ISSN (Print) : 0974-6846

Indian Journal of Science and Technology, Vol 8(20), DOI: 10.17485/ijst/2015/v8i20/81596, August 2015 ISSN (Online) : 0974-5645

Effectiveness of Artificial Recharge Structures in

Enhancing Groundwater Storage: A Case Study
Marykutty Abraham1 and S. Mohan2*
Centre for Water Research, Sathyabama University, Chennai - 600119, Tamil Nadu, India;
1

[email protected]
2
Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai - 600036, Tamil Nadu, India; [email protected]

Abstract
Objectives: The effectiveness of recharge structures in enhancing the recharge process has been evaluated for different
recharge structures, namely, check dam and percolation pond with percolation wells, individually as well as in a ­combined
manner. Methods: These structures have been constructed and monitored for their effectiveness through field pilot scale
studies in a watershed in Tamil Nadu. The effectiveness was assessed in terms of increase in groundwater table, ­improvement
in the quality of groundwater and the percentage of recharged quantity in terms of water storage created by the recharge
structures using water level fluctuation method and mass balance approach. Natural recharge was estimated by water
balance method. Findings: An average increase in water level of the order of 2m to 3m was observed in the ­surrounding
areas of individual recharge structures, whereas in the area surrounding the combined recharge structures, an increase of
around 5m in the groundwater table was observed after 2 years of artificial recharge. According to mass ­balance study the
percentages of the volume of water contributed for recharge of the aquifer was worked out to be 79 percent and 92 percent
for check dam and percolation pond with percolation wells respectively. The Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and hardness
were observed to be considerably reduced after the construction of artificial recharge structures. Percolation pond with
percolation wells was found to be the most favorable structure in the watershed studied. Applications: This paper has
demonstrated the comparison of situations with and without artificial recharge structures and these recharge structures
are highly effective in enhancing groundwater resource.

Keywords: Artificial Recharge, Check Dam Groundwater, Mass Balance, Percolation Pond, Percolation Well

1.  Introduction variations in storage and outflow from the aquifer apart
from the ­silting of recharge well were highly dependent
Recharge can either be natural, from precipitation that on both the aquifer characteristics and the duration of
falls on the earth’s surface and moves on its way under- recharge.
ground or it can be artificial, from human activities that The influence of percolation pond in artificial recharge
deliberately or inadvertently replenish an aquifer. Artificial in a granitic gneissic terrain of a semi-arid region of India
recharge may be defined as the process of replenishing was assessed using environmental chloride method5. It
groundwater by augmenting the natural infiltration of was observed that 30-35 percent of the impounded water
rainwater or surface water into underground formations was recharged through the pond.
through various methods designed depending on the The response of two percolation ponds in Tamil Nadu,
­topographic, geologic and soil conditions. India was studied6 to assess their potential influence zones.
The previous studies1-3 showed that the most They observed that the strongly influenced wells were
­commonly used method for natural recharge estimation located within 400m from the ponds whereas moderately
is the mass balance approach. In4 analyzed groundwater influenced wells were located up to 800m from the ponds.
flow in an unconfined aquifer under seasonal artificial Investigation of artificial recharge basins of ­different
recharge schemes of variable duration and found that shapes and assessment of their effect on underlying

*Author for correspondence

 Effectiveness of Artificial Recharge Structures in Enhancing Groundwater Storage: A Case Study

