U2.08 Bradshaw 2019 ReNUWIt Annual Meeting Poster

This project investigates the most cost-effective strategies for recharging urban groundwater using a combination of stormwater and recycled water. We are developing a systems model that can evaluate and optimize the cost, energy, water quality, and water quantity trade-offs of systems delivering recycled water to stormwater spreading basins (i.e., groundwater recharge ponds). Designing a system to connect recycled water to spreading basins involves many variables and typically does not have an obvious optimal solution; furthermore, existing tools are insufficient for performing robust design comparisons. Our model facilitates this design process by estimating the cost-effectiveness of different design scenarios and identifying the most cost-effective strategies.

Collaborating with utilities in Los Angeles, Santa Clara County, and Fresno, we are applying this model to case studies of these regions. We evaluate technical and regulatory trade-offs associated with membrane-based, ozone-based, and hybrid advanced recycled water treatment trains. For these and other cities, these systems represent cost-effective opportunities to increase the sustainability and resiliency of urban water infrastructure systems.