In Central Europe groundwater is the dominant drinking water source. Climate change causes negative effects on availabilities of groundwater resources. Main reasons for these effect in central Europe are alteration in rainfall intensity and frequency leading to an increased variation in the discharge of rivers, extended periods of drought and short intense rainfalls. These effects are expected to substantially intensify within the next decades.

The ERDF Interreg Central Europe project DEEPWATER-CE aims at developing solutions to these challenges by exploring the possibilities of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR). MAR is a viable approach of collecting excess surface water and precipitation in periods characterized with water abundance and storing it for dry times in aquifers.

Building on results of relevant previous FP7 and H2020 projects, 8 Partners from 5 CE countries, will work together. In the framework of the project, an integrated environmental management approach for water resources and adoption of MAR is developed. Firstly, a cross-sectoral stakeholder analysis is conducted to involve national relevant parties involved in MAR application, related to the project. Then a collection of good practice and a benchmarking analysis of existing MAR projects is conducted. This provides a baseline of knowledge to develop a transnational assessment methodology for decision making on tailored MAR locations in Central Europe. By using this methodology, four pilot sites in porous aquifers will be selected to investigate different environmental stresses on MAR. In Hungary, porous aquifers in a floodplain alluvial system will be chosen to investigate the utilization of enhanced groundwater resources for irrigation. In Poland, a porous aquifer system close to industrial areas will be chosen to investigate the risk of contamination. In Slovakia, porous aquifers in a region characterized by agricultural land use will be chosen to investigate situations of water scarcity (soil water deficits and low groundwater recharge). In Croatia, aquifers in a semiarid karst area are chosen to determine the risk of low water availability and potential salinization.

The team at the Chair of Hydrogeology is work package leader for the pilot feasibility studies. Research tasks for the Chair of Hydrogeology will focus on characterizing water flow in the unsaturated and saturated zone at the different pilot sites by stable water isotope techniques and modelling. The models will be calibrated and validated with field data from pilot experiments.

Project start: 01.05.2019

Project end: 30.04.2022

The project is funded by the ERDF Interreg Central Europe Program and co-financed by Hungary.

Project title: Developing an integrated implementation framework for Managed Aquifer Recharge solutions to facilitate the protection of Central European water resources endangered by climate change and user conflict 

Projekt acronym: CE1464 DEEPWATER-CE

Projekt overall budget: 1.771.535,96 €

Project start: 01.05.2019

Project end: 30.04.2022

The project is funded by the ERDF Interreg Central Europe Program and co-financed by Hungary.

Project title: Developing an integrated implementation framework for Managed Aquifer Recharge solutions to facilitate the protection of Central European water resources endangered by climate change and user conflict 

Projekt acronym: CE1464 DEEPWATER-CE

Projekt overall budget: 1.771.535,96 €

  • Mining and Geological Survey of Hungary
  • Geogold Kárpátia Ltd.
  • Państwowe Gospodarstwo Wodne „Wody Polskie” (State Water Holding „Polish Waters”; PL)
  • Technische Universtität München (Technical University of Munich; DE)
  • Uniwersytet Śląski (University of Silesia in Katowice; PL)
  • Výskumný ústav vodného hospodárstva (Water Research Institute; SK)
  • Vodovod i kanalizacija d.o.o. Split (Split Water and Sewerage Company Ltd.; HR)
  • Hrvatski geološki institut (Croatian Geological Survey; HR)
  • Tarnowskie Wodociagi Sp. z.o.o. (Tarnów Waterworks; PL)
  • General Directorate of Water Management (HU)
  • Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione e Protezione Ambientale del Veneto (Veneto Regional Agency for Environmental Protection; IT)
  • International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (NL)
  • Hrvatske vode (Croatian Waters; HR)

Budapest 2020_02_25-26

Budapest_2019_06_11-12

Katowice_2019_11_ 20-21

Stakeholder meeting_2019_10_14

In the last few weeks we organized two online trainings in the framework of Interreg Central Europe project DEEPWATER-CE which is aims at developing solutions to reduce the negative effects on availabilities of groundwater resources casued by the climate change by exploring the possibilities of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) in Central-Europe.

The first and second training was organised successfully online via Zoom with the support of the Lead Partner, the Mining and Geological Survey of Hungary (MBFSZ).

The aim of the first training was to provide comprehensive information on MAR principles and its relevance in tackling climate change impacts and to introduce the best practice examples of MAR schemes worldwide, in Europe and in Hungary. In the second webinar we introduced the decision support toolbox, the evaluation process of MAR suitability and gave an overview on general and specific selection criteria for potential MAR locations.

We can say that during this semester we have made a good progress contacting our Stakeholders due to these online events. We received good feedbacks from the participants through online satisfaction surveys. We can say that the meetings met our expectations even in this challenging situation when personal meetings could not be organized.

In the DEEPWATER-CE project Hungarian partners currently work together to examine the selected pilot area’s natural features (detailed knowledge of the underground terrain), social characteristics and local community demands. GeoGold Kárpátia Ltd. has carried out field geophysical surveys with an aim to get a more accurate picture of the geological conditions of the area. The main goal of the research was to distinguish permeable, semi-permeable and/or impermeable formations, and to survey the potential location of a specific managed aquifer recharge technology, an “underground dam”. The groundwater trapped by this dam in periods characterized by water abundance could serve as a resource for local irrigation in times of drought. More information about the project can be found on our website: https://www.interreg-central.eu/Content.Node/DEEPWATER-CE.html