Soil Aquifer Treatment

The Water Reuse in the Alice project plans to use an innovative water treatment and storage system called Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT).

Once the recycled water is treated at a dissolved air flotation plant at the waste stabilisation ponds, it will be pumped to the Arid Zone Research Institute where it will fill the soil aquifer treatment basins.

The water will infiltrate through the basins and settle underground in a naturally formed aquifer. This aquifer will not affect other water supplies.

By storing the water underground there are many benefits, such as:

• No water loss through evaporation
• No mosquito breeding
• Water is further treated during the infiltration process
• Water can be stored underground for many years and pumped out when it is most needed.

Hydro-geologists the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and The Arts, together with leading water recycling experts from the CSIRO conducted extensive research and testing in Alice Springs on Soil Aquifer Treatment systems and found it would be suitable.

Soil Aquifer Treatment systems have been used successfully in other countries for decades now.