The term Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) describes the intentional recharge (and storage) of water into an aquifer for subsequent recovery or for environmental benefits. MAR is used to store and treat water in an appropriate aquifer from a variety of sources, including river water, reclaimed water, desalinated seawater, rainwater or even groundwater from other aquifers. MAR is a cross-cutting technology equally applicable to drinking water and wastewater treatment and can be easily combined with engineered treatment systems. With an appropriate pre-treatment prior to recharge and post-treatment after recovery (if necessary),  MAR may be used as a drinking water supply, as process water for industry, for irrigation, and for sustaining groundwater dependent ecosystems. Already for many years, the technology is applied on village as well as city scale. However, it still offers more opportunities for water suppliers who have not yet adopted MAR. Aquifers have been used to store and treat water for centuries. With climate change and increasing pressures on water resources through various factors, safe and reliable storage and treatment of water in the subsurface will gain more attention in the near future. The wide range of applications of the different MAR technologies are illustrated in the figure.

MAR must be adapted to local hydrogeological conditions as well as to the source water type and the required end-use. It must also be adapted to the specific conditions of the capture zone. Lastly, MAR must be implemented within the existing legal and water management framework. According to Dillon et al. (2010), each MAR type is described by seven components as shown in the figure.