Ground water recharge technique and method

1. ABY M MUNDACKAL
Email – abymichael@gmail.com
Ph +91 9496480150

2.  INTRODUCTION
 IMPORTANCE OF ARTIFICAL RECHARGE
 METHODS OF ARTIFICAL RECHARGE
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
 CONCLUTION
 REFERENCES

3.  GROUND WATER- Water present in the subsurface in a
specific area during a specific period of time. Subsurface water
or ground water is fresh water locate in the pore space of soils
and rocks.
 ARTIFICAL RECHARGE- Augmenting the natural
infiltration of precipitation or surface water into underground
formation by some methods.
(Source: India water week 2012, Article, Ground water
management- Artificial Recharge of round water,)

4.  Ground Water Depletion
 Ground Water Pollution
 Drinking Water Shortage in Urban Areas
 Seawater Ingress in Coastal Aquifers
(Source: Manual on artificial recharge of ground water, Gov. of
India)

5.  Quantity of source water available
 Quality of source water available
 Resultant water quality (after reactions with native water and
aquifer materials)
 Clogging potential
 Underground storage space available
 Depth to underground storage space
 Transmission characteristics of the aquifer
 Applicable methods (injection or infiltration)
 Legal / institutional constraints
 Costs
 Cultural / social considerations

6. These can be broadly classified as:
 Spreading Method
 Spreading within channel
 Spreading stream water through a network of ditches and
furrows
 Ponding over large area
 Along stream channel viz. Check Dams/ Nala Bunds
 Vast open terrain of a drainage basin viz. Percolation
Tanks
 Modification of village tanks as recharge structures.
Cont…

7.  Recharge Shafts
 Vertical Shafts
 Lateral Shafts
 Injection Wells
 Induced Recharge
 Improved Land and Watershed Management
 Contour Bunding
 Contour Trenching
 Bench Terracing
 Gully Plugging

8.  Constructing small ‘L’ shaped bunds within a stream
channel so that water moves along a longer path
thereby improving natural recharge
 Useful where a small flowing channel flows through a
relatively wide valley.
 Not useful where rivers/ streams are prone to flash
floods and the bunds (levees) may be destroyed.

9. Generally three patterns of ditch and furrow systems are
adopted:
1) With a “zigzag” course following the contours and
land slopes
2) With branches from a main channel
3) With ditches arranged perpendicular to the main
channel.

11. (i) Although this method is adaptable to irregular terrain,
the water contact area seldom exceeds 10 percent of the
total recharge area.
(ii) Ditches should have slope to maintain flow velocity
and minimum deposition of sediments.
(iii) Ditches should be shallow, flat-bottomed, and
closely spaced to obtain maximum water contact area.
Width of 0.3 to 1.8 m is typical.
(iv) A collecting ditch to convey the excess water back to
the mainstream channel should be provided.

13. These are the most prevalent structures in India to
recharge the ground water reservoir both in alluvial as
well as hard rock formations.
 The efficacy and feasibility of these structures is more
in hard rock formation where the rocks are
highlyfractured and weathered.
 In the States of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya
Pradesh,Karnataka and Gujarat, the percolation tanks
have been constructed in basaltic lava flows and
crystalline rocks.

15.  The existing village tanks, which are often silted up or
damaged, can be modified to serve as recharge
structure
 Some of the tanks in Maharashtra and Karnataka have
been converted.

17.  Ideally suited for deep water levels (up to 15 m bgl).
 Presence of clay is encountered within 15 m.
 Effective in the areas of less vertical natural recharge.
 Copious water available can be effectively recharged.
 Effective with silt water also (using inverted filter consisting
of layers of sand, gravel and boulder).
 Depth and diameter depends upon the depth of aquifer and
volume of water to be recharged.
 The rate of recharge depends on the aquifer material and silt
content in the water.
 The rate of recharge with inverted filter ranges from 7-14 lps
for 2-3 m diameter.

