ABSTRACT
An essential prerequisite for aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) of stormwater and reclaimed water is to ensure environmental protection from such operations. A set of guidelines was produced in Australia in 1996, based on a review of ASR international experience and guidelines, and reviews of source water quality and passive treatment processes (Dillon and Pavelic, 1996). Laboratory and field studies on in-aquifer physical and biogeochemical processes affecting the chemical and microbial composition of groundwater and the recovered water, and the hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer were also performed. These provided a sound basis for determining the quality of water for injection, and the means of preventing irreversible clogging of wells. Unlike other guidelines, these allow for a range of beneficial uses of recovered water and take into account the sustainable attenuation of injected contaminants within the aquifer. These guidelines have provided a basis for EPA Policies and Codes of Practice for use by regulators, proponents, and operators of such systems. These have in turn acted as a stimulus for appropriate ASR development in this semi-arid area.
