Effects of aquifer thermal energy storage on groundwater quality and the consequences for drinking water production: a case study from the Netherlands

摘要

We used data from an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system located 570 m from a publicnwater supply well field in the south of the Netherlands to investigate the relation betweennproduction of renewable energy with an ATES system and the production of drinking water.nThe data show that the groundwater circulation by the ATES system can impact chemicalngroundwater quality by introducing shallow groundwater with a different chemical compositionnat greater depth. However, the observed concentration changes are sufficiently small to keepngroundwater suitable for drinking water production. Microbiological results showed that the ATESnsystem introduced faecal bacteria in the groundwater and stimulated the growth of heterotrophicnmicro-organisms. At the studied site this forms no hygienic risk because of the long distancenbetween the ATES wells and the public supply well field A further degradation of either chemicalnor microbiological groundwater quality however may necessitate additional water treatment whichnraises the energy requirements. The additional energy requirements for drinking water treatmentnmay be up the same order of magnitude as the harvested energy by the ATES system.