Clogging issues with aquifer storage and recovery of reclaimed water in the brackish werribee aquifer, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

As part of an integrated water-cycle management strategy, City West Water (CWW) is conducting research to develop an aquifer storage recovery (ASR) scheme utilizing recycled water. In this contribution, we address the risk of well clogging based on two ASR bore pilots, each with intensive monitoring. Well clogging is a critical aspect of the strategy due to a projected high injection rate, a high clogging potential of recycled water, and a small diameter injection borehole. Microscopic and geochemical analysis of suspended solids in the injectant and backflushed water, demonstrate a significant contribution of diatoms, algae and colloidal or precipitating Fe(OH)₃, Al(OH)₃ and MnO₂. CWW is, therefore, testing additional prefiltration that includes a 20 μm spin Klin disc and 1-5 μm bag filter operating in series. In this paper, we present optimized methods to (i) detect the contribution of the injectant and aquifer particles to total suspended solids in backflushed water by hydrogeochemical analysis; and (ii) predict and reduce the risk of physical and biological clogging, by combination of the membrane filter index (MFI) method of Buik and Willemsen, a modification of the total suspended solids method of Bichara and an amendment of the exponential bacterial growth method of Huisman and Olsthoorn.