RECHARGE

The MARSOL Project

2014 Highlights

Workshop 1’MAR-SAT Expert Forum’, Tel Aviv, Israel

Upcoming Events

Demonstrating Managed Aquifer Recharge as a Solution to Water Scarcity & Drought

The MARSOL Newsletter • Issue 02

The Mediterranean region is suffering from increasing water scarcity, which is further exacerbated by climate change, high population density, and high water consumption by agricultural, industrial, and urban uses. Not only quantity but also quality is of increasing importance, e.g. due to intensive use of fertilizers and seawater intrusion. Meanwhile, large water quantities are lost to the Mediterranean Sea as surface runoff, river discharge, discharge of treated and untreated wastewater, and as discharge of excess water from various sources during periods of low demand. This water can be used in principle for the controlled (re-)filling of exploited aquifers by artificial infiltration, referred to as Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR).

MARSOL is an FP7 project which aims to demonstrate that Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) is a sound, safe and sustainable strategy that can be applied with great confidence. MARSOL aims to stimulate the use of reclaimed water and other alternative water sources in MAR and to optimize water resources management through storage of excess water to be recovered in times of shortage or by influencing gradients.

• Demonstrate at 8 field sites that managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is a sound, safe and sustainable strategy to increase the availability of freshwater under conditions of water scarcity

• Improve the state of the art of MAR application to enable low-cost, high efficiency MAR solutions that will create market opportunities for European Industry and SMEs

• Promote the advantages of MAR by tailored training and dissemination programme to enable and accelerate market penetration

• Deliver a key technology to face the challenge of increasing water scarcity in Southern Europe, the Mediterranean and other regions of the world

The Project

Project Objectives

Work Package Structure

Issue 02 ¦ Page 2RECHARGE

www.marsol.eu

21 PARTNERS

36MONTHS

TOTAL BUDGET

€8 MILLIONEU CONTRIBUTION

€5.2 MILLION

SINCE DECEMBER

2013

Lavrion Technological & Cultural Park, GreeceDevelopment and implementation of advanced sensors

Algarve and Alentejo, PortugalRiver water infiltration at three sites

Arenales, Castilla & Leon, SpainRiver water infiltration, soil aquifer treatment (SAT)

Llobregat River, Catalonia, SpainRiver water infiltration basin

River Brenta Catchment, Vicenza, ItalyForested infiltration area for aquifer storage and recovery (ASR)

Serchio River well field, Tuscany, ItalyRiver bank infiltration with an advanced monitoring network

Menashe Infiltration Basin, Hadera, IsraelAquifer storage of surplus water from the Hadera desalination plant

South Malta Coastal Aquifer, MaltaCreate a seawater intrusion barrier at a coastal wastewater treatment plant

Demo Sites

MARSOL Partners

Issue 02 ¦ Page 3

The Project

21 Partners 36 months, starting 12/2013 Total budget: 8.0 million EUR EU contribution: 5.2 million EUR

www.marsol.eu2

MARSOL Partners

Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt

TUDa Germany

Institute of Communications and Computer Systems, Athens

ICCS Greece

Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil, Lisbon

LNEC Portugal

Empresa de Transformación Agraria S.A., Madrid

Tragsa Spain

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech, Barcelona

UPC Spain

Studio Galli Ingegneria Spa, Padua

SGI Italy

Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento Sant'Anna, Pisa

SSSA Italy

Mekorot Israel National Water Company, Tel Aviv

MEK

Israel

Malta Resources Authority, Marsa

MRA

Malta

EPEM S.A. - Environmental Planning, Engineering & Management, Athens

EPEM

Greece

Etaireia Ydreyseos kai Apochetefseos Proteyoysis Anonimi Etaireia, Athens

EYDAP

Greece

Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wasserforschung gGmbH, Mühlheim an der Ruhr

IWW

Germany

Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung GmbH, Leipzig

UFZ

Germany

Universidade do Algarve, Faro

UAlg

Portugal

Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt

TUDa Germany

Institute of Communications and Computer Systems, Athens

ICCS Greece

Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil, Lisbon

LNEC Portugal

Empresa de Transformación Agraria S.A., Madrid

Tragsa Spain

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech, Barcelona

UPC Spain

Studio Galli Ingegneria Spa, Padua

SGI Italy

Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento Sant'Anna, Pisa

SSSA Italy

Mekorot Israel National Water Company, Tel Aviv

MEK

Israel

Malta Resources Authority, Marsa

MRA

Malta

EPEM S.A. - Environmental Planning, Engineering & Management, Athens

EPEM

Greece

Etaireia Ydreyseos kai Apochetefseos Proteyoysis Anonimi Etaireia, Athens

EYDAP

Greece

Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wasserforschung gGmbH, Mühlheim an der Ruhr

IWW

Germany

Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung GmbH, Leipzig

UFZ

Germany

Universidade do Algarve, Faro

UAlg

Portugal

Terra, Ambiente e Recursos Hídricos, Lisbon

TARH Portugal

Autorita di Bacino dei Fiumi Isonzo, Tagliamento, Livenza, Piave, Brenta-Bacchiglione, Venice