a­ quifer system showed a lower groundwater build-up for 15' to 79° 45' E in Survey of India toposheet 58M/6. The
higher perimeter basin shapes7. watershed lies in one of the sub-basins of Gadilam River
In8 studied the water balance of reservoirs for Indian in Tamil Nadu state, India and has an aerial extent of 420
sites and found that 96 percent of the water in a basin km2. The general topography consists of highlands in
was recharged and 4 percent was lost to evaporation in the Northwest and a flat terrain in Southeast. Maximum
the most favorable case and 45 percent was recharged and rainfall in the region occurs during the North-East mon-
55 percent was evaporated for the worst scenario. soon (October to December) i.e. 60 percent of the average
In a numerical model developed for calculating the annual rainfall is brought by the North-East monsoon, 25
groundwater mounding for an artificial recharge basin percent by the South-West monsoon (June to September)
of size 175m x 450m in Gaza strip in the Middle East, and the rest in summer showers. The highest rainfall has
where the unsaturated zone was about 60m thick9. From occurred in the month of November with a monthly aver-
the model it was found that the maximum rise of mound age rainfall value of 268.5 mm and the minimum rainfall
was 14m at the center of the artificial recharge basin and usually occur in the month of February with an average
about 12m at the edges, after 100 days of recharge. value of 10.7 mm. The climate is tropically humid. The
In10 artificial recharge study was carried out through area is warmer in summer months (March to May) with
roof top rain water harvesting methods during 2004 to a maximum temperature of 40oC recorded during the
2007 at St Peter’s Engineering College Campus, Avadi, month of May. During the monsoon months, the normal
and Tamil Nadu. Aquifer parameters were assessed using temperature varies between 20oC and 25oC. The area is
pumping test. A three layer hydro geological model of cold in winter months (January to February) and the nor-
the aquifer was applied in Visual Mod flowver. 4.1 and mal temperature during the period varies between 18oC
significant increase in water level in the top aquifer was and 21oC and January is the coldest month. This sub-
recorded during 2007. The study concluded that rainwa- basin is characterized by heavy pumping for agricultural,
ter harvesting and recharges studies form important part industrial, domestic and mining purposes. The pumping
in groundwater restoration and management. is tending to exceed the average recharge rates, causing
Water quality issues in artificial recharge became depletion of water levels in the region. For the system to
prominent in the last decade and were studied by a few be sustainable, the pumping and recharge should be bal-
researchers. In a study on geochemical transformations anced either by minimizing the pumping or by increasing
during artificial recharge found that F, Ba and as were the recharge. The only possible alternative solution is
leached in appreciable concentrations, whereas leaching replenishing the groundwater through ­artificial recharge
of B, Cr, Pb and Se were minimal11. It was also observed by different arrangements.
that concentrations often peaked during the first few days
of operation and then declined.
In12 studied the removal of microorganisms by
3.  Field Experimental Work
deep well injection into a sandy aquifer in Netherlands. The watershed has two major drains and flows towards
Injection water was seeded with microorganisms for 5 North East and finally join the Gadilam river which flows
days. Within the first 8m of soil passage concentrations of further about 30 km to reach the sea. However in this dis-
microorganisms were found reduced logarithmically. tance there is no beneficial use of the drained water than
There are many methods proposed for groundwater joining the sea without any beneficial use. Thus, by pro-
recharge estimation, but there is no systematic study on viding rainwater harvesting structures, if one could speed
the comparison of different methods and on assessment the excess water into the aquifer, it can be beneficially
of artificial groundwater recharge with combination of used in the aquifer, during the water-deficit season.
recharge structures including recharge wells. The artificial recharge due to different structures
namely check dam, percolation pond with percolation
wells and combined structures (percolation pond with
2.  Study Area
percolation wells and check dam with recharge well) have
The watershed taken up for study is located in Nadiyapattu been assessed through field experiments. A percolation
village of Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu state, India which pond with a surface area of 15000 m2 has been constructed
falls within latitudes 11°15' to 11°45' N and ­longitudes 79° and three Percolation Wells (PW1, PW2 and PW3) were

2 Vol 8 (20) | August 2015 | www.indjst.org Indian Journal of Science and Technology
 Marykutty Abraham and S. Mohan

drilled in the percolation pond area. A pond of 2800 m2 level contours to study the water level fluctuations and
area with three Percolation Wells (PW4, PW5 and PW6) compared the same with the water table levels before the
was constructed in another location along with a check ­construction of these artificial recharge arrangements.
dam with a Recharge Well (RW0) and called as combined Basin scale mass balance approach was used to find the
structure area. A Thus the combined structure area con- individual effectiveness of check dams, check dam with
sists of a check dam with a recharge well, one percolation recharge well and percolation pond with percolation
pond and three percolation wells. In the second phase the wells as well as combined effectiveness of various artificial
size of the pond in the combined structure area was also recharge arrangements.
extended to 15,000 m2. A single check dam was also con- The construction of recharge structures was com-
structed on the northern side of combined structure area. pleted in April 2004 and thus the water from the rainfall
The second phase was completed in April 2005. of July 2004 onwards got collected in these structures and
Percolation wells having a diameter of 45 cm ­penetrated got recharged into the groundwater aquifer system. Water
up to the bottom of permeable strata (i.e., around 75 m) levels were recorded on a daily basis from September
and the pit was filled with gravels and pebbles to allow 2003. Water samples were collected seasonally from four
the free flow of filtered water. Recharge well was ordinary typical observation wells (two from percolation pond area
well having 15 cm diameter and around 75 m depth with i.e., PO4, PO5 and one each from check dam area i.e.,CS7
a slotted length of 24 m. Observation wells had a diameter and Combined Structure area i.e., CS6) and analyzed in
of 10 cm and extended up to 75 m with a slotted length of the Environmental and Water Resources Engineering
24 m. To monitor the groundwater level fluctuation and laboratory of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras as
quality a total of 15 observation wells were constructed. suggested by13. Water quality was analyzed for pre and
The location plan of the bore holes is shown in Figure 1. post monsoon periods in a year.
Groundwater levels were monitored and recorded on a
daily basis from all the observation wells from September
2003 to February 2006 and groundwater quality was
4.  Methodology
monitored pre and post monsoon on selected observa- In the context of sustainable groundwater management, it
tion wells to study the artificial recharge effects of check is essential to assess the effectiveness of artificial recharge
dam, percolation pond and combined structure on the arrangements in terms of their ability to recharge the
quantity and quality of groundwater. Water level fluctua- aquifer. The artificial recharge due to different structures
tion data collected from the observation wells (seven for namely check dam, check dam with recharge well and
percolation pond area PO1, PO2, PO3, PO4, PO5, RO1 percolation pond with percolation wells were studied
and RO2; six for combined structure area CS1, CS2, CS3, using different methods. Natural recharge was estimated
CS4, CS6 and RO3; two for check dam area CS5 and CS7) by water balance method. Water level fluctuation data
within the influence zone was used to draw the water collected from wells within the influence zone was used to
study the water level fluctuations before and after the con-
79° 24' 12" 79° 24' 24" 79° 24' 36" 79° 24' 48" 79° 25'
24'
struction of artificial recharge arrangements. Mass balance
11° 40'
WS

