MARSOL Objectives
The main objective of MARSOL is to demonstrate that MAR is a sound, safe and sustainable strategy that can be applied with great confidence. With this, MARSOL aims to stimulate the use of reclaimed water and other alternative water sources in MAR and to optimize WRM through storage of excess water to be recovered in times of shortage or by influencing gradients.
Widespread application of MAR can help address water security problems to stimulate economic development, improve public health and well-being, and maintain ecological functions and biodiversity. The use of MAR technologies can substitute the need for other, more energy-intensive water supply options, such as seawater desalination.
MARSOL's main output will be a powerful knowledge base of existing field applications of MAR technologies for addressing different societal challenges related to water availability. The effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of existing MAR technologies will be demonstrated, including operation, maintenance and monitoring procedures.
Examples include different water sources, ranging from treated waste water to desalinated seawater and various technical solutions e.g. infiltration ponds, injection wells, river bed scarification, and hydraulic barriers against seawater intrusion. The pros and cons of each technology will be assessed systematically, and compared to alternative solutions. Economic costs and benefits of MAR options for the various economic sectors will be quantified. Causes of public concern or acceptance of MAR will be examined and proven ways to enhance public acceptability (e.g. through education and transfer of knowledge, evaluation of best practices) identified. Governance frameworks (laws, policies, institutions, etc.) that enhance the prospects of successful implementation of MAR will be proposed. Finally, guidelines will be developed for MAR site selection, technical realization, monitoring strategies, and modelling approaches to offer stakeholders a comprehensive, state of the art and proven toolbox for MAR implementation.
The main objectives of MARSOL can therefore be summarized as:
- Demonstrate at 8 field sites that 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 applications to enable low cost high efficiency MAR solutions that will create market opportunities for European Industry and SMEs (MAR to market).
- Promote the advantages of MAR by tailored training and dissemination programs 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.
MARSOL
Demonstrating Managed
Aquifer Recharge as a
Solution to Water Scarcity
and Drought
An EU FP7 Project
Coordination & Contact:
Prof. Dr. Christoph Schüth
Darmstadt Technical University
Institute of Applied Geosciences
Schnittspahnstr. 9
64287 Darmstadt
Germany
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The MARSOL project receives funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration under grant agreement no 619120. This project website reflects only the authors' views and the European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. |