HYDROGEOLOGY

GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING

EART TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE FACULTY

HALU OLEO UNIVERSITY
2015

GROUNDWATER FLOW
TO WELL

SCOPE
1

Steady Radial Flow to Well

Unsteady Radial Flow to Well

Step Pumping Test

Radial Flow to Well

There are two condition, which can be occurred during
pumping of water in a well:
1. Steady Stage
2. Unsteady Stage
Steady Stage pumping with constant discharge rate until
the drawdown of GWL or Piezometric Level Constant
Unsteady Stage pumping with constant discharge rate but
not until the drawdown constant

Aquifer Characteristics & Radial Flow to Well

PUMPING TEST

Specific Capacity (Sc)

Transmissivity (T)
Storativity (S)
Hydraulic Conductivity (K)

Steady Radial Flow to Well Sc, T, K

Unsteady Radial Flow to Well Sc, T, S, K

Pumping Well Terminology

Static Water Level [SWL] (ho) is the
equilibrium water level before pumping
commences

Pumping Water Level [PWL] (h) is the water

level during pumping
Drawdown (s = ho - h) is the difference
between SWL and PWL
Well Yield (Q) is the volume of water pumped
per unit time
Specific Capacity (Q/s) is the yield per unit
drawdown

Cone of Depression
High Kh aquifer
Low Kh aquifer

Kh Kv

A zone of low pressure is created centred on the pumping well

Drawdown is a maximum at the well and reduces radially

Head gradient decreases away from the well and the pattern resembles an inverted cone
called the cone of depression
The cone expands over time until the inflows (from various boundaries) match the well
extraction
The shape of the equilibrium cone is controlled by hydraulic conductivity

Steady Radial Flow to a Well Confined Aquifer

In a confined aquifer, the drawdown curve or cone of depression
varies with distance from a pumping well.
For horizontal flow, Q at any radius r equals, from Darcys law,
Q = -2.r.b.K dh/dr

for steady radial flow to a well where Q,b,K are constant.

 Integrating after separation of variables, with h2 & h1 and r2 & r1

at the well, yields Thiem Equation:
Q = 2Kb[(h2-h1)/(ln(r2/r1 )]. T = K.b

Note, h increases
indefinitely with
increasing r, yet
the maximum
head is h0.

Steady Radial Flow to a Well- Unconfined Aquifer

 Using Dupuits assumptions and applying Darcys law for radial flow in

an unconfined, homogeneous, isotropic, and horizontal aquifer yields:

Q = -2Kh dh/dr
integrating,
Q = K[(h22 - h12)/ln(r2/ r1)
solving for K,
K = [Q/(h22 - h12)]ln (r2/ r1)
where heads h1 and h2 are observed at adjacent wells located distances

r1 and r2 from the pumping well respectively.

Unsteady Radial Flow to a Well

Aquifer Categories

Unsteady Radial Flow Confined Aquifer

Assumptions
Isotropic, homogeneous, infinite
aquifer, 2-D radial flow
Initial Conditions

h(r,0) = ho for all r

Boundary Conditions
h(,t) = ho for all t
PDE 1 (rh ) = S h
r r r
T t
Solution is more complex than
steady-state
Change the dependent variable
by letting u = r2S
4Tt

The ultimate solution is:

ho- h = Q exp(-u) du
4pTu u
where the integral is called the
exponential integral written as
the well function W(u)
This is the Theis Equation

The Theis Method

s' = (Q/4T)W(u)

r2/t = (4T/S)u
For a known S and T, one can use Theis to compute s directly at a given
r from the well as a function of time:
First compute u = r2S / (4T t)

Then W(u) from Table

Finally s' = (Q/4T)W(u)

Theis Method - Graphical Solution

Data Pts

Well Function

W(u) vs u
s' vs r2/t

T=

S=

4 s
4T u
r2/t

W(u)

Cooper-Jacob Method
Cooper and Jacob noted that for small values of r and large values of t, the
parameter u = r2S/4Tt becomes very small so that the infinite series can be

approx. by:
W(u) = 0.5772 ln(u) (neglect higher terms)
Thus s' = (Q/4T) [ 0.5772 ln(r2S/4Tt)]
Further rearrangement and conversion to decimal logs yields:
s' = (2.3Q/4T) log[(2.25Tt)/(r 2S)]

A plot of drawdown s' vs.

