Basic Terminologies
Aquifer: is a water-bearing formation (layer) that is saturated and that
transmits large quantities of water. The vertical flow component with
respect to the horizontal component is so small.
Aquitard: is saturated but poorly permeable water-bearing layer in which
horizontal flow component with respect to vertical flow component is so
small. In aquitard, the groundwater flow is assumed to be predominantly
vertical.
Aquiclude: is saturated but relatively impermeable material that does not
yield appreciable quantities of water to wells. In aquiclude, the
groundwater flow is assumed to be zero.
Aquifuge: is relatively impermeable material that is neither containing nor
transmitting water.
Isotropic: an aquifer/aquitard is called isotropic when its hydraulic
conductivity is the same in all directions at a particular location in a layer;
its value is thus independent of orientation.
Homogeneous: an aquifer/aquitard is called homogeneous when its
hydraulic conductivity is the same throughout the layer; its value is thus
independent of the location.
Drawdown: change in observed water level as a function of pumping time
with respect to original water level prior to pumping
Types of Aquifer
Confined aquifer: completely saturated aquifer whose upper and lower
boundaries are aquicludes.
Unconfined aquifer: partly saturated aquifer bounded below by an
aquiclude and above by the free water table or phreatic surface
Leaky aquifer (semi-confined aquifer): completely saturated aquifer that is
bounded below by an aquiclude and above by aquitard.
Drawdown/cone of depression is the difference between the water level at any
time during the test and the original position.
Steady State Radial Flow to a Well
Assumptions (Dupuit’s):
• Cone of depression remains in equilibrium
• The water table is only slightly inclined
• Initial water level is horizontal before pumping
• Flow direction is horizontal
• Slopes of the water table and the hydraulic gradient are equal
• Aquifer: isotropic, homogeneous, uniform thickness and infinite extent
• Well fully penetrating the aquifer
• Well diameter is sufficiently small so that storage within the well can be
neglected
Transient or unsteady state condition
Assumptions:
The aquifer is homogenous, isotropic, uniformly thick, and of infinite areal
extent
Prior to pumping the piezometric surface is horizontal
The fully penetrating well is pumped at constant rate
Flow is horizontal within the aquifer
Storage within the well can be neglected
Water removed from storage responds instantaneously with a declining head
Theis Method
Theis assumed the following :
T is constant during the test to the limits of the cone of depression
The water withdrawn from the aquifer is entirely from the storage
and discharged with the decline in head.
The discharging well penetrates the entire thickness of the aquifer.
the diameter of the well is small relative to the pumping rate so that
the storage in the well is negligible.
Well construction depends on
the flow rate,
depth to groundwater,
geologic condition,
casing material, and
economic factors
Shallow and deep well construction
Shallow well construction
Shallow wells are less than 30 m deep
constructed by
digging,
boring,
driving, or
jetting methods
Shallow well construction
Dug wells: excavated by hand and are vertical wells.
diameter > 0.5 m and depth < 15 m.
Lining and casing :concrete or brick.
Shallow well construction
Driven wells: a series of pipe lengths driven
vertically downward by repeated impacts into the
ground.
diameters 25 – 75 mm
Length below 15 m.
Shallow well construction
Bored wells: constructed with handoperated or power-driven augers.
Diameters of 25 to 900 mm
depths up to 30 m
Jetted wells: a high-velocity
stream of water directed vertically
downward, while the casing that
is lowered into the hole conducts
the water and cuttings to the
surface.
Small-diameter holes, up to 10 cm,
depths up to 15 m
useful for observation wells and wellpoint systems for dewatering purposes
Deep wells constructed by percussion (cable tool) drilling or rotary drilling
methods.
Percussion drilling: regular lifting and dropping
of a string of tools, with a sharp bit on the
Rotary method
consists of drilling with a hollow, rotating bit, with
drilling mud or water used to increase efficiency . No casing is required
with drilling mud because the mud forms a clay lining on the wall of
the well. Drilling mud consists of a suspension of water, bentonite
clay, and various organic additives.
A rapid method for drilling in unconsolidated formations
Air rotary methods use compressed air in place of drilling mud and are
convenient for consolidated [Link] end to break rock by impact.