Aquifer recharge for securing water resources: the experience in Llobregat river

摘要

The Llobregat Delta Aquifer has historically been a strategic water supply resource to thenBarcelona metropolitan area. The use of river water combined with the exploitation ofngroundwater resources during dry periods has enabled the demographic and economic growth ofnthe Barcelona area during the last fifty years. The aquifer overexploitation has entailed thendecrease of groundwater level and the penetration inland of seawater intrusion. The mainnconsequences have been the salinization of several wells and the deterioration of the groundwaternquality. In this context, aquifer recharge has been practiced during nearly 40 years with thenfollowing objectives: (i) storing excess of water for times of less water availability, (ii) introducingnan additional barrier for purification of water for a specific use and (iii) preventing the degradationnof groundwater resources due to overexploitation or seawater intrusion. These methods, jointlynwith an efficient management of well extractions, have enabled to recover groundwater qualitynand therefore to guarantee the sustainable exploitation of such a vulnerable aquifer.