ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO RECHARGE GROUNDWATER TO THE REGION

Orange County Water District (OCWD) supplements its natural recharge processes (i.e. rainfall) by recharging water through spreading basins in Anaheim. The primary water sources for these efforts are the Santa Ana River, Metropolitan Water District (MWD) imports, and its Groundwater Replenishment System project. A good portion of the highly valued land in Anaheim has been dedicated for spreading basins. By employing more efficient technologies for groundwater recharge, some of the land could be freed up for other beneficial uses to elevate the region’s economy. Technologies that can assist in capturing and reusing or recharging the urban runoff can help to reduce the demand on current supplies or can increase the groundwater recharge. These technologies may help to supplement the water supply and improve the infiltration rate in the existing spreading basins – removing suspended sediments – and decreasing the need to use land for spreading basins or recharge.

Recharge capacity in the spreading basins may increase substantially if silts are removed from the Santa Ana River. Silt in the water may be removed by velocity control or chemical treatment with polymers. Horizontal subsurface recharge systems, such as recharge galleries, could also be used to recharge urban runoff. Recharge galleries could be constructed beneath parking lots, parkway/sidewalks, parks, and school yards. Multi-lateral radial wells can also be used to recharge substantial quantities of water. These wells have large diameters and offer much more contact surface between well screens and aquifers than conventional wells.