NGWA Outstanding Groundwater Supply Project Award Recipient
GLA wholly owned subsidiary, Daniel B. Stephens & Associates, Inc., has been selected as this year’s recipient of the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) Outstanding Groundwater Supply Project Award in recognition of work on the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority’s Drinking Water Treatment Plan (DWTP) Large-Scale Recharge Project.
According to the NGWA’s website, “The Outstanding Groundwater Project Awards recognize member innovation and contributions affecting groundwater supply, protection, remediation, and awareness. The Groundwater Supply Award recognizes outstanding science, engineering, and/or contractor innovation in the area of supplying groundwater.” The presentation of awards will occur during the 2020 NGWA Groundwater Week taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, December 8-10, 2020. Read more about this prestigious award.
The project is designed to recharge surface water, specifically San Juan-Chama (SJC) Project water, to the Middle Rio Grande basin aquifer using two methods: (1) direct injection using an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) well, and (2) infiltration using a vadose zone well. The Water Authority contracted with DBS&A to permit, design, and oversee the construction of the Large-Scale Recharge Demonstration Project at the site of the existing SJC Drinking Water Treatment Plant (DWTP).
According to DBS&A Hydrogeologist and Project Manager Amy Ewing, PG, “The Water Authority is implementing managed aquifer recharge (MAR) projects to allow for conjunctive management of surface water and groundwater resources using San Juan-Chama (SJC) to recharge the Santa Fe Group aquifer system of the Middle Rio Grande Basin with project water imported from the Colorado River Basin and diverted from the Rio Grande to establish a long-term drought reserve.” The Water Authority’s 100-year water plan, Water2120, includes aquifer storage and recovery as a critical component in addressing future water supply needs, especially considering impacts due to climate change. Learn more about the project.
The Water Authority’s Water Resources Division Manager, Katherine Yuhas, wrote in recognition of “…the exemplary work that DBS&A contributed to this project. Our organizations worked very closely together on all phases of the project, and the Water Authority plans to install more ASR wells in the future to maximize storage of our San Juan-Chama water, create a drought reserve, and restore groundwater levels in the Albuquerque Basin.”
Learn more about GLA’s water recharge, reuse, and recycling services.
