U2.08 Bradshaw 2018 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-level model that can estimate and optimize the monetary costs and additional water recharged associated with connecting recycled water production facilities to stormwater spreading basins, through which water infiltrates the ground and recharges groundwater. 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 the City of Los Angeles (LA) and LA County, we are applying this model to a case study of the LA these systems can be optimally implemented in a semi-arid city. For LA and other cities, these systems represent cost-effective opportunities to reduce dependence on imported water, which is an increasingly uncertain source.