Germasogeia riverbed artificial groundwater recharge in Cyprus

General

National Id:

Cyprus_02

Site name:

Germasogeia river, Limassol

Summary:

Germasogeia river (also known as Amathos river) crosses the premises of Germasogeia municipality, close to the city of Limassol on the south end of Cyprus. The aim of the measure implementation is to enable natural purification of water and recharge of Germasogeia aquifer, processes that were disrupted by the construction of an upstream dam. This is succeeded by gradually releasing water from the upstream dam and maintaining the high transmissivity of the riverbed.

NUTS Code:

Κύπρος (Kýpros)

RBD code:

CY001

Transboundary:

Data provider:

Ayis Iacovides, I.A.CO

Source(s):

Artificial groundwater recharge practice in Cyprus: The Yermasoyia aquifer.

Conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources of the Yermasoyia River Basin in Cyprus

Conjunctive use of the Germasogeia Riverbed Aquifer and Germasogeia Dam for water supply

Evaluation of the operation of Yermasoyia surface and groundwater reservoirs using environmental isotopes

One-dimensional Groundwatyer simulation model of the Yermasoyia river aquifer

NWRM(s) implemented in the case study:

Restoration of natural infiltration to groundwater

Longitude:

33.084036

Latitude:

34.742003

Site information

Climate zone:

warm temperate dry

Mean rainfall:

615

Mean rainfall unit:

mm/year

Average temperature:

16,5

Mean evaportranspiration:

1230

Mean evaportranspiration unit:

mm/year

Mean runoff:

143,5

Mean runoff unit:

450 - 600 mm

Average runoff coefficient:

0,230000004172325

Average imperviousness:

Type:

Case Study Info

Light or indepth?:

Light

Average slope range:

1.0

Vegetation class:

Bare river bed with disperds reedbeds

Monitoring maintenance

Monitoring impacts effects:

Administrative annual cost information:

Estimated Costs for the operation of the measure (Scientific staff and field assistants (at 10% of their annual time) not including drilling and construction but including travelling and analytical costs are about 18000€/year.

Performance

Performance impact estimation method:

Catchment outlet

Performance impact estimation information:

Monitoring included: surface water released, flow in stream monitored by four weirs 700 m apart, groundwater pumping, water-table fluctuation through 43 observation wells, samples for chemical analysis to monitor sea intrusion and a groundwater model.

Biophysical impacts

Retained water:

7,09999990463257

Retained water unit:

mio m3/month

Information on retained water:

The number given refers to monthly average infiltrated water (1982-87) between weirs 700m apart (or 1400 m length) and a riverbed of 50 m width.

Increased water storage:

5,90000009536743

Increased water storage unit:

mio m3/year

Information on increased water storage:

The number refers to average annual quantity pumped (1982-88) from the aquifer as a result of the artificial recharge plus losses from the upstream reservoir.

Runoff reduction:

188

Runoff reduction unit:

% Percent

Information on runoff reduction:

The number refers to the ratio of extraction of 1988 to that of 1982

Water quality overall improvements:

Positive impact-WQ improvement

Information on Water quality overall improvements:

Chloride in time for selected wells in the delta area is used as index to the extent of sea intrusion. This fluctuates in response to the recharge releases and to prolonged periods of extraction without recharge. No deterioration trend is observed.

Soil quality overall soil improvements:

Neutral impact-no change in SQ status

Information on Soil quality overall soil improvements:

Water is released in the active normally dry riverbed. The fresh water is free of sediments being water stored in reservoir, thus no detrimental effect is noticed on infiltration rate.

Lessons, risks, implications...

Key lessons:

Germasogeia is a typical river alluvial aquifer in Cyprus. Natural recharge depends on releases from an upstream reservoir or from water imported from elsewhere (Kouris Dam). The application†™s main lessons are: a) the aquifer is used as a natural water treatment plant of fresh surface water, b) the water demand is covered with groundwater of acceptable quality, c) the aquifer is protected from sea intrusion and, d) groundwater losses to the sea are minimized due to regulation of pumping and recharge.

