| Resulting from demands of the increasing population and temporal variability in precipitation, there is a need to store water during wet periods to meet demands during dry summer months in arid and semi-arid regions. Technologies for storing water in aquifers such as Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wells are therefore actively being considered. However, incorporation of ASR technology as part of the regional water resources portfolio has been limited by the lack of tools to assess its suitability. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to conceive and design a combined simulation-optimization based decision support system (DSS) intended to promote evaluation of feasibility of ASR systems during regional water planning endeavors. This dissertation: introduces mathematical and foundational concepts relevant to ASR systems; discusses the role and provides the tools for integrating water supply variability into the DSS; demonstrates the relevance of hydro-geochemical reactions and provides a blueprint for characterizing and accounting for these reactions into the DSS; and, provides an accurate and efficient approach to minimize risk associated with hydro-geochemical reaction in the subsurface. Theoretical concepts introduced in this dissertation are illustrated using a case-study in the City of Corpus Christi, Texas. |
