Enhancing groundwater recharge in face of hydrological extremes: assessment of stormwater managed aquifer recharge potential in Flemish drinking water protection zones (Belgium)

Flanders (Belgium) is expected to experience more severe drought and flooding events in face of climate change. Infiltration to increase groundwater recharge is therefore adopted as policy strategy to deal with both hydrological extremes. Stormwater provides an interesting water source for managed aquifer recharge, given the high urbanization and imperviousness level of the region. Furthermore, the historical ban on infiltration in groundwater protection zones for drinking water production has been removed to encourage infiltration practices. This could potentially enhance groundwater recharge in the groundwater abstraction zones, but concerns remain regarding the impacts on groundwater quality due to the potential contamination of stormwater with a wide range of pollutants originating from traffic, building materials, weed control and other more diffuse sources.

Therefore, tools need to be developed to weigh out benefits of groundwater replenishment relative to potential groundwater quality risks. This research aims to contribute to the knowledge on the hydrological aspects of this quantity-quality balancing exercise by investigating the potential of stormwater managed aquifer recharge to replenish the groundwater system in Flemish groundwater protection zones. For this, potential stormwater volumes that could supply managed aquifer recharge are calculated and compared to the actual groundwater recharge and pumping volumes for drinking water production to assess the significance of this practice in protection zones.

Results indicate a variable, but high stormwater infiltration potential in Flemish protection zones, providing up to 29% extra groundwater recharge in all protection zones combined. Furthermore, this practice could compensate up to 32% of abstracted phreatic drinking water volumes. Locally, the potential can be higher, reaching 100% in protection zones located in highly urbanized areas, including zones around the city of Leuven. Stormwater infiltration can therefore be considered as an important drought adaptation measure in Flemish protection zones, given the same order of magnitude of stormwater and pumping volumes in these areas. However, recent studies raise concern on the occurrence of organic micropollutants in stormwater and data in the Dutch and Flemish setting is insufficient. Therefore, additional research on occurrence and fate of these substances is needed.