Addressing the Risks of Viruses in MAR

Program Description:
Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) to enhance water supply resiliency is of growing interest worldwide. Among the ongoing topics of concern are risks from viruses in source waters for MAR, particularly with the increased use of treated wastewater. Experts from both the U.S. and Europe will discuss the state of the science of virus deactivation in soil-groundwater systems and implications for MAR policies and regulations. Factors affecting virus deactivation will be addressed, including the relative importance of residence time vs travel distance, the effects of geologic and geochemical setting, and differences among surface spreading, well injection, and riverbed filtration. Both the state of the practice and research needs to further enhance MAR will be discussed.