The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Sept. 9 that $2 million in research funding to the University of California, Berkeley for the development of a tool supporting enhanced aquifer recharge.

The enhanced aquifer recharge (EAR) management strategy uses excess surface water to replenish and supplement existing groundwater supplies for storage and reuse, a news release said. The use of too much groundwater can affect water quality and security. The university will working to develop a cost-benefit tool for a safe, cost-effective water management strategy, the release states.

EPA’s $2 million grant to UC Berkeley through the EPA’s Science to Achieve Results program will go for research “to improve understanding of the life-cycle analysis of EAR and help decision-makers understand the costs and benefits of pursuing EAR strategies,” the grant website said.

“This research plays a vital role in helping ensure access to clean water in our communities, particularly as we adapt to the challenges of climate change,” said EPA Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman in the release. “This analysis will advance EPA’s clean water initiatives, resulting in improvements to public health and our environment.”

Michael Kiparsky, water program director at the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at UC Berkeley School of Law, said in the release that the effort will ”lower barriers to widespread adoption of recharge at a national scale.”

“Our interdisciplinary team is thrilled about the opportunity to work toward greater adoption of recharge as an element of water security,” Kiparsky said. “Our approach exemplifies our commitment to facilitating on-the-ground impact and implementation, and builds directly on the experience or our team, and on engagement with experts and stakeholders around the country.”