Financing mechanism:

Financing difficulties:

Success factor(s):

Type	Role	Comments
Existing staff and consultant knowledge	main factor	Studies and good knowledge of aquifer response. Models and trial releases are needed
Attitude of relevant stakeholders	secondary factor

Financing:

Type	Comments
National funds

Barrier:

Type	Role	Comments
Limited staff and consultant knowledge	secondary barrier	Demanding practice requiring good hydrogeologic knowledge of system to fine tune releases.
Attitude of decision makers	secondary barrier

Driver:

Type	Role	Comments
Legal obligations	main driver	Downstream user rights affected by construction of Germasogeia dam together with increasing water demand
Organisation committed to it	secondary driver

Financing share:

Share type	Share	Comments
National funds	100

Socio-economic

Direct benefits information:

The aquifer is used as a natural water treatment plant. By the regulation of the aquifer a) the water demand with groundwater of acceptable quality is met, b) sea intrusion is controlled and groundwater losses to the sea are minimized.

Ancillary benefits information:

Defertment of additional works to meet growing water supply demand (desalination, treatment works, drilling for wells etc.) Reduced cost of water supply to consumer.

Costs capital:

38000

Costs capital information:

Estimated costs for drilling of 5 observation boreholes (2500€each) equipped with water level recorders (1000€ each) and construction of 4 weirs at every 700 m along the riverbed (3000€each) with recorders (1500€each). Earthworks within riverbed (2500€).

Costs operational:

6000

Costs operational information:

Estimated expenses 6000€/year Dam Attendant for releases and Technician for operating weirs and carrying out monitoring. Assumed 20% of their time per year. No cost of fresh water is assumed.

Costs maintenance:

3500

Costs maintenance information:

2500€/year for earthworks within riverbed. 1000€/year to maintain recorders, wells and water meters.

Costs total information:

No costs for the upstream reservoir or for the pumping wells are considered. Estimated costs are of the order of 60000€ for observation wells, weirs, earthworks, and initial studies by hydrologists and engineers.

Economic costs additional:

7500

Information on Economic costs additional:

Estimated cost for staff for evaluating results of the measure and planning of its further implementation being about 7500 €.

Ecosystem improved biodiversity:

Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity:

Riparian vegetation as habitat has improved.

Ecosystem provisioning services:

Information on Ecosystem provisioning services:

By 1988 the overall extraction for domestic water supply 65% of which was for meeting part of the needs of Limassol town, and the total needs of 4 nearby communities increased by 90% compared to that prior of the measure in 1982.

Ecosystem impact climate regulation:

No specific impact

Information on Ecosystem impact climate regulation:

It can be said that some impact of the measure may have to do with reduction of energy use and GHGs (desalination, treatment etc.)

Ecosystem erosion control:

Information on Ecosystem erosion control:

Erosion control is impacted by the dam reservoir existing upstream the NWRM.

Policy, general governance and design targets

Policy description:

Natural recharge disrupted by upstream reservoir is reconstituted by releases and artificial recharge to maintain pumping of groundwater for domestic water supply to communities in the area. Conjunctive use of water sources increases available supply.

Part of wider plan:

Policy pressure:

Policy requirement directive:

Policy impact:

Policy wider plan:

Wider plan type	Wider plan focus	Name	Comments
		Drinking water supply

Policy area:

Policy target:

Target purpose
Groundwater Recharge
Increase Water Storage
Pollutants Removal
Oher Societal Benefits

Design & implementations

Application scale:

River

Installation date:

1982-03

Age:

Performance timescale:

< 1 year

Area (ha):

192

Size:

5000

Size unit:

Design capacity description:

15000 - 25000m3/d of water released, on average

Max water retention capacity:

730000

Max water retention capacity unit:

m3/month

Runoff treatment capacity:

Runoff treatment capacity unit:

mm/month

Constraints:

A streambed aquifer of high transmissivity and large storage coefficient is required. High infiltration capacity is also needed of the riverbed to enable recharge to occur. Low or free from sediment surface water will maintain infiltration rates.

Favourable preconditions:

Availability of surface water (reservoir), need for increased recharge due to use of aquifer, suitable hydrogeologic conditions of streambed aquifer such as high infiltration capacity and permaeability coupled with high storage coefficient.

Inflow volume:

0,5

Inflow volume unit:

mio m3/day

Public consultation:

Contractural arrangements:

Design contractual arrangement:

Design consultation activity:

Design land use change:

Land use change type
Beaches, dunes, sands

Design authority:

Authority type	Role	Responsibility	Name	Comments
National water authority	Implementation		Water development Department

Last updated: 12 Jan 2015 | Top

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Germasogeia riverbed artificial groundwater recharge in Cyprus

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