Stable, abundant, and reliable water supply is a core requirement for successful land-based aquaculture of any species. Freshwater (and/or brackish water) supply sources for land-based aquaculture typically come from one or more of three potential sources:
Groundwater is often the favored source of supply due to stable temperature, lack of disinfection by-products, low bio-risk, consistent water quality, and moderate cost to produce.
This session will focus on the most common water supply failure mechanisms at each stage of project development (site selection, design/construction, and operation), as well as provide examples of how to mitigate risk of failure and properly manage groundwater resources at new or existing land-based aquaculture facilities.
Land-based aquaculture facilities have a fundamentally different water need than most other large groundwater users (e.g., municipal, industrial, food & beverage, etc.). Demand at aquaculture facilities is generally constant, increasing stress on wells and the aquifer. As a result, design of groundwater supply for aquaculture needs to be more robust.
During site-selection and due-diligence, adequately characterizing the aquifer, and the wells proposed for use, is paramount. This includes detailed assessment of hydrology and hydrogeology, including accounting for long-term recharge limitations and an adequate factor of safety. Poorly characterized aquifers risk water supply system failures down once operations begin.
During design and construction, wells should be designed for maximum hydraulic efficiency, which reduces pumping costs and maintenance during, particularly in wells that are constantly pumping. Allowances for backup wells (or alternative sources) should also be built to allow for maintenance and equipment failure. Careful design in this stage can help reduce long-term operational costs significantly.
Once operational, well performance and aquifer health should be monitored closely, and maintenance should be planned around the results of the monitoring program. Without adequate monitoring, the risk of well failure increases significantly, and it can often be difficult to understand the causes of well or pump failure when it does occur.