19.  Ideally suitable for very deep water level (more than 15 m)
 Aquifer is overlain by impervious thick clay beds
 Injection well can be with or without assembly
 The injection well with assembly should have screen in the potential
aquifer at least 3 -5 m below the water level
 The injection well without assembly is filled with gravel to provide
hydraulic continuity so that water is directly recharged into the aquifer
 The injection well without assembly is very cost effective
 Depending upon volume of water to be injected, number of injection
wells, can be increased to enhance the recharge rate
 The efficiency is very high and rate of recharge goes even up to 15 lps
at certain places

21.  Ideally suited for areas where permeable sandy horizon is
within 3 m below ground level and continues upto the water
level – under unconfined conditions
 Copious water available can be easily recharged due to large
storage and recharge potential
 Silt water can be easily recharged
 2 to 3 m wide and 2 to 3 m deep trench is excavated, length of
which depends on the volume of water to be handled
 With and without injection well

23. Hydraulically, the effectiveness of induction of water in injection
well is determined by:
 Pumping rate
 Permeability of aquifer
 Distance from stream
 Natural ground water gradient
 Type of well

29. 1. No large storage structures needed to store water. Structures
required are small and cost-effective
2. Enhance the dependable yield of wells and hand pumps
3. Negligible losses as compared to losses in surface storages
4. Improved water quality due to dilution of harmful
chemicals/ salts
5. No adverse effects like inundation of large surface areas and
loss of crops
6. No displacement of local population
7. Reduction in cost of energy for lifting water especially
where rise in ground water level is substantial
8. Utilizes the surplus surface runoff which otherwise drains
off

30. 9. The technology is sound and generally well understood, both by
technicians and the general population.
10. Very little special equipment is needed to construct drainage wells.
11. In rock formations with high structural integrity, few additional
materials may be needed to construct the wells.
12. Groundwater recharge stores water during the wet season for use
in the dry season, when demand is highest
13. Aquifer water can be improved by recharging with high-quality
injected water.
14. Recharge can increase the sustainable water yield of an aquifer
significantly.

31. 15. Recharge methods are environmentally attractive, particularly in
arid region.
16. Most aquifer recharge systems are easy to operate.
17. In many river basins, controlling surface water runoff to provide
aquifer recharge reduces sedimentation problems
18. Recharge with less saline surface water or treated effluents often
improves the quality of saline aquifers, facilitating use of their water
for agriculture and livestock.
19. Aquifer may be used for the storage and distribution of water and
for removing contaminants by natural cleaning processes that take
place as polluted rain and surface water infiltrate the soil and
percolate down through the various geological formations.

32. 1. In the absence of financial incentives, laws or other regulations to
encourage land owners to maintain drainage wells, they may fall
into disrepair and ultimately become source of groundwater
contamination.
2. There is potential for contamination of the groundwater from
injected surface runoff water, especially from agricultural fields and
road surfaces. In most cases, surface runoff water is not pre-treated
before injection.
3. Recharge can degrade the aquifer unless quality control of the
injected water is adequate.
4. Groundwater recharge may not be economically feasible unless,
significant volumes can be injected into the aquifer.
5. A very full knowledge of the hydrogeology of an aquifer is required
before any full scale recharge project is implemented
6. Disturbances of soil and vegetation cover during the construction of
water traps may cause environmental damage to the project area.

33. Ground water resources plays a major role in ensuring livelihood
and security across the world, specially in economies that
depend on agriculture. India is now the biggest user of ground
water for agriculture in the world.
So following are the recommendations
1. Laws regarding judicious use of water should be formulated.
2. More and more areas be covered under artificial recharging
and promoting it by giving subsidies wherever necessary
3. Awareness creation programmers should be developed and
promoted
4. Affordable and viable technologies for ground water
recharging need to be developed

34.  Manual on artificial recharge of Ground water 2007 September,
Center Ground water board , Govt. of India.
 Articles on Artificial Ground water recharge with special reference
to India by M/s Amartya Kumar Bhattacharya, Associated
professor, Bengal Engineering and science University, Shibpur.
 Irrigation and water power engineering, Dr BC Punmia, Laxmi
Publication Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi.
 Article on Ground water management- Artificial recharge of ground
water, Er Kirit B. Trivedi, Deputy EE, Govt of Gujarat.

35. THANK YOU