Artificial Groundwater Recharge Systems - Advanced Surface Spreading Techniques , Efficient Infiltration Methods And Direct Water Augmentation Solutions

Artificial recharge methods can be further classified into two broad groups: direct methods and indirect methods. Direct methods can again be classified into surface spreading techniques and subsurface techniques. The most widely practiced methods of artificial recharge of groundwater employ different techniques of increasing the contact are and resident time of surface water with the soil so that maximum quantity of water can infiltrate and augment the groundwater storage. Under the surface spreading techniques various methods available are flooding, ditch and furrows, surface irrigation, stream modifications and finally the most accepted one and suitable for small community water supplies are runoff conservation structures. Under the subsurface techniques injection wells and gravity head recharge wells are common ones.

Indirect methods of artificial recharge adopts the technique of induced recharge by means of pumping wells, collector wells and infiltration galleries, aquifer modifications and groundwater conservation structures, which require highly skilled manpower and other resources.
Direct methods
The following considerations become important before undertaking artificial recharge through surface spreading techniques.

a cThe aquifer to be recharge should be unconfined permeable and sufficiently thick to provide storage space
a cSurface soil should be sufficiently permeable to maintain high infiltration rate