Seawater intrusion barrier and artificial recharge in the deltaic Llobregat aquifer (Barcelona, Spain)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21701/bolgeomin.120.2.009Keywords:
artificial recharge, hydraulic barrier, Llobregat aquifer, reclaimed water, seawater intrusionAbstract
The main aquifer of the Llobregat Delta (Barcelona, Spain) is affected by seawater intrusion processes since 1970. The Catalan Water Agency is currently promoting several actions of enhanced aquifer recharge, including the construction of a positive hydraulic barrier in order to stop the advance of the seawater intrusion. Such a positive hydraulic barrier works by injecting reclaimed water in 14 wells. This is the first time that a project of this type is performed in Spain, and it is also pioneer in Europe. The positive hydraulic barrier produces the rise of the groundwater head near the coast and avoids seawater penetration inland. The injected reclaimed water comes from the WWTP of the Baix Llobregat after passing through several treatments (ultrafiltration, osmosis and disinfection). The pilot phase of the project has been working during the last 2 years, showing highly positive results. Substantial improvement of the groundwater quality has been observed in wells surrounding the injection points and no clogging has been appeared. The second phase of the project is currently under construction.
Downloads
References
Cazurra, T. 2008. Water reuse of south Barcelona's wastewater reclamation plant. Desalination 218 (2008) 43-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2006.12.019
Custodio, E. 1987. Sea-water intrusion in the Llobregat delta, near Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). Groundwater Problems in Coastals Areas, UNESCO. Studies and Reports in Hydrology nº 45. UNESCO, París: 436-463.
Custodio, E., Cacho, F., Peláez, M.D., García, J.L. 1976. Problemática de la intrusión marina en los acuíferos del delta del Llobregat. II Asamblea Nacional de Geodesia y Geofísica. Seción de Ciencias Hidrológicas. Barcelona.
Custodio, E., Manzano, M. Y Jones, B. (1989). Saline water in Llobregat delta aquifers, Barcelona, Spain. 28th International Geological Congress. Washington D.C. Abstracts: 3.288-3.289.
Gámez, D. 2007. Sequence Stratigraphy as a tool for water resource management in alluvial coastal aquifers: application to the Llobregat delta (Barcelona, Spain). Tesis Doctoral. Department of Geotechnical Engineering and Geo-Sciences (ETCG). Technical University of Catalonia (UPC). 1-177 + An.
Iríbar, V. 1992. Evolución hidroquímica e isotópica de los acuíferos del Baix Llobregat. Tesis Doctoral. Departamento de Geoquímica, Petrología y Prospección Geológica. Universidad de Barcelona.
Iribar, V., J. Carrera, E. Custodio y A. Medina, 1997. Inverse modelling of seawater intrusion in the llobregat delta deep aquifer. Journal of Hydrology, 198 (1-4), pp. 226-247. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1694(96)03290-8
Marqués, M.A. 1984. Las formaciones cuaternarias del delta del Llobregat. Tesis Doctoral. Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad de Barcelona: 1-280.
Ortuño, F.; Niñerola Pla, J.M.; Teijon, G. y Candela, L. 2008. Desarrollo de la primera fase de la barrera hidráulica contra la intrusión marina en el acuífero principal del Delta del Llobregat. IX Simposio de Hidrogeología, Elche (España), 28 a 30 de enero de 2008.
Pavelic, P.; Dillon, P.J.; Barry, K.E.; Vanderzalm, J.L.; Correll, R.L. y Rinck-Pfeiffer, S.M. 2007. Water quality effects on clogging rates during reclaimed water ASR in a carbonate aquifer. Journal of Hydrology 334, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2006.08.009
Payá, E.; Cazurra, T.; Méndez, D.; Reig, B. y Alegría, J. 2006. Proyecto constructivo de las instalaciones contra la intrusión salina en el acuífero del Baix Llobregat -Primera Fase. Tecno Ambiente, 14, (137), pp 15 a 21.
Simó, J.A., D. Gamez, J.M. Salvany, E. Vazquez-Suñé, J. Carrera, A. Barnolas, F.J. Alcala, 2005. Arquitectura de facies de los deltas cuaternarios del río Llobregat, Barcelona, España. Pp. 171-174. Geogaceta, 38, 2005.
Vázquez-Suñé, E., Abarca, E., Carrera, J., Capino, B., Gámez, D., Pool, M., Simó, T., Batlle, F., Niñerola, J.M. e Ibáñez, X. 2006. Groundwater modelling as a tool for the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) application. The Llobregat case. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 31 (17): pp 1015-1029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2006.07.008
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
© CSIC. Manuscripts published in both the print and online versions of this journal are the property of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and quoting this source is a requirement for any partial or full reproduction.
All contents of this electronic edition, except where otherwise noted, are distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. You may read the basic information and the legal text of the licence. The indication of the CC BY 4.0 licence must be expressly stated in this way when necessary.
Self-archiving in repositories, personal webpages or similar, of any version other than the final version of the work produced by the publisher, is not allowed.
