The Role of Temporary Groundwater Control Recharge Systems in Water Conservation

The conservation of water is a prominent issue of geoethics and is becoming increasingly important due to widespread groundwater quality and quantity deterioration in a number of regions worldwide. This deterioration in groundwater quality and quantity is often caused by over-abstraction from aquifers and has resulted in global groundwater resource sustainability concerns. Construction groundwater control operations are usually temporary in nature; however, the impacts of these operations on groundwater resources and water conservation can be significant. This is especially true when temporary groundwater control operations are required in areas where groundwater resources are already strained. In the light of the water conservation issues faced, groundwater control recharge systems are increasingly being designed and implemented in order to mitigate the impact of temporary groundwater abstraction on groundwater resources. Where used, these systems (i) reduce the net abstraction of the temporary groundwater control and (ii) provide an alternative approach to the conventional means of groundwater discharge (i.e. discharge to watercourse or sewer, etc.). This paper discusses the principle of utilizing temporary groundwater control recharge systems as a means of water conservation along with their advantages and disadvantages. A recent case study from the UK is also presented.