Managed Aquifer Recharge: Unleashing Resiliency, Protecting Groundwater Quality

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Date: April 20- 21, 2027
Virginia Beach, Virginia CEUs: TBA, NGWA is an approved provider for New York State

Overview:

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is an increasingly important tool for addressing water shortages and mitigating their economic, environmental, and public health impacts. While practiced for decades, MAR continues to gain interest as communities seek sustainable water management solutions. Building on the success of NGWA’s previous MAR conferences in San Antonio in 2023 and Denver in 2025, this third conference will bring together groundwater professionals to share technical, regulatory, and institutional insights, lessons learned, and best practices for developing and implementing successful recharge projects.

Call for Papers & Posters

Click here to submit your abstract

Abstracts are solicited on broad aspects of managed aquifer recharge, particularly as they relate to resiliency, regulatory aspects, and managing groundwater quality, including those addressing:

Current science and practices of MAR

  • Types, designs, installation, operation, and maintenance
  • Iterative learning from pilot project to full-scale operation
  • Groundwater basin and watershed management
  • MAR in conjunctive use and groundwater/surface water interactions
  • Maintaining environmental flows and other ecosystem issues
  • Monitoring & project water accounting

Water quality case studies

  • Source water and groundwater compatibility
  • Groundwater protection
  • Geochemical modeling/analysis
  • Water treatment of recharged and recovered water
  • Reuse and recycled water used with MAR
  • Treated produced water
  • Saltwater intrusion
  • Addressing emerging contaminants, such as PFAS, viruses, and microplastics

Managing for resiliency

  • MAR cost and value
  • Source water availability and reliability in a changing climate
  • Stormwater and recycled water as source water
  • Water sufficiency for aquifer recharge and use
  • Local resilience alternatives and planning
  • Addressing environmental justice and underserved communities
  • On-farm recharge and other types of Flood MAR

Regulatory, economic, and institutional environment for MAR

  • Addressing state and local statutory and regulatory programs
  • Federal/state underground injection control program challenges
  • Key elements of state MAR regulatory programs
  • Interagency collaboration, stakeholder engagement
  • Water markets, incentive programs

Abstracts are welcomed for 20-minute oral platform presentations and poster presentations.

The deadline for submission is January 11, 2027.

Fees & Registration

On/before March 26, 2027

  • NGWA member — $575
  • NGWA early career member — $375 
  • Government employee (ID required)* — $575
  • Nonmember — $725
  • Full-time student (ID required) — $175

Starting March 27, 2027

  • NGWA member — $675
  • NGWA early career Member —  $475
  • Government employee (ID required)* — $675
  • Nonmember — $825
  • Full-time student (ID required) — $225

Optional April 22 field trip

  • $135

Please note: Accepted paper/poster/panel presenters will receive 25% off their registration fee; a discount code will be included in the abstract acceptance notification.

*Those registering as a government employee must do so by phone; online registration cannot be accepted.

Team discounts up to 10% available. Click here for more details.

Field Trip

Swift Research Center

  • Cost: $135
  • Time: TBA

The Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) is an innovative water treatment project in eastern Virginia designed to further protect the region’s environment, enhance the sustainability of the region’s long-term groundwater supply and help address environmental pressures such as Chesapeake Bay restoration, sea level rise and saltwater intrusion.

SWIFT takes highly treated water that would otherwise be discharged into the James River and puts it through additional rounds of advanced water treatment to meet drinking water quality standards. The SWIFT Water® is then added to the Potomac Aquifer, the primary source of groundwater throughout eastern Virginia.

Learn more about the initiative HERE.

The SWIFT Research Center:

The SWIFT Research Center, located at HRSD’s Nansemond Treatment Plant, began replenishing the Potomac Aquifer in May 2018. The 1 million-gallon-per-day (MGD) demonstration facility has since delivered over one billion gallons of SWIFT water into the aquifer. It is the first of multiple planned SWIFT facilities. The first full-scale SWIFT facility, located at HRSD’s James River Treatment Plant, will operate at 16 MGD, scheduled to come online in October 2026.

You can virtually tour the Research Center HERE.

Sponsorship Opportunities
Please click here to view available 2027 MAR Conference Sponsorships.
Venue

Embassy Suites by Hilton Oceanfront Resort
4101 Atlantic Drive
Virginia Beach, VA  23451

NGWA Room Block Rate: $189

Embassy Suites provides complimentary breakfast and happy hour for those attendees staying at the hotel.

A direct link to the room block will be provided here soon.