Artificial recharge of the phreatic aquifer in the upper Friuli plain, Italy, by a large infiltration basin

To cope with the general reduction of water availability and increase the subsurface storage of high-quality surficial waters, an artificial recharge project is ongoing in northern Italy within the WARBO LIFE+ Project funded by EU. WARBO is aimed at implementing large-scale use of artificial recharge in Italy where water directives still strongly limit its application. In this context, the Mereto recharge site was selected in the upper Fruili plain where the water availability is guaranteed during winter period by the Tagliamento and Ledra Rivers. An infiltration basin, about 5.5 m deep and 45 × 7 m2 wide, was built at Mereto in the early 2000s but the possibility of implementing the recharge has been allowed only very recently. The site is characterized by an elevation of 105 m asl and the depth to the groundwater table averages 50 m. Below a few meter-thick organic soil, the aquifer is composed by coarse deposits with an estimated thickness of 100 m and an average vertical hydraulic ...