Groundwater is a strategic resource for agricultural water security, but local availability may be weakened by withdrawals, dry periods and climate change, even in regions commonly perceived as water abundant. This thesis assesses the relevance and preliminary feasibility conditions of a system coupling rainwater harvesting (RWH) with managed aquifer recharge (MAR) in a Quebec agricultural context, with an application to Montérégie. The work first reviews the scientific, technical and operational foundations of MAR and RWH, including their benefits, limitations, implementation requirements and monitoring needs. It then develops a regional preselection approach based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). The MACBETH method is used to structure and weight hydrogeological, surface-related and management criteria, which are then integrated into a spatial suitability map. The results show a contrasted distribution of implementation potential across Montérégie. Nearly 9% of the territory is classified as very suitable, approximately 36% as suitable and slightly more than 29% is excluded because of constraints or incompatibilities. The most suitable sectors are mainly associated with agricultural land use, gentle slopes and hydrogeological conditions favourable to infiltration and temporary subsurface storage. This spatial analysis is complemented by numerical modelling using COMSOL Multiphysics to support the preliminary sizing of a pilot system composed of a roof catchment area, a gabion storage structure and an infiltration well. The simulations assess the influence of rainfall events, roof areas, gabion dimensions and soil hydraulic properties on the fraction of harvested water that can be infiltrated. The results show that recharge potential depends on the balance between collected water volume, temporary storage capacity, soil permeability and rainfall dynamics. Overall, this thesis provides an integrated framework to guide local investigations, refine design requirements and prepare a future RWH–MAR pilot project in Montérégie, under operational field conditions in southern Quebec’s agricultural landscapes.
| Date | 20 Aug 2026 |
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| Original language | French |
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| Awarding Institution | - École de technologie supérieure
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| Supervisor | Janie Masse-Dufresne (Supervisor) & Florent Barbecot (Co-supervisor) |
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Nardini, S. (Author),
Masse-Dufresne (Supervisor) & Barbecot (Co-supervisor),
20 Aug 2026Student thesis: Master's thesis › Master in Engineering: Construction Engineering