AAWA

Italy

TEA-Sistemi S.p.A., Pisa TEA Italy

Provincia di Lucca, Lucca

Lucca

Italy

Agricultural Research Organization - Volcani Center, Bet Dagan

ARO

Israel

Water Services Corporation, Luqa

WSC

Malta

Paragon Europe, Mosta

PRN

Malta

www.marsol.eu

The MARSOL Newsletter

MARSOL Activities During 2014

RECHARGE

www.marsol.eu

Issue 02 ¦ Page 4

The MARSOL partners participated in a number of activities during 2014 whilst presenting the MARSOL project and the MAR to MARket Action Group. Coming up are a few lines about a selection of the activities which took place.

SITE VISIT, RIVER BRENTA CATCHMENT, VICENZA, ITALY, MARCH 2014

In the framework of the site visit, a half day workshop was hosted by the Consorzio di Bonifica Brenta for all WP7 partners with presentations from Autorità di Bacino dell’Alto Adriatico, Regione del Veneto, Consorzio di Bonifica Brenta, and UFZ.

MARSOL AT THE SPANISH WATER TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM (PTEA), MADRID, SPAIN, APRIL 2014

MARSOL and the Action Group MAR to MARket were presented at the PTEA Workshop “Agua e I+D+i” in Madrid, Spain. The workshop was attended by over 120 participants from more than 80 industries, universities and research centers, with a remarkable institutional presence. Its main target was to encourage the participation of Spanish companies in the water sector for research and innovative projects at national and international level. It is worth mentioning the high presence of potential receivers of the technology and outcomes to be developed during the MARSOL project.

http://www.dina-mar.es/post/2014/04/11/Presentacion-del-proyecto-MARSOL-y-del-Action-Group-e2809cMAR-to-MAR-kete2809d-en-la-jornada-e2809cAgua-e-I2bD2bie2809d-de-la-Plataforma-Tecnologica-Espanola-del-Agua.aspx

MARSOL AT GEOSCIENCES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES - SEZIONE DELLA SOCIETÀ GEOLOGICA ITALIANA, PERUGIA, ITALY, JUNE 2014

The Group Geosciences and Information Technologies Section of the Italian Geological Society, brings together all those who apply information technology to support their activities in the various fields of geosciences. Presentations about the modeling platform used within MARSOL, the MARSOL project and the SID&GRID GIS-integrated numerical hydrological model: applications and further development were delivered.http://www.gitonline.eu/GITTMP/GIT2014/GIT2014.html

MARSOL PARTICIPATION IN DEMEAU PROJECT UTILITY EVENT, BARCELONA, SPAIN OCTOBER 2014

MARSOL and the Mar to MARket EIP Action Group were presented during the DEMEAU project utility event which took place in Barcelona and combined the presentation of research and implementation of Managed Aquifer Recharge with an interactive workshop contributing to work in DEMEAU’s Work Area 5 on Life Cycle Analysis and Life Cycle Costing.

http://demeau-fp7.eu/events/266

MANAGED AQUIFER RECHARGE (MAR) IN ITALY: EXPERIENCES WITHIN EU CO-FUNDED PROJECTS @ GEOFLUID, PIACENZA, ITALY, OCTOBER 2014

The workshop aimed at presenting and networking MAR activities run in Italy within the EU FP7 MARSOL project and the EIP on Water Action Group MAR Solutions - Managed Aquifer Recharge Strategies and Actions (AG128) and some EU co-funded projects such as LIFE AQUOR, WARBO, TRUST and PAWA and WADIS-MAR.

http://www.geofluid.it/app/imgportfolio.pimg?imgportfolio=/42/fckeditor/File/2014/convegni_geo_2014/convegno_ricarica_delle_falde_2014.pdf

MARSOL Activities During 2014 (CONTD.)

www.marsol.eu

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WARBO SUMMER SCHOOL, LISBON, PORTUGAL, OCTOBER 2014

In October 2014, TARH organised a Summer School about MAR dedicated to Masters and PhD students, under the frame of the WARBO Project. Several MARSOL partners were invited to give presentations (LNEC, UAlg, TARH, Tragsa).

http://www.warbo-life.eu/

MANAGED AQUIFER RECHARGE IN THE ARENALES AREAS - MAR4FARM WORKSHOP, SEGOVIA, SPAIN, OCTOBER 2014

Since 2002, when MAR activities began in this sector of the Arenales aquifer, which considered a building work for the general interest of the nation, recharge activities have been accomplished by means of the irrigation community, counting on the support, when required, from those technicians involved in the studies and building works.

