Hazen-Led WRF Project 5217 on Water Quality in Quarry Lakes Published

(DENVER, CO – April 16, 2026) – The Water Research Foundation (WRF) recently published the findings from project #5217, “Evolution and Characterization of Water Quality in Quarry Lakes.” The project was led by Hazen’s Josh Weiss, PhD, PE, Ben Stanford, PhD, and Susheera Pochiraju, PhD, PE as Principal Investigators, along with multiple partnering industry experts, project team members, and research partners.  

The main purpose of this project was to evaluate long-term water quality trends in quarry lake systems in the U.S. and establish how this evolution differs compared to natural lakes and reservoirs. The team studied existing academic research, analyzed national in situ and satellite-based water quality observations, and compiled additional data from multiple utilities supporting the project. This resulted in insights into the factors that influence quarry and gravel pit lake water quality, strategies to support success in these water storage scenarios, and knowledge gaps that require further investigation.  

Utilities across the U.S. are increasingly considering alternative water supply and storage options as they navigate the effects of climate change and population growth in their communities. These alternative options include reclaiming quarries and gravel pits left behind from former mining activities and turning them into artificial lakes—an efficient method for maximizing local resources. But the unique characteristics of quarry and gravel pit lakes—such as their shallow depth—can pose water quality challenges.  

The findings from this project can help utilities and water professionals evaluate the potential impacts of incorporating offline water storage in these artificial lakes. This can be especially relevant for utilities considering recycled water storage as part of indirect potable reuse and surface water augmentation programs. 

In addition to these findings, the project resulted in a new screening tool called QL-FeaST that WRF subscribers can access via the organization’s website and use to help identify local options for potential water storage and explore regional water quality conditions across both reference water bodies and nearby quarry and gravel pit lakes.  

“I hope this will help utilities and water resources agencies evaluate opportunities to repurpose existing resources to improve water supply reliability,” said Dr. Weiss. “We see this project as a first step to build the industry’s knowledge as we get further data and insights, all leading to better understanding of these bodies of water.”

The project team also included multiple Hazen staff—Benjamin Crary, PE, Claire Farmer, Sebastian Otárola-Bustos, PhD, and Scott Braatz—who contributed a diverse array of knowledge to the effort.  

Members of the project team are presenting findings from this project during a WRF webcast on April 28, 2026. Registration for the webcast is open here. For more information and to view final deliverables, visit the WRF website.