KOVIL
N
11° 40'
approach was used to find the individual effectiveness of
CS7 P05
PW3
check dam and percolation pond with percolation wells.
P03
CS5 PW2
PW1
P02 P04
P01

4.1  Natural Recharge Estimation

11° 39' 48" 11° 39' 48"

CS1 RO1
CS2
RW0 PW4
CS3
PW5
CS4 PW6 RO2

RO3
CS6
Natural recharge was estimated by conventional water
11° 39' 36" 11° 39' 36" balance method. The study of water balance is the sys-
Percolation Well [PW1 to PW6]
Recharge Well [RW0] tematic accounting of water within a geographic region
for a specified period. The basic elements of water bal-
Observation Well [CS1 to CS7, PO1 to PO5 and RO1 to RO3]
Check Dam

SCALE

11° 39' 24"

1:2000
11° 39' 24" ance include inflows such as precipitation and outflows
like evapotranspiration, runoff, interception losses and
79° 24' 12" 79° 24' 24" 79° 24' 36" 79° 24' 48" 25'
79° 24'

Figure 1.  Location of bore holes in the Artificial Recharge

Figure1. Location of bore holes in the Artificial Recharge Site
soil moisture storage. In water balance model the signifi-

Site. cant components were first identified and independently

Vol 8 (20) | August 2015 | www.indjst.org Indian Journal of Science and Technology 3
 Effectiveness of Artificial Recharge Structures in Enhancing Groundwater Storage: A Case Study

e­ valuated and then substituted in the water balance recharge structures. These differences or the increase
­equation to find out the natural recharge. For the recharge in water ­levels were noted as the effect due to artificial
­estimation the soil water balance equation is written as recharge.
Re = P − R − I a − ETa ± DS  (1)
4.2.2  Mass Balance Approach
where A detailed water balance study provides a quantitative
Re = Recharge (mm). estimate of the contribution of a structure to groundwater
P = Precipitation (mm). recharge. Even though it only provides a relative assess-
R = Runoff (mm). ment, it would still be an immensely useful aid in making
Ia = Interception loss (mm). management decisions. At the recharge basin scale, the
ETa = Actual Evapotranspiration (mm). rise or decline in water levels over time is an indicator of
DS = Change in soil water storage (mm). the performance of the recharge structure.
If the balance is carried out annually, the change in During periods of no inflow to a pond and no outflow
soil moisture storage is negligible14. The individual com- from a pond, the decline in the pond water level is attrib-
ponents of the water balance model such as runoff and utable to the algebraic sum of recharge and evaporation
interception loss were calculated using SCS method15 losses. The balance between these two losses determines,
and Evapotranspiration (ET) values were estimated by whether the structure is fit for and the site is suitable for
Penman-Monteith method16.Change in soil water storage recharging purpose.
was neglected. Natural recharge values were calculated To estimate the water balance between evaporation
by substituting the different components in the water and recharge losses from the percolation pond/check dam,
­balance model. the change in pond water level with time was monitored.
For periods without direct abstraction and rainfall, this
4.2  Artificial Recharge Estimation is translated into groundwater recharge rates after sub-
tracting open pan evaporation rates. The water balance
The amount of artificial recharge through the different
for a reservoir can be simplified if losses due to leakage,
structures have been estimated by two methods namely,
abstraction etc. can also be neglected and if the pond is
Water level fluctuation method and the mass balance
under effluent conditions in relation to the aquifer, then
method. These methods are briefly explained below.
the water balance can be written as follows9.
4.2.1  Water Level Fluctuation Method Groundwater Recharge=Change of volume of water in
Water level fluctuation data collected was used to study the pond-Evaporation (2)
the effectiveness of artificial recharge structures. Water Under such conditions, the balance between
level fluctuations in the observation wells give the com- e­ vaporation and groundwater recharge will determine the
bined effect of artificial and natural recharge. As already effectiveness of the artificial recharge scheme.
explained, the natural recharge has been estimated using
the water balance method. For an effective understand-
ing about the recharge phenomena, daily water levels in
5.  Results and Discussion
all observation wells were monitored for a period of one 5.1  Data Analysis
year prior to and two and half years after the construc-
tion of the artificial recharge structures. The first year 5.1.1  Water Level Data Analysis
data, from September 2003 to August 2004 was taken Daily water levels in the observation wells in the ­vicinity
as base data i.e., water levels without artificial recharge of the recharge structures were plotted along with the
structures. The water level recorded from each month corresponding rainfall data and the recharge pattern was
was subtracted from the base data values (water lev- analyzed. From the water level fluctuation data analysis it
els for the same months in the previous year) to get the was found that there was 45 to 60 days lag time for the rain-
effect due to ­artificial recharge. This way, the water level water to join the groundwater storage. Thus the effective
­without ­artificial recharge ­structures was subtracted from water table increase due to artificial recharge started from
the water level in the same observation well with ­artificial September 2004. The peak water levels were obtained in

