EPA Awards Nearly $8M For Research Grants To Advance Groundwater Availability And Quality
September 21, 2023
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $7,837,196 in funding to four institutions to research the use and risks of enhanced aquifer recharge (EAR) to improve groundwater availability and quality.
EAR is the practice of using water sources to replenish and supplement existing groundwater supplies for storage, potential reuse, and to restore streamflow. While EAR implementation and management has been an active topic of research for many years, significant knowledge gaps remain concerning best practices in the design, siting, performance (hydrologic and water quality), longevity, maintenance, and monitoring of EAR in different land use and hydrogeologic settings. Other terms that are used interchangeably with EAR include managed aquifer recharge, artificial recharge, and aquifer storage and recovery.
