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How to Calculate
the Specific
Capacity of a Well?
| Ground Water
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The specific capacity (Q/sw) of a well is

the discharge per unit drawdown in the
well and is usually expressed in lpm/m.
This is a measure of the effectiveness of
a well. From Eqs. (4.78), (5.89) and
(5.90).

Which shows that the specific capacity

of a well is not constant but decreases Privacy - Terms
with the increase in pumping rate (Q)
and prolonged pumping (t) (Fig. 5.52).
The probable drawdown for an
unconfined aquifer may be obtained
from [by putting R ≈ 300 rw and rw ≈ 15
cm in Eq. (5.5)]

Q/sw = T/1.2

And for a confined aquifer [by putting R

≈ 3000 m and rw ≈ 15 cm in Eq. (5.7)]

Q/sw ≈ T/1.6

On an average Q/sw = T/1.4 …(5.93)

If the well is small in diameter and is

pumped at a higher rate, the friction
losses will increase. The maximum safe
yield of a well or well field is the
capacity of the aquifer to supply water
without causing a continuous lowering
of the water table or piezometric surface Privacy - Terms
and is, therefore, limited by the rate at
which the ground water is replenished
by rainfall.

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Excessive lowering of the ground water

table by pumping may result in crop
failures, depletion of a nearby stream by
increased percolation losses, salt water
intrusion in coastal aquifers, and
occasionally serious settlement of the
ground surface.

Also from Eqs. (5.5) and (5.7), Q is

inversely proportional to log10 R/rw.
The percentage increase in discharge for
the increase in diameter is given in
Table 5.21 and illustrates the fallacy of
the idea that big wells necessarily mean
proportionately large yields.

Privacy - Terms
Well Efficiency:

The efficiency of a well, for a specified

duration of pumping, is given by-

Example 1:

A 30 cm well penetrates fully an infinite

non-leaky artesian aquifer having T =
6.5 × 105 lpd/m, S = 0.0004. Construct
specific capacity curves for the well for t
= 1 hr, 1 day, 1 month, 1 year and 2 years
of draught, when the well is pumped at
the rate of- (a) 600 1pm, (b) 1200 1pm,
and (c) 2000 1pm. Assume a well loss
coefficient of 1950 sec2/m5. What is the
drawdown in the well after pumping for
one year at the rate of 1200 1pm?

Solution:

The specific capacity of the well,

Eq. (5.92):

Similarly, putting t = 1 day, 1 month (30

days), 1 year (365 days), and 2 years Privacy - Terms
(730 days), the specific capacities are
computed as 273, 234.5, 212, and 207
1pm/m, respectively. Similarly for (b) Q
= 1200 1pm = 0.02 m3/sec, and t = 1 hr,
1 day, 1 month, 1 year and 2 years, the
specific capacities are computed as 292,
251,218,199 and 194 1pm/m,
respectively, and for (c) Q = 2000 1pm
= 0.0333 m3/sec, and t = 1 hr, 1 day, 1
month, 1 year and 2 years, the specific
capacities are computed as 259, 226,
199, 183, and 179 1pm/m, respectively.

The specific capacity curves are thus

constructed as shown in Fig. 5.52. For Q
= 1200 1pm, t = 1 year, Q/sw = 199
1pm/m.

Therefore, drawdown in the well at the

end of 1 year,

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sw = 1200/199 = 6.03 m Privacy - Terms

Thus, the specific capacity is a useful
concept and indicates the productivity
of both aquifer and well in a single
parameter. A high specific capacity
indicates an efficient (well-constructed
and developed) good yielding well. A
decline in specific capacity may indicate
failure of well screens (by clogging or
so) or declining S or T values due to
declining water table or piezometric
surfaces. Specific capacity decreases
faster in unconfined aquifers since the
decline of the water table reduces T.

Graphical trial-and-error
procedure of Rorabaugh (1953) to
determine well losses from the
step-drawdown test data:

Example 2:

The following discharge

drawdown data are obtained from
a production well in a step-
drawdown test:

Determine the coefficients of formation

loss and well loss. Comment on the
specific capacity values you obtain.

Solution: Privacy - Terms

Which shows that a plot of’ (sw/Q = B)
vs. Q’ on log-log paper should yield a
straight line whose slope m = n 1, and
when Q = 1, C = sw/Q = B. Values of B
are tried till a straight line relation plot
is obtained Fig. 5.53.

Privacy - Terms
When Q = 1, sw/Q – B – 0.44 = C,
min2/m5

Which is < 0.5; hence the production

well is properly designed and
developed.

Further,

It may be noted that the well loss

increases with Q rapidly, and in the last
case, it is as high as 2.78/3.75 × 100 =
74%, since ‘n’ usually lies between 2 and
3.

Since the well loss varies as the nth

power of the entrance velocity, the well
loss can be kept down by increasing rw.
The step-drawdown test shows how
much head is lost in the aquifer and
how much in and around the well
(screen and gravel pack). Excessive well
losses indicate improper design and
development of the well or deterioration
of the screen. Also the value of B
obtained from the test can be used to
estimate T of the aquifer, using the
appropriate well flow equation relating Privacy - Terms
the formation loss to Q. The specific
capacity decreases with increasing Q.

Example 3:

A 30 cm well penetrates completely an

infinite non-leaky artesian aquifer
having T = 600 m2/day, 8 = 0.0004.
The well is continuously pumped at the
rate of 60 m3/hr. Assuming a well loss
coefficient of 0.5 min2/m5, and index n
= 2.3, determine the specific capacity
and the drawdown in the pumping well
after 1 year of drought. What is the well
efficiency?

Solution:

Substituting the given data, after t = 1

year,

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Home ›› Geography ›› Wells ›› Capacity ››

Calculation ›› How to ›› Calculate the Specific

Capacity of a Well

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