4 Vol 8 (20) | August 2015 | www.indjst.org Indian Journal of Science and Technology
 Marykutty Abraham and S. Mohan

the months December and January in most of the cases. recharge. Figure 5, Figure 6 and Figure 7 depict the water
Water level variations with rainfall for representative quality improvement after artificial recharge near check
observation wells for check dam area, percolation pond dam, percolation pond and combined structure areas
area and combined structure area are given in Figures 2, 3 respectively. There was considerable improvement in the
and 4 respectively. From these Figures, it can be observed groundwater quality especially in the case of TDS and
that there is an overall rise in water level of 2 to 3 m, after hardness after artificial recharge. It was found that the
the construction of recharge structures. concentration levels did not rise after the monsoon as the
recharge structures helped in diluting the native water by
5.1.2  Water Quality Analysis the15.00huge volume of surface water stored in them,0.0which
Aug-03 Dec-03 Mar-04 Jun-04 Sep-04 Jan-05 Apr-05 Jul-05 Nov-05 Feb-06

The potential for water quality improvement of an aqui- wouldn’t

17.00 have been possible by natural recharge alone. It
50.0
was observed that there was 50 to 80 percent reduction in

WATER LEVEL (m)

19.00
fer is a major criterion for any artificial recharge project.

RAINFALL (mm)
Water quality parameters were analyzed during pre-mon- the21.00
concentration of TDS in the observation wells consid- 100.0

23.00

soon and post monsoon periods before and after artificial ered. It was also observed that the groundwater 150.0 quality
 25.00
improvement
27.00 was maximum near the percolation200.0pond
Aug-03 Dec-03 Mar-04 Jun-04 Sep-04 Jan-05 Apr-05 Jul-05 Nov-05 Feb-06 area.
29.00 Water quality could not be analyzed after January
250.0
10.00 Aug-03 Dec-03 Mar-04 Jun-04 Sep-04 Jan-05 Apr-05 Jul-05 Nov-05 Feb-06 0.0
10.00 0.0 2005, as samples were not collected. Rainfall Waterlevel
12.00
12.00 50.0 Surface water, which was used for artificial recharge was 
WATER LEVEL (m)

14.00 50.0
also analyzed for pH,
Figure 4. Water Electrical
Level Variation Conductivity
in Combined Structure Area(EC), Total
WATER LEVEL (m)

14.00
RAINFALL (mm)

16.00 100.0
RAINFALL (mm)

16.00
18.00
100.0

Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
18.00 150.0
20.00 150.0
20.00
22.00 200.0 800
22.00 200.0
700
24.00
24.00 250.0 600
Values, mg/l

250.0 500
Rainfall Waterlevel
Rainfall Waterlevel  400
 300
Figure 2.  Figure
Water 2. Water Level Variation in Check Dam Area
level
Figure 2. Watervariation in check
Level Variation in Checkdam area.
Dam Area 200
100
0

Permanent
Solids

Dissolved

Suspended

Hardness
Sulphate
Chloride

Total

Hardness

Hardness
Aug-03 Dec-03 Mar-04 Jun-04 Sep-04 Jan-05 Apr-05 Jul-05 Nov-05 Feb-06

Temp.
solids

Solids

Total
Aug-03 Dec-03 Mar-04 Jun-04 Sep-04 Jan-05 Apr-05 Jul-05 Nov-05 Feb-06
0.00 0.0
0.00 0.0
2.00
2.00 50.0 Parameters
50.0
WATER LEVEL (m)

4.00
RAINFALL (mm)
WATER LEVEL (m)

4.00
RAINFALL (mm)

100.0
30-10-2003 24-12-2003 21-04-2004 05-01-2005
6.00
100.0 
6.00
8.00
8.00 150.0
150.0 Figure 5.  Comparison
Figure 5. Comparison of before
of Water Quality waterandquality before
after Artificial andnear
Recharge after
10.00
10.00
200.0 artificial recharge near
Check Damcheck dam well
(observation (observation
CS7) well CS7).
12.00 200.0
12.00
14.00 250.0
14.00 250.0 1,400

