Services
Managed Recharge is proud to provide high-quality hydrogeological consulting services to a wide range of clients across a broad range of settings.
In relation to managed aquifer recharge (MAR), relevant State and National Guidelines adopt a risk-management approach and recommend projects be established in stages. Our staff are experienced in all aspects of development, implementation, management, and review of MAR and reinjection schemes and can pick up a project at any stage.
Stage 1 - Desktop Feasibility Assessment
High level assessment of viability. Services include:
- Liaison with clients and regulators
- Desk-top review, including literature review and information gap analysis
- Collation and assessment of data, usually provided by client or publicly available
- Hydrogeological review and assessment of aquifer and surface water source
- Degree of difficulty and feasibility assessment
- Bore and supporting infrastructure design
- High level costings for further investigations and future operating system
- Entry level risk assessment
- Reporting and recommendations
Stage 2 - Technical Viability
Once entry-level feasibility has been established, technical viability is tested with site investigations, conceptual modelling, numerical modelling and maximal risk assessment. Services include:
- Ongoing liaison with client, regulators and stakeholders
- Detailed bore design for tender specifications and costing
- Drilling supervision: lithological logging, oversight of bore construction and development
- Aquifer testing: planning, supervision and data analysis for pumping tests to determine aquifer characteristics
- Planning, implementing and assessing injection and/or infiltration trials
- Collection and field analysis of water samples
- Development of conceptual hydrogeological model
- Numerical groundwater modelling – simulating aquifer response to infiltration/injection/pumping using MODFLOW
- Chemical modelling – assessing geochemical characteristics of a system and predictive modelling using PHREEQC
- Geochemical assessment of groundwater and surface water systems for environmental and resource review.
- Hydrogeological review and assessent of data, including GIS graphics and professionally presented plots
- Viability assessment based on site specific data
- Determine injection capacity and borefield specifications
- Maximal risk assessment with mitigating strategies
- Development of Groundwater Operating Strategies for trial and/or operations
- Reporting and recommendations following regulatory guidelines
Stage 3 - Commissioning and Trials
Where Stage 2 investigations indicate MAR is technically viable and that maximal risks can be adequately managed, the project progresses to pre-commissioning trials and/or operations. Services include:
- Project management
- Recharge bore design and costing
- Drilling supervision, including lithological logging, assessment of geophysical logs, mineralogical sampling
- Design and implementation of monitoring programs
- Review and assessment of monitoring data
- Residual risk assessment, determining effectiveness of preventative measures and operational procedures
- Refinement of Groundwater Operating Strategy for operational conditions
- Reporting and recommendations for ongoing operation, monitoring and assessment
Operational Review, Trouble Shooting and Maintenance
Once a MAR system is operational, ongoing monitoring, review, assessment and maintenance is required. Services include:
- Design and implementation of monitoring programs
- Review and assessment of monitoring data
- Preparation of annual monitoring reviews compliant with regulatory standards
- Updating Groundwater Operating Strategies
- Assessment of recharge borefield performance
- Trouble shooting loss of recharge capacity
- Development of injection bore redevelopment program to reinstate injection capacity
- Engage and project manage contractors undertaking injection bore maintenance - including safe disposal of water
Groundwater Consulting
Developing and assessing groundwater resources for managed aquifer recharge requires a strong understanding of groundwater conditions and aquifer characteristics, the relationship between groundwater systems and the local environment, groundwater geochemistry, bore design and engineering, planning and implementation of monitoring programs, risk assessment processes and regulatory requirements, all of which Managed Recharge is happy to apply to any groundwater-related project you may have.
