In September 2017, WaterWorld reported that Oman's Public Authority for Electricity & Water (PAEW) had tendered a pre-feasibility study on aquifer storage and recovery (ASR). Consultancies were asked to assess whether water could be banked in aquifers on a large scale and pumped back when needed. According to the authority, desalinated water mostly needed only disinfection after storage. PAEW saw possible savings compared with building new desalination plants or concrete reservoirs. In Abu Dhabi, German firm Dornier Consulting was already studying ASR.
The report showed that Gulf utilities were looking beyond new desalination capacity at the time, exploring ways to hold desalinated water underground for peak demand and emergencies.
Source: WaterWorld