Figure 3.  Water level variation in percolationRainfall

pond area.
Waterlevel
1,200

Rainfall Waterlevel 1,000


Values, mg/l

 800
Aug-03Figure
Dec-03 3. Water
Mar-04 Level
Jun-04 Variation
Sep-04 Jan-05inApr-05
Percolation Pond Area
Jul-05 Nov-05 Feb-06 600
15.00
Figure 3. Water Level Variation in Percolation Pond Area 0.0
400
17.00
50.0 200
WATER LEVEL (m)

19.00
0
RAINFALL (mm)

21.00 100.0
Sulphate

Permanent
Solids

Suspended
Dissolved
Chloride

Total

Hardness

Hardness

Hardness
Temp.
solids

Solids

Total

23.00
150.0
25.00

27.00 200.0 Parameters

29.00
250.0
25-07-2003 24-12-2003 21-04-2004 05-01-2005

Rainfall Waterlevel
 Figure
Figure 6.6.  Comparison
Comparison of water
of Water Quality quality
before and before
after Artificial and inafter
Recharge

Figure Figure
4.  Water levelVariation
4. Water Level variation in combined
in Combined Structure Area structure artificial recharge in percolation pond area (observation
Percolation Pond area (observation well PO4)
well
area. PO4).
 600
500
Values, mg/l

800 400
Vol 700
8 (20) | August 2015 | www.indjst.org 300 Indian Journal of Science and Technology 5
600 200
lues, mg/l

500
100
400
0
300
t
 Effectiveness of Artificial Recharge Structures in Enhancing Groundwater Storage: A Case Study

in the water quality lab of Indian Institute of Technology, 800

Rain/ Natural Recharge, mm

Madras. The samples were collected from six sampling 700
600
points and the analysis results are tabulated in Table 1. 500
400

5.2  Natural Recharge Estimation 300

200

Natural recharge was estimated by water balance method. 100

The various components of water balance were calculated 0

Oct-04

Oct-05
Nov-04

Dec-04

Jan-05

Feb-05

Mar-05

May-05

Jun-05

Jul-05

Nov-05

Dec-05

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06
Sep-04

Sep-05
Apr-05

Aug-05
on a daily basis for each rainfall event and subtracted
from the rainfall, as per the Equation 1. Water balance Months

model was applied on a daily basis and daily recharge Rain, mm Natural recharge, mm

values were calculated, and from these values, monthly
1,400
recharge quantities were calculated by summation of FigureFigure
8.  8.Monthly
Monthly Variation in Natural Recharge by Water Balance Method
variation in natural recharge by water
1,200
daily
1,000 recharges. Figure 8 shows the monthly variation in
balance method.
5000
Values, mg/l

natural
800 recharge by water balance method along with the
corresponding
600 rainfall data. The average annual recharge at Nadiyapattu
4000
was estimated using water level ­fluctuations

Water level, mm
for the study area during the study period came to 256.97
400
method
3000 and mass balance approach.
200
mm0 which was 17.17% of the total rainfall. 2000
5.3.1  Water Level Fluctuation Method
Sulphate

Permanent
Solids

Suspended
Dissolved
Chloride

Total

Hardness

Hardness

Hardness
Temp.
solids

Solids

Total

5.3  Artificial Recharge Estimation 1000

The amount of artificial recharge was estimated using
The quantity recharged after construction of artificial
Parameters both 0the water level fluctuation method and the mass bal-
Sep-04 Nov-04 Jan-05 Mar-05 May-05 Jul-05 Sep-05 Nov-05 Jan-06 Mar-06
recharge structures25-07-2003
such as check dams,21-04-2004
24-12-2003 check dams with
05-01-2005 ance method, on a daily basis. Water level fluctuations in
Time period

recharge well and percolation pond with ­percolation wells the observation wells give the combined effect of artificial
Rain Natural Recharge Artificial Recharge
Figure 6. Comparison of Water Quality before and after Artificial Recharge in
and natural recharge. Average monthly water levels were 
Percolation Pond area (observation well PO4) calculated
Figure 9. from the Increase
Water Level daily duedata. WaterRecharge
to Artificial level indata
Checkbefore
Dam Area
the construction of artificial recharge structures was
600
500
subtracted from the water level data in the same obser-
vation well after the construction of artificial recharge
Values, mg/l

400
300 structures. The average increase in water levels due to
200
artificial recharge was determined at the check dam area,
100
0 percolation pond area and the combined structure area.
The increase in groundwater level is an indication of the
Permanent
Solids

Dissolved

Suspended

Hardness

Hardness
Sulphate
Chloride

Total

Hardness
Temp.
solids

Total
Solids

volume of water added to the groundwater reservoir.

