A Review of Low-Impact Development Factors Affecting Managed Aquifer Recharge

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Hydrogeology
• Water Resource Management

Background:

• Low-impact development (LID) offers stormwater control solutions, including managed aquifer recharge for water supply.
• LID shifts stormwater quantity and quality impacts from surface water to groundwater systems.
• Current understanding of LID's groundwater quality effects, particularly from untreated stormwater, is limited across diverse hydrogeologic settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the groundwater quality impacts of untreated stormwater infiltration via LID.
• To identify key factors influencing the quantity and quality of managed aquifer recharge.
• To inform policy and site selection for effective LID implementation.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on LID, stormwater management, and managed aquifer recharge.
• Analysis of factors influencing groundwater recharge quantity and quality, including policy and climate.
• Consideration of hydrogeologic settings, site selection criteria, and pretreatment requirements for LID.

Main Results:

• Groundwater quality effects of untreated stormwater infiltration by LID are not well understood.
• Factors influencing recharge quantity and quality are interconnected with land development and groundwater policies.
• Site selection requires careful consideration of hydrogeology, footprint, and construction.

Conclusions:

• Matching LID technology to specific hydrogeologic settings is essential.
• State and local policies must address hydraulic and pollutant impacts, especially high water volumes.
• Life cycle costing and consideration of vulnerable geology are critical for sustainable LID design, not just initial low costs.