DOI: 10.25497/d7gk5j
title: CERP Hillsboro Aquifer Storage and Recovery Pilot - PROJ 34

description: The objective of the Western Hillsboro ASR Pilot Project is to test the feasibility of utilizing ASR technology for storage at this site and other sites identified in the CERP. Information gained from the pilot project will be used to develop an operating plan for the system, to refine the long-term operational goals of these and other ASR wells at the site, and to provide insight for future ASR projects, which may be constructed for similar purposes. Results from the pilot project will also be useful in determining the feasibility of utilizing ASR technology at other locations, especially within the SFWMD's Lower East Coast Planning Region. Information to be collected and analyzed during construction and testing of the ASR wells will include: â ¢ Hydrogeologic data from potential storage intervals and confining layers â ¢ Recommendation of the most suitable ASR storage interval(s) â ¢ Quantification of recharge and recovery rates â ¢ Recovery efficiency and delivery potential of the ASR system under differing operating conditions â ¢ Water quality of the source water (surficial aquifer and surface water) â ¢ Water quality of the upper FAS â ¢ Water quality changes in the upper FAS due to ASR storage â ¢ Water quality of the recovered water after storage â ¢ Optimization of techniques to maintain water quality via groundwater collection designs The Western Hillsboro ASR Pilot Project is located along the Hillsboro Canal in southern Palm Beach County. More specifically, it is located at the southern end of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (LNWR), also known as Water Conservation Area (WCA) No.1, where it intersects with the northeastern comer of WCA No.2 (Figure 1). The 1,660-acre tract north of the Hillsboro Canal is SFWMD-owned, and has been used for improved pasture, nursery stock and aggregate mining. The majority of the site, with the exception of the western-most comer, is currently leased. The leased activities include cattle grazing, and may be expanded to include outdoor entertainment (e.g., skeet shooting, fly-fishing, etc.). In the CERP, the Western Hillsboro site is ultimately planned to contain a 2,460-acre surface water impoundment (by addition of 800 acres south of the Hillsboro Canal) as shown in Figure 2. The completed ASR pilot project is anticipated to consist of the following components: â ¢ Three ASR wells completed into the upper FAS, each with an anticipated capacity of 5 million gallons per day (mgd). â ¢ A surface water collection system that will supply water to the ASR system. The source of the surface water (e.g., Hillsboro Canal) will depend on water quality testing. â ¢ A 50-acre pilot impoundment that will be constructed and tested in conjunction with the ASR pilot project. â ¢ A groundwater collection system consisting of horizontal wells constructed along the perimeter and underneath the pilot impoundment. The horizontal wells will supply water to the ASR system. The water will be a combination of seepage from the pilot impoundment and groundwater from the Surficial Aquifer System (SAS). â ¢ A pre-recharge water treatment facility, if deemed necessary based on water quality testing â ¢ A pre-discharge water treatment facility (for water recovered from the ASR wells, prior to discharge into a canal or impoundment). â ¢ Piping between the source water collection system, the ASR wells, and discharge point(s) â ¢ Surface facilities (e.g., pumps, valves, meters, instrumentation, etc.) to operate and monitor the system. â ¢ Associated monitor wells (FAS and SAS) A proposed layout of the Western Hillsboro ASR Pilot Project is shallow horizontal wells, in association with a pilot impoundment, as the source water to the ASR wells for storage. Surface water may also be used as a source instead of, or in addition to, the horizontal wells. In this case, a surface water collection facility will be located at the most-appropriate location based on water quality. Locations of the ASR wells, monitor wells, and placement of the horizontal wells are conceptual. The actual locations of these features will be determined through the project formulation process. The ultimate layout of the pilot project features will also need to consider the ultimate designof the full-scale impoundment and ASR system at the site.