Parameters The results are discussed in the following section on the
30-10-2003 24-12-2003 21-04-2004 05-01-2005 ­structure wise.


Figure 7.  Comparison

Figure 7. Comparison of water
of Water Quality quality
before and before
after Artificial and inafter
Recharge 5.3.1.1  Check Dam Area
artificial recharge
Combined in combined structure area (observation
Structure area (observation well CS6) The monthly water level before the construction of check
well CS6).
 dam was subtracted from the monthly water level values
after the construction to get the effective increase in water
Table 1.  Surface water quality in monsoon season in
level due to artificial recharge. A graphical representa-
the study area
tion of rainfall, natural recharge and artificial recharge in
Sl. No Parameters Sample Sample Sample Sample Sample Sample
the check dam area is given in Figure 9. The contribution
1 2 3 4 5 6
from natural recharge is negligibly small in the study area
1 PH 6.3 6.3 6.7 6.3 6.4 6.7
­compared to the contribution from artificial recharge.
2 EC μmho 15.3 13.5 33.8 32.9 97.8 29.5
It was observed that there was an average water level
3 TDS mg/l 9.7 8.64 21.63 21.05 62.58 18.85
increase of 1 m and 4 m due to artificial recharge near the
4 TSS mg/l 11288 5987 1249 4232 1970 5132 check dam in the first and second year respectively.

6 Vol 8 (20) | August 2015 | www.indjst.org Indian Journal of Science and Technology
 No

De

Ja

Fe

Ap

Ma

Ju

No

De

Ja

Fe
Se

Se
Au
J
O

O
M

M
Months

Rain, mm Natural recharge, mm


Marykutty Abraham and S. Mohan
Figure 8. Monthly Variation in Natural Recharge by Water Balance Method

5000 wells in the vicinity of the combined structure area. The

4000 small percolation pond constructed in the area dur-
Water level, mm

ing the first phase of construction was extended in the

3000
second phase during April 2005. Due to this, the heavy
2000 rains in November 2005 could be effectively stored in the
1000 extended pond area and thus contributing for a consider-
able increase in water level in January to March during
0
Sep-04 Nov-04 Jan-05 Mar-05 May-05 Jul-05 Sep-05 Nov-05 Jan-06 Mar-06 the year 2006 shown in Figure 11. In February 2006, the
Time period contribution due to artificial recharge went up to 5.8 m.
Rain Natural Recharge Artificial Recharge
This also explains the contribution of percolation ponds
 in recharging the aquifers.
Figure 9. 9. Water
Figure WaterLevel
level increase
Increase due to due to artificial
Artificial Recharge inrecharge
Check Dam in
Area
check dam area. 5.3.2  Mass Balance Approach
The change in pond water level with time was ­monitored
5.3.1.2  Percolation Pond Area to find the area and volume of storage which in turn
In the percolation pond area, the monthly water level used to estimate the water balance between evaporation
values of the previous year was subtracted from the and recharge from the percolation pond/check dam. For
monthly water level values after the construction of per- ­periods without direct abstraction and rainfall, these
colation pond to get the effective increase in water level data was translated into groundwater recharge rates
due to artificial recharge. A graphical representation of after ­subtracting pan evaporation rates. The water bal-
rainfall, natural recharge and artificial recharge for per-
colation pond area is shown in Figure 10. A considerable 4000

4000
increase in water level in percolation pond area could be 3500
3500
3000
Water level, mm

observed after the construction of recharge structures. In 3000

Water level, mm

2500
the study area, the contribution from natural recharge is 2500
2000

very small when compared to the contribution from arti- 2000

1500

ficial recharge. It can be seen that water table rise due to 1500
1000
1000
artificial recharge is much more than the depth of rain- 500
500
fall in the locality. The rainwater from the nearby areas 0
0Sep-04 Nov-04 Jan-05 Mar-05 May-05 Jul-05 Sep-05 Nov-05 Jan-06 Mar-06

also got collected in these structures and got recharged Sep-04 Nov-04 Jan-05 Mar-05 May-05
Time period
Jul-05 Sep-05 Nov-05 Jan-06 Mar-06

Time period
into the aquifer. It was observed that there was an aver- Rain Natural Recharge Artificial Recharge
age recharge in the range of 2 to 3 m in the observation Rain Natural Recharge Artificial Recharge

wells in the vicinity of the percolation pond. The natu- Figure 10.  Water level increase due to artificial recharge in
Figure 10. Water Level Increase due to Artificial Recharge in Percolation Pond Area
ral recharge process lasted only for a short period after percolation
Figure pondIncrease
10. Water Level area. due to Artificial Recharge in Percolation Pond Area
the rains whereas the effect due to artificial recharge per- 7000

sisted for several months after the rains. The heavy rain 7000
6000
6000
in November 2005 had remarkable contribution for arti-
Water level, mm

