GWPD 8Estimating discharge from a pumped well by

use of the trajectory free-fall or jet-flow method

VERSION: 2010.1
PURPOSE: To estimate the discharge from a pumped well from a non-vertical standard pipe by using the
trajectory free-fall or jet-flow method.

Materials and Instruments

D"# E'..#C)3#14):.&#5'#/)%10+%0#1)#04+0#04'#0)8#)9#04'#10('+<#
at the open end of the pipe does not vary appreciably.
F"# G)0#+//:(+0'#9)(#1<+..#C)31"#H)(#1<+..#C)312#<'+1:('#
04'#3'..#&*1/4+(;'#3*04#+#C)3<'0'(#)(#+#5:/I'0#+%&#
stopwatch.

1.

L-shaped measuring device (carpenters square)

2.

Support for measuring device

3.

Small hand level

4.

Clamp

5.

Field notebook

6.

Pencil or pen, blue or black ink. Strikethrough, date, and

initial errors; no erasures

1. This method provides a simple, inexpensive, and

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*%/.*%'&#8*8'1#9)(#-'.&#0'101"

7.

Groundwater Site Inventory (GWSI) System Groundwater Site Schedule, Form 9-1904-A

2. No special training is needed to use this method.

Data Accuracy and Limitations

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measurements can be made in which the error seldom
exceeds 10 percent.
2. The most accurate estimated discharge will be obtained
when the pipe is truly horizontal.
3. The discharge pipe should be a straight length of standard pipe at least 5 feet long, so that the open end is at
least this distance from the nearest elbow or bend in the
pipe.
4.

If the discharge pipe slopes upward, the estimated

discharge will be too high; if it slopes downward, the
estimated discharge will be too low.

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accurately.

Advantages

Disadvantages
1. This method provides only an approximate discharge
from wells with horizontal or inclined pipes.
K"# E'..#C)3#14):.&#5'#/)%10+%0"#74'#0)8#)9#04'#10('+<#+0#
the open end of the pipe should not vary appreciably.

Assumptions
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K"# 74'#&*1/4+(;'#8*8'#&)'1#%)0#4+L'#+%#*%B.*%'#C)3<'0'("

66

Groundwater T echnical Procedures of the U.S. Geological Survey

Instructions
1.

M easure the inside diameter (D) of the pipe accurately,

*%#*%/4'1#=-;"#!A).

K"# M '+1:('#04'#&*10+%/'#=>@#04+0#04'#A'0#C)3#)9#3+0'(#0(+Lels, in inches parallel to the top of the pipe for a 12-inch
L'(0*/+.#&()8#=?N#-;"#!B).
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of the horizontal pipe, the center of the falling stream
(P) can be located more reliably than can a point on
the surface of the stream. When brooming or spreading
C)3#)//:(12#<'+1:('#>#9()<#04'#/'%0'(#)9#04'#8*8'#9)(#+#
12-inch vertical drop, and measure Y from the center of
04'#8*8'#0)#04'#/'%0'(#)9#04'#9+..*%;#10('+<#=-;"#!C).
4.

Estimate well discharge by using the discharge curves

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8*8'1#=-;"#K@"#H)(#'Q+<8.'2#1''#04'#1+<8.'#/+./:.+0*)%#*%#
-;:('#K#9)(#+#6B*%/4#3'..#3*04#+#A'0#10('+<#)9#!D#*%/4'1#
(X) and a 12-inch vertical drop (Y). Discharge from this
well is about 330 gallons per minute.

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freeboard (F) and the inside diameter (D) of the pipe
=-;"#!R@"#R+./:.+0'#04'#(+0*)#)9#HST#+1#+#8'(/'%0+;'"#
M easure the distance X of the jet stream for a 12-inch
vertical drop (Y), and estimate a well discharge using
04'#&*1/4+(;'#/:(L'1#*%#-;:('#K"#74'#+/0:+.#'10*<+0'&#
discharge will be the value for a full pipe multiplied by a
correction factor obtained from table 1. Use the correc0*)%#9+/0)(#*%#04'#/).:<%#)88)1*0'#04'#(+0*)#)9#HS
T#/+./:.+0'&#+5)L'#9)(#04'#8+(0*+..,#-..'&#%)%BL'(0*/+.#8*8'"
D"# U'/)(&#'10*<+0'&#&*1/4+(;'#*%#04'#-'.&#%)0'5))I#+%&#*%#
the discharge data section on the GWSI Groundwater
V*0'#V/4'&:.'#=-;"#O2#H)(<#WB!WXYBZ@"

Data Recording
T+0+#+('#('/)(&'&#*%#+#-'.&#%)0'5))I"#T*1/4+(;'#&+0+#
should also be recorded in the discharge data section of the
GWSI Groundwater Site Schedule (Form 9-1904-A). This is
best described as a trajectory method and should be coded as
[7\#*%#-'.&#R!6K#)%#H)(<#WB!WXYBZ"

B
Level
X

Mark in
line with
top of pipe

Y = 12 inches
Clamp

Horizontal

F = Freeboard
X
i
Incl

ned

Y = 12 inches

Y = 12 inches

D = Inside
diameter
of pipe

F igure 1 . M easurements for estimating flow from ( A) a partially filled pipe (A nderson, 19 6 3 ), ( B) a horiz ontal or inclined pipe
with steady flow (A nderson, 19 6 3 ), and ( C) a horiz ontal pipe when brooming or spreading flow occurs (D riscoll, 19 8 6 ).

GWPD 8Estimating discharge from a pumping well by use of the trajectory free fall or jet flow method

67

30

HORIZONTAL PROJECTION X, IN INCHES

26

28

24

7
22

20

18

10

16

11

14

12
13
14
15

12
10
8
6
4
Radial ordinates indicate
inside diameter of pipe

2
0

0 100

300

500

700

900

1,100

Sample Calculation: If X=16 inches and D=5 inches,

follow 16-inch line from left scale to intersection with
5-inch diagonal and follow vertical to the upper scale,
which indicates a discharge of about 330 gal/min

1,300

1,500

1,700

1,900

2,100

2,300

DISCHARGE, IN GALLONS PER MINUTE

F igure 2 . D ischarge curves for measurement of flow from non-vertical standard pipes based
on a constant value of 12 inches for Y. If the discharge in the pipe is not flowing full, multiply the
discharge by the correction factor found in table 1 (M cD onald, 19 5 0).

T able 1 . C orrection factors for

percentages of discharge (see fig. 2).

References

[F, freeboard; D, inside diameter]

Anderson, K.E., 1963, Water well handbook (2d ed.):M issouri

Water Well Drillers Association, p. 156.

F /D percent

C orrection factor

0.981

10

.948

15

.905

20

.858

25

.805

30

.747

35

.688

40

.627

45

.564

50

.500

55

.436

60

.375

65

.312

70

.253

75

.195

80

.142

85

.095

90

.052

95

.019

100

.000

Bureau of Reclamation, 1975, Water measurement manual,

A water resources technical publication (2d ed., reprinted):
U.S. Department of the Interior, p. 200.
Driscoll, F.G., 1986, Groundwater and wells (2d ed.):St. Paul,
M innesota, Johnson Filtration Systems, Inc., 1089 p.
Hoopes, B.C., ed., 2004, Users manual for the National Water
Information System of the U.S. Geological Survey, GroundWater Site-Inventory System (version 4.4):U.S. Geological
Survey Open-File Report 20051251, 274 p.
M /T)%+.&2#]"U"2#!W6X2#])3#0)#'10*<+0'#C)3#9()<#8*8'1^
#
Engineering News-Record, August 31, 1950, p. 48.