After a decade, many groundwater users and farmers ignore a great part of this activity. Within the R&D MARSOL project context, and with the help provided by Santiuste and Carracillo irrigation communities, two consecutive workshops, called MAR4FARM, were organised, exposing these experiences in the main Arenales aquifer MAR areas, exposing a SAT-MAR experience too.

http://www.dina-mar.es/post/2014/11/17/MAR4FARM-PRESENTACIONES-PRESENTATIONS-AVAILABLE-FREELY-ON-THE-INTERNET.aspx

EIP WATER CONFERENCE BARCELONA, SPAIN OCTOBER 2014

Several MARSOL partners (from TUDa, LNEC, Tragsa, UPC, SGI, AAWA, and Paragon Europe) attended the EIP Water Conference 2014 in Barcelona and participated in special Action Groups ‘back-to-back’ meetings.In an open workshop of Action Group AG128 “MAR Solutions - Managed Aquifer Recharge Strategies and Actions” the status of the MARSOL project was presented alongside presentations from other project groups.

http://www.eip-water.eu/events/highly-interactive-eip-water-conference-2014-concluded-barcelona

The MARSOL Newsletter

Workshop 1: ‘MAR-SAT Expert Forum’

RECHARGE

www.marsol.eu

Issue 02 ¦ Page 6

MARSOL AND MAR-SAT MEETING, TEL AVIV, ISRAEL, DECEMBER, 2014

The first MARSOL project workshop was held at the beginning of December 2014 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The meeting focused on Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT) and was attended by 30 participants from the MARSOL consortium, experts from Germany, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Malta and Israel and Advisory Board Member, Dr Peter Dillon, CSIRO Land and Water, Waite Campus, Adelaide, Australia.

The sessions on the first day included presentations of the progress made at the various Demo Sites and work package discussions while the second day was devoted to a field trip and focused on the following three sites.

Demo Site #7 (Menashe infiltration ponds): A groundwater experimental system, consisting of the vadose-zone monitoring and sampling gallery. Two 30.5m deep groundwater observation wells and spatial infiltration monitoring pipes were presented. Preliminary findings and comparisons to accompanied lab results were discussed. The geological settings and related modeling issues were addressed as well.

Shaar Haamakim air clogging pilot: The forming of air bubbles within an injection well casing was visually demonstrated. Factors influencing the bubble size and extent, as well as the injection rate and water head above the well perforations, were presented and discussed.

Kefar Baruch reservoir: Serves as a major treated water supplier for irrigation in the Israel valley, and suffers from rising salinity values due to saline, high head groundwater percolation. Reduction of the groundwater head is addressed by pumping the low conductive aquifer underlying the reservoir. The settings and pumping systems were demonstrated.

The last two days of the meeting were devoted to a joint workshop with the DEMOWARE EU project and other projects related to MAR-SAT and included:

• A presentation and a site tour of the Shafdan WWTP and SAT basins, demonstration of pilots for AOP-Short SAT and UF-RO effluent treatments and SAT column simulations;

• Presentations of projects and activities related to MAR-SAT, round-table discussions and the establishment of EU MAR-SAT Expert Forum.

March 09-11, 2015 Arenales, Spain.

Technical Solutions for MAR April 21-23, 2015 Pisa, Italy.

Modeling

24-26 June 2015Algrave, Portugal

Water Quality October 2015Malta

Legal Issues & Governance

2015 is going to be even busier for the MARSOL Project as we continue to work towards achieving the goals set in our agenda for this year through the following events.

Demo site Workshops

Consortium Meeting

European Events

Upcoming Events

The MARSOL Newsletter

www.marsol.eu

Join Us: These workshops are open to external experts in the field. If you would like to join us for any of the above mentioned activities please do not hesitate to contact us through our website www.marsol.eu or on the email address provided here

Mid-term Consortium Meeting, Lisbon, PortugalJune 2015

The next consortium meeting for the MARSOL project will take place in June 2015. This will be a chance for all partners to meet once again, evaluate the project results so far and plan the way forward.

Malta Water Week, Malta, 25-27 March 2015

The Malta Water Week 2015, which is being organised by Paragon Europe as part of the WE@EU, FP7 project (www.weateu.eu), will include a number of activities including a Water Research Conference, Training Workshops, an Exhibition Space, a B2B Brokerage Event, EU Funding Brokerage Event and an Investment Brokerage Event. The topics to be addressed include Smart Infrastructure, Water Education, Innovative Water Technologies and Innovative Financial Solutions Promoting Public-Private Partnerships (PPP’s) on water innovation.

For more information contact us on sara.meli@paragoneurope.eu

EGU Vienna, Austria, 12-17 April 2015 The EGU General Assembly 2015 will bring together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary and space sciences. The EGU aims to provide a forum where scientists, especially early career researchers, can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geoscience. For more information visit the event website on http://www.egu2015.eu/

IAH Rome, Italy, 13-18 Sept 2015 The themes of the Congress will address the main issues facing hydrogeology in this millennium, including new perspectives related to groundwater and food. For more information visit the event website on: http://www.iah2015.org/rome/

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Contact and further Information:

Prof. Dr. Christoph Schüth, Darmstadt Technical University Institute of Applied Geosciences, Schnittspahnstrasse 9, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany Email: marsol@geo.tu-darmstadt.de Website: www.marsol.eu

The MARSOL project receives funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration under Grant Agreement No. 619120.