5000
Water level, mm

5000
ficially recharging the aquifer. The rise in water level due 4000
4000
to artificial recharge reached nearly 4 m in February 2006 3000
3000
and March 2006, which is two years after the construction 2000
2000
of the structures. 1000
1000
0
0
Sep-04 Nov-04 Jan-05 Mar-05 May-05 Jul-05 Sep-05 Nov-05 Jan-06 Mar-06
5.3.1.3  Combined Structure Area Sep-04 Nov-04 Jan-05 Mar-05 May-05 Jul-05 Sep-05 Nov-05 Jan-06 Mar-06
Time period
Time period
In the combined structure area, the observed ­contribution Rain Natural Recharge Artificial Recharge
Rain Natural Recharge Artificial Recharge
due to artificial recharge was less compared to that of
percolation pond area in the first year. The monthly Figure
Figure 11. LevelWater
11. Water level
Increase increase
due to Artificial due to artificial
Recharge recharge
in Combined Structure in
Area
Figure 11. Water Level Increase due to Artificial Recharge in Combined Structure Area
recharge in 2004 was around 1 m only in the ­observation combined structure area.

 
Vol 8 (20) | August 2015 | www.indjst.org Indian Journal of Science and Technology 7
 Effectiveness of Artificial Recharge Structures in Enhancing Groundwater Storage: A Case Study

ance for a pond can be simplified if losses due to leakage, The basin scale study showed that on an ­average 80-90
abstraction etc. can also be neglected. If the pond is under percent of the change in volume of water got infiltrated
effluent condition in relation to the aquifer, then the water and about 10-20 percent only was lost due to evaporation.
­balance can be written as follows9. This shows that these structures are effective in recharging
the aquifer and the site is favorable for artificial recharge.
Re = DVP / DVCD − E  (3) Recharge effect of different structures by mass balance
approach is given in Table 2. The effect of check dam
Re = Groundwater Recharge.
was less compared to the percolation pond with three
∆Vp= Change in volume of water in the pond.
­percolation wells in recharging the aquifer.
∆VCD = Change in volume of water in the check dam
E = Evaporation.
Under such conditions, the balance between 5.4 Performance Evaluation of Various
­evaporation and groundwater recharge will determine the Structural Arrangements
effectiveness of the artificial recharge scheme on a basin Individual performances of check dam, percolation pond
scale. The responses of individual structural arrangements with three percolation wells and combined structure were
were evaluated based on the data collected once in two evaluated with the help of water level fluctuations and water
days. Recharge was assumed to be distributed uniformly balance method. Head values before and after the construc-
within the recharge structure at rates specified in m3/day/ tion of artificial recharge structures were compared for
m2 of ponding area. The model then calculated water lev- different time periods and the increase in head was noted.
els in the aquifer and volume balances. This basin scale The water level rise obtained after rains due to check
analysis was done for check dams and percolation pond. dam, percolation pond with percolation wells and com-
bined structure in the 1st and 2nd year after the construction
5.3.2.1  Check Dams of the structures was compared individually with that of
The response of check dam was evaluated based on the the water level before the construction of the recharge
data collected once in two days and the average monthly structures. The increase in head due to check dam in
details were obtained. The effect of the check dam in the 1st and 2nd year after artificial recharge is obtained as
recharging the aquifer was computed per unit of pond- 1 m and 4 m respectively. In percolation pond area, an
ing area of the recharge structure. The effectiveness of increase of 2 m and 4 m was observed during the same
check dam is found to be 0.30 m3/square meter of pond- time period. The increase in head at combined structure
ing area/month with 79 percent of the stored water being area was found to be 1 m in the first year and around 5 m
used for recharging the aquifer. This gives individual in the end of second year. In percolation pond area, the
effectiveness of check dam in the study area. Since check increase in water table due to artificial recharge arrange-
dams remain dry during several months in a year the ment was visible after the first rains after the construction
efficiency of check dams in recharging the aquifer was of the recharge structures. The increase in water level near
comparatively low. the combined structure area was not considerable in the
first year. It may be due to the fact that the size of the
5.3.2.2  Percolation Pond with Percolation Wells
The response of percolation pond with three ­percolation Table 2.  Effectiveness of various recharge
wells were evaluated for data collected once in two days arrangements by mass balance approach
and the average monthly details were tabulated. The Sl. No. Recharge Effectiveness Inference
effect of the percolation pond arrangement was assessed arrangement
per unit of ponding area of the recharge structure. The 1 Check dam 0.30 m3/sq.m There is no other recharge
average effect of percolation pond with three percolation of ponding structure in the proximity
wells arrangement was obtained as 0.69 m3/square meter area/month of the check dam.
of ponding area/month. The volume of water ­contributed 2 Percolation 0.69 m3/sq.m Percolation pond with
for the recharge of the aquifer was worked out to be 92 pond with 3 of ponding percolation wells had good
percent of the ponding water in the case of percolation percolation area/month impact on increasing the
pond with percolation wells arrangement. wells recharge capacity.

