Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) schemes are increasingly used to enhance water security, yet infiltration schemes are susceptible to clogging which consequently reduces operational efficiency. This study examines two full-scale Australian case studies: Jurien Bay (JB, Western Australia) and Lockyer Valley (LV, Queensland), representing treated wastewater (TWW) and surface water recharge, respectively. Recharge water at JB exhibited high clogging potential in relation to literature values proposed to manage clogging: total suspended solids (TSS) ranged from 100 to 176 mg/L (target ≤2 mg/L), turbidity 70–100 NTU (target ≤3 NTU), and total nitrogen (TN) 5–16 mg/L (target ≤10 mg/L). LV showed lower clogging risk with TSS 2–6 mg/L, turbidity 1–7 NTU and TN 0.5–1.4 mg/L. At both sites, recharge water was supersaturated with respect to carbonate minerals (SICaCO3: JB 0.5–1.7; LV 0.5–1.3), and algae were present (e.g., Chlorophyceae 4% at JB), indicating potential for chemical and biological contributions to clogging. Median infiltration rates (IRs) were 26 mm/d at JB and ∼50 mm/d at LV. At JB, desilting in 2019 increased median IR from 26 mm/d to 40 mm/d and increased disposal capacity from about 109,570 to 168,010 m3/year, demonstrating the benefit of reactive maintenance. At LV, long-term IR decline was consistent with progressive clogging but could not be separated from changes in hydraulic gradient associated with groundwater mounding beneath the weir. The results are therefore presented as two operational case studies that highlight the value of site-specific monitoring, uncertainty assessment, and cautious interpretation of mechanism inferences when evaluating clogging in full-scale infiltration systems.
Keywords
clogging, desilting, infiltration basins, infiltration rate, managed aquifer recharge (MAR), recharge weirs
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
8-1-2026
Article Number
101653
Volume
34
Publication Title
Groundwater for Sustainable Development
Publisher
Elsevier
School
School of Engineering
Funding Information
The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Australian Government for their funding commitment, through the National Water Grid Fund (NWGF), to support this research.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Awad, J., Page, D., Vanderzalm, J., Puzon, G. J., Wylie, J., Mathes, F., Reed, D., Bartkow, M., Khiadani, M., Barry, K., & Dillon, P. (2026). Clogging behaviour and management in two full-scale infiltration schemes: A treated wastewater basin and a surface-water weir in Australia. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 34, 101653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2026.101653