log of t forms a straight
line as seen in adjacent
figure.
A projection of the line
back to s' = 0, where t = t0
yields
the
following
relation :

0 = (2.3Q/4T) log[(2.25Tt0)/ (r2S)]

Semi-log plot

The Final Result :

S = 2.25Tt0 /r2
Replacing s' by s', where s' is the drawdown

difference per unit log cycle of t:

T = 2.3Q/4 s'
The Cooper-Jacob method first solves for T and then for S and is
only applicable for small values of u < 0.01

For the data given in the Fig.

t0 = 1.6 min and s = 0.65 m

Q = 0.2 m3/sec and r = 100 m
Thus:

T = 2.3Q/4s = 5.63 x 10-2 m2/sec

T = 4864 m2/sec

Finally, S = 2.25Tt0 /r2

and S = 1.22 x 10-3

Step Pumping Test

Well Loss
Total drawdown sw at the well may be written for the steady state
confined case:
sw = Q/ 2T ln (ro/rw) + CQn
Where C (well loss coefficient) is a constant governed by the radius,
construction and condition of the well. For simplicity let:
B = ln (ro/rw) / 2T
So that
sw = BQ + CQn

Well Loss Coefficient

Well Loss Coefficient

Well Condition

( C)
< 0.5

Properly designed and developed

0.5 to 1.0

Mild deterioration or clogging

1.0 to 4.0

Severe deterioration or clogging

> 4.0

Difficult to restore well to original

capacity

To evaluate well loss; a step drawdown test is required

Step-Drawdown Test
s1

Step-drawdown tests are tests at different

pumping rates (Q) designed to determine
well efficiency.

Drawdown, s

s2

Normally pumping at each successively

greater rate Q1 < Q2 < Q3 < Q4 < Q5 takes
place for 1-2 hours (Dt) and for 5 to 8
steps. The entire test usually takes place
in one day.

s3
s4

Equal pumping times (Dt) simplifies the

analysis.
s5

Time, t

At the end of each step, the pumping rate

(Q) and drawdown (s) is recorded.

Step-Drawdown Tests
Assumption laminar flow exists in the aquifer during pumping
Flow is directly proportional to pumping rate (e.g., Jacob approx.)

2.25Tt
2.3
s BQ
log( 2 )Q
4T
r S
B is almost constant after pumping is established
If turbulent flow exists, then linear relationship does not hold

sw BQ CQ

sw
CQ B
Q
Specific capacity (s/Q) is a linear function of discharge (Q), slope C and
intercept B

Step-Drawdown Test Analysis

s/Q (m/m3/d)

Step-drawdown
tests
are
analysed by plotting the
reciprocal of specific capacity
(s/Q) against the pumping rate
(Q).

C
B
Q (L/s)

The intercept of the graph at Q=0

is B = W(u)/4pT and the slope is
the well loss coefficient, C.

B can also be obtained

independently from a Theis or
Cooper-Jacob analysis of a pump
test.

Causes of Well Inefficiency

Factors contributing to well inefficiency (excess head loss) fall into two
groups:
Design factors
Insufficient open area of screen
Poor distribution of open area
Insufficient length of screen
Improperly designed filter pack
Construction factors
Inadequate development, residual drilling fluids
Improper placement of screen relative to aquifer interval

Well Efficiency Parameter

Pumping efficiency
Ep = BQ / sw x 100 %, if Ep > 50% efficient

Development Factor
Fd = C/B x 100

Development Factor Clasification

Development Factor (Fd)

< 0.1
0.1 0.5
0.5 1.0
> 1.0

Class
Very good
Good
Moderate
Poor

Example Step-Drawdown Test

Q
(gpm)

Ep

s
(ft)

s/Q
(ft/gpm)

514

13

0.0253

1066

27

0.0253

1636

43.4

0.0265

1885

61.5

0.0326

2480

82.5

0.0333

3066

101.5

0.0331

3520

120.5

0.0342

BQ

74%

Intercept 0.0231
s
CQ B 3 x 106 Q 0.0231
Q

x 100

BQ CQ
B

x 100
B CQ
0.0231

x 100
0.0231 3 x 10 6 ( 2700 gpm )
2

Slope 3 x 106

Fd = (3.10-6 / 0.0231) x 100 = 0.013

Slug Test

Hvorslev Slug-Test
Method