

Enough to irrigate 4-6 ha of irrigated dry crop (maize)

and 2-3 ha of paddy crop

Groundwater dams
Structures that intercept or obstruct the
natural flow of groundwater
Often built within river beds to obstruct
and detain groundwater flow so as to
sustain the storage capacity of the aquifer
and meet demands during high periods
Used in many areas such as India, Africa
and Brazil
2 main types

Sub-surface dam
Sand storage/silt trapping dams

Sub-surface dam

Constructed within the aquifer itself

Dam reduces variation of the level of the
groundwater upstream

Sand storage dam

Constructed above ground

Sand and silt particles transported in floodwater
and get deposited behind the dam
Constructed in layers to trap the sand with each
flood

Important considerations

Material used must be impermeable for the

permanent structures
Dam must be strong enough to withstand the build
up of the sediment behind it
Aquifer should be confined beneath to prevent
seepage

Bitumen/plastic lining

Rainwater harvesting for groundwater

recharge

More related to the micro-catchment

Roofs
Artificial surfaces at ground level e.g.
courtyards
Slopes less than 50-150m in length
Contour trenches
Excavations made parallel to contours on slopes
Rainwater ponds and infiltrate
Helps to prevent eroding soil migrating downslope
Gully plugs
Stone barriers built across gullies and deep rills
Traps sediment eroded from higher up slope and
impound runoff encourage encouraging
infiltration

Rooftop harvesting

Can be adopted by individuals

Relatively easy to construct, operate and
maintain
Several techniques in use

Abandoned dug well

Abandoned/running hand pump
Gravity head recharge
Recharge pit

Recharge by injection well

Direct sub-surface recharge technique conveying

water directly into the aquifer
Can be used in conjunction with rooftop
harvesting
Concerns that groundwater may get
contaminated
Potential for clogging from suspended solid,
biological activity or chemical impurities
Expensive to construct and harder to maintain
and operate than the other methods

Is water harvesting for groundwater recharge

effective?
Important initial considerations
Only suitable for areas where aquifers exist
Simpler with unconfined aquifers
Thorough survey of the area is necessary

Climatic records (ppt, humidity, evaporation rates)

Topographical maps (drainage networks, ephemeral
streams)
Soil data (type, distribution and thickness)
Distribution of rock types, esp. surface features
Definition of pore networks
Recognition of recharge/discharge areas, direction of
groundwater flow

Once a suitable site has been found

Essential to involve the local community

Once the structure has been built

Important that the system is managed properly

Unnecessary consumption of water

Groups of locals need to be put in charge of the

system

Ensure adequate distribution amongst the villagers

Poor farmers/owners of small farms

Potential problems

Contamination from direct injection

Contaminate water already stored in the aquifer

Lower the value of the water (drinking water)

Water quality problems from rooftop harvesting

Dust/faeces washed off the roof

Large evaporative losses

Silting

politics

SUMMARY

Many potential problems

If planned and managed properly can be a great

success

More effective for shallow aquifers

More accessible for farmers

Cheaper to extract the water
Recharged more effectively with little high-tech
equipment