8 Vol 8 (20) | August 2015 | www.indjst.org Indian Journal of Science and Technology
 Marykutty Abraham and S. Mohan

initial pond in the combined structure area was small in collected from wells within the influence zone and the
the first year and extended to the size of the other pond fluctuations were analyzed before and after artificially
only in the second year. Unlike the pond area, the mound recharging the aquifer. Water level fluctuations and water
below the check dam went down after a short period, as balance approaches were used to quantify the individual
the ponding was not perennial. and combined effectiveness of various artificial recharge
The performances of check damand percolation pond structures in recharging the groundwater aquifer.
with three percolation wells in recharging the aquifer From the results of the study, it can be concluded that
were evaluated using a mass balance approach, by sub- among the different artificial recharge structures studied,
tracting the evaporation losses from the change in volume the percolation pond with percolation wells was found
of ponding in the recharge structure. The effectiveness of to be more effective in recharging the surface water into
artificial recharge due to a single check dam was found the aquifer. Combined structure was also very effec-
to be 0.30 m3/square meter of ponding area/month. The tive after the expansion of the percolation pond. It was
effect of percolation pond with three percolation wells was observed that groundwater quality has considerably
obtained as 0.69 m3/square meter of ponding area/month. improved by artificial recharge as evident from the anal-
The percentages of the volume of water contributed for ysis of different water quality parameters, namely total
recharge of the aquifer was worked out to be 79 percent dissolved solids and hardness. Maximum water quality
and 92 percent for check dam and percolation pond with improvement was near the percolation pond area. The
percolation wells respectively. Mass balance study showed average annual natural recharge was found to be 17.17%
that the structures were effective in recharging the aquifer of rainfall during the study period. The maximum water
and the sites were favorable. The effect of check dam was level increase was found to be around 4 m, 4 m and
less compared to the percolation pond with three percola- 5.8 m respectively for check dam, percolation pond with
tion wells in recharging the aquifer. three percolation wells and combined structure arrange-
Groundwater quality improvement after artificial ment after two years of artificial recharge. The recharge
recharge near check dam, percolation pond and combined rate of a check dam alone and percolation pond with three
structure areas were analyzed from samples collected percolation wells were estimated as 0.30 m3/m2 of pond-
during pre and post monsoon period. Remarkable water ing area/month and 0.69 m3/m2 of ponding area/month
quality improvement was noticed after artificial rechar- respectively. Mass balance approach showed that on an
gein the case of TDS and hardness. It was found that the average 80-90 percent of the change in volume in the case
concentration levels did not rise after the construction of ponding structures was contributing to the recharging of
of recharge structures even in the dry months. From the the aquifer rather than being lost to evaporation. An aver-
samples analyzed it was found that quality improvement age increase in water level of 2 to 3 m was noticed after two
was maximum near the percolation pond area followed years of artificial recharge in most places in the study area.
by check dam area and combined structure area. Quality It was also observed that there was considerable variation
parameters could be collected only up to one year after of water level with time and location. From the study it was
the construction of recharge structures. This can be the found that artificial recharge is a viable solution for sus-
reason for the poor groundwater quality improvement in tainable development of water resources in general and for
the case of combined structure areas where water level rise the development of g­ roundwater resources in particular.
was considerable in the second year. It was observed that
there was 50 to 80 percent reduction in the concentration
of TDS in most of the observation wells considered. 7.  References
1. Sophocleous MA. Combining the soil-water balance and
6.  Conclusions water-level fluctuation methods to estimate natural ground-
water recharge-practical aspects. Journal of Hydrology.
The effectiveness of different artificial recharge 1991 May; 124(3-4):229–41.
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percolation wells and combined structure were ­evaluated incorporating runoff from mountainous areas in an alluvial
through the field pilot scale experimental studies and basin in the Great Basin regions of the South Eastern United
reported in this paper. Water level and quality data were States. Ground Water. 2001 Nov-Dec; 39(6):807–18.

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 Effectiveness of Artificial Recharge Structures in Enhancing Groundwater Storage: A Case Study

3. Rushton KR, Eilers VHM, Carter RC. Improved soil 10. Sayana VBM, Arunbabu E, Mahesh Kumar L, Ravichandran
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Appendix

Notation
E Evaporation RO Observation well at Recharge area
EC Electrical Conductivity RW Recharge Well
ET Evapotranspiration Re Recharge
l liter TDS Total Dissolved Solids
m Meter TSS Total Suspended Solids
mg milligram ∆VP Change in volume of water in the Pond
PO Percolation pond area Observation well ∆VCD Change in volume of water in the Check
PW Percolation Well Dam

10 Vol 8 (20) | August 2015 | www.indjst.org Indian Journal of Science and Technology