Managed Aquifer Recharge in Whanganui
The river-fed aquifers of the Whanganui and Manawatū area support farming, horticulture and town supply across the region, and the draw on them climbs through the dry summer months. As water security rises up the national agenda, banking water for the lean part of the year is an idea worth weighing, and recharging an aquifer is one way to do it. Capturing high river and rainfall flows and storing them in a suitable aquifer lets supply be drawn back when demand peaks.
LDE provides managed aquifer recharge and aquifer storage and recovery engineering across the Whanganui and Manawatū area. We assess feasibility and source water, test aquifer suitability, design recharge trials, manage water quality and clogging, and carry schemes through operation, monitoring and consenting. Growers, councils and water suppliers come to us to find out whether their aquifer and source water can support a scheme, and we design and monitor the ones that suit river-terrace ground.
For Whanganui clients, that is a practical route to firmer summer supply. Talk to our Whanganui water team about your next project.
How our Whanganui team delivers managed aquifer recharge
In the Whanganui and Manawatū area, managed aquifer recharge starts with the rivers and the terraces. The region’s aquifers are fed by river and rainfall, and the draw on them rises in summer, so holding some of the wet-season flow underground is a sensible hedge against the dry months. Our team works out how much water could be captured, whether a river-terrace aquifer will accept and hold it, and what quality the recharge water needs to be, before setting the recharge method, a proving trial and an ongoing monitoring regime.
It is the same managed aquifer recharge capability we apply to water projects across the Whanganui and Manawatū area, where surface water and groundwater are closely linked.
- Feasibility and source-water assessment using high river and rainfall flows
- Aquifer suitability assessment in river-terrace ground
- Recharge trials and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) proving on river-fed aquifers
- Water-quality, clogging and recovery monitoring for the operating scheme
Water security and consenting in the Whanganui and Manawatū area
A managed aquifer recharge scheme involves both takes and recharge, so it is consented through Horizons Regional Council under its regional and freshwater plans, with river and groundwater management 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 the region
LDE brings managed aquifer recharge and aquifer storage and recovery thinking to the Whanganui and Manawatū area, where river-fed aquifers support farming, horticulture and town supply. As water security climbs the agenda, storing water underground for the dry season is one option worth testing here, and we help growers, councils and water users work through whether their aquifer and source water suit it. 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 the Whanganui and Manawatū area
How could managed aquifer recharge help the Whanganui region?
The area’s river-fed aquifers carry rising summer demand from farming, horticulture and town supply. Managed aquifer recharge can capture high river and rainfall flows, store them underground and recover them at peak demand, which makes it one option worth testing for water security where the geology suits it.
Can river water be used to recharge an aquifer here?
Often the most available source is high winter and storm flows in the rivers, but that water has to be assessed for quality and reliability and any take consented. We match the source to the aquifer and design any pre-treatment so the recharge protects the groundwater, as part of a feasible scheme.
Who carries out LDE’s managed aquifer recharge work in Whanganui?
Chartered Professional Engineers from our team, supported by LDE water and groundwater specialists nationally.
Does river-terrace ground suit aquifer storage and recovery?
Some river-terrace aquifers store and return water well, while others are too thin or too connected to the river to hold it. We assess the specific terrace deposit, its thickness and how it links to the river before recommending a scheme, so an ASR proposal here rests on the actual ground rather than a general assumption.
Whanganui / Manawatū
