LDE engineers assessing managed aquifer recharge feasibility on the Heretaunga Plains near Napier, Hawke’s Bay

Managed Aquifer Recharge in Napier

Hawke’s Bay is at the forefront of managed aquifer recharge interest in New Zealand. The Heretaunga aquifer underpins water supply for Napier, Hastings and the surrounding plains, supporting horticulture, viticulture and urban demand, and pressure on that resource has driven serious investigation of recharge as a way to support it. There is also active interest in storage and recharge options on the Ruataniwha plains in Central Hawke’s Bay.

Managed aquifer recharge offers a way to bank water underground when flows are high and recover or sustain it when demand peaks. LDE provides managed aquifer recharge and aquifer storage and recovery engineering across the region. We run the feasibility and source-water assessment, the aquifer suitability work, recharge trials, water-quality and clogging management, and the operation, monitoring and consenting a scheme needs.

We help growers, councils and water users test whether MAR fits their aquifer and source, then design and monitor schemes that perform. For Napier clients, that means deep local engagement with one of the country’s most important groundwater systems. Talk to our Napier water team about your next project.

How our Napier team delivers managed aquifer recharge

Hawke’s Bay is where managed aquifer recharge has had the most attention in New Zealand, because the Heretaunga aquifer matters so much and is under real pressure. Our Napier team approaches MAR as a careful feasibility question on a resource this important: how much water can be captured when flows are high, whether the aquifer can accept and store recharge without harming existing users, and the water quality the scheme requires. From there we design the recharge approach, a trial to prove it, and the monitoring that underpins operation.

The work draws on our managed aquifer recharge capability and the wider water projects we deliver in the region, where groundwater security shapes the future of the plains.

Feasibility and source-water assessment for the Heretaunga aquifer
Aquifer suitability assessment that accounts for existing users
Recharge trial design and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) testing on a major aquifer
Water-quality and clogging management with monitoring on a sensitive resource

Water security and consenting in Hawke’s Bay

A managed aquifer recharge scheme involves takes, recharge and the wider freshwater system, so it is consented through Hawke's Bay Regional Council under its regional and freshwater plans, with existing aquifer allocation taken into account. Recharge water has to meet national freshwater policy, so we design to recognised guidance.

Ministry for the Environment freshwater policy and the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management
Water New Zealand good-practice guidance for managed aquifer recharge

LDE managed aquifer recharge in Hawke’s Bay

LDE brings managed aquifer recharge and aquifer storage and recovery expertise to the region that leads the country’s interest in it. The Heretaunga aquifer supports Napier, Hastings and intensive horticulture and viticulture, and there is active interest in storage and recharge on the Ruataniwha plains in Central Hawke’s Bay, so MAR sits squarely in regional water-security thinking. We help growers, councils and water users assess whether it fits their aquifer and source. The same capability supports our resources clients. You can see more of our regional water delivery on the projects page.

Common questions about managed aquifer recharge in Hawke’s Bay

Why is Hawke’s Bay so interested in managed aquifer recharge?

The Heretaunga aquifer is central to water supply for Napier, Hastings and the surrounding horticulture and viticulture, and pressure on it has driven serious investigation of recharge. There is also active interest in storage and recharge options on the Ruataniwha plains, so MAR is firmly part of the regional water-security conversation.

How does recharge protect an aquifer under pressure?

By adding water when flows are high, managed aquifer recharge can help support levels and sustain a resource that summer demand draws down. The benefit depends on the hydrogeology, which is why we assess each aquifer carefully rather than assuming recharge will help everywhere.

Who carries out LDE’s managed aquifer recharge work in Napier?

Our Napier projects are led by Chartered Professional Engineers from our team, backed by LDE water and groundwater specialists across New Zealand and Australia.

Will a recharge scheme affect existing Heretaunga bore users?

It can, so we model how recharge and recovery interact with existing takes and aquifer levels. On a resource as significant as the Heretaunga aquifer, demonstrating that a scheme supports rather than disadvantages other users is central to both the design and the consent under the regional plan.