GEO 309

5th March 2024 Lab 3: Well Hydraulics: Groundwater flow to wells

1. Question 1. The average flow velocity at a point in an aquifer was found to be 0.82
m/day. If the slope of the water table is 0.075 and the aquifer material has a
porosity of 0.19, determine the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer at that point
(10).

Ans: v= =−K
q
n ( dhdl )
0.82 m/day= =−K (
0.19 )
q 0.075
n

K =2.0773 m/day

2. An unconfined aquifer with steady-state flow contains 2 observation wells located

95.10 m apart. The aquifer is consists of coarse, well sorted sand with a hydraulic
conductivity of 66.14 m/day. The total hydraulic head in the first observation well
is 24.91 meters above sea level, and the total hydraulic head in the second
observation well is 18.94 meters above sea level. Answer the following:
a) If a homeowner drills a well 70 m from the first observation wells, at what
height above sea level will the homeowner encounter water? (4)

Ans: dh/dl=(24.91-18.94)/95.10=0.0628
dh/dl=(24.91-x)/70
0.0628=(24.91-x)/70
X=20.51masl

b) What is the total daily flow per unit width through the aquifer? (2)

Ans: Q=KA(dh/dl)
= 66.14m/day x 1m2 x(24.91-18.94)/95.10
= 4.15m3/day

c) If the porosity of the sand is 0.30, calculate the specific discharge and the
average linear groundwater velocity (4)
 66.14m/day x(24.91-18.94)/95.10
= 4.15m/day

Average linear groundwater velocity

V=q/ne
=(4.15m/day)/0.3
=13.8m/day

3. A well in a confined aquifer is pumped at a rate of 0.01389 m3/sec. Measurement

of drawdown in two observation wells (OW) shows that after 1270 min of
pumping, no further drawdown is occurring. OW1 is 9.2 m from the pumping well
and has a head of 8.94 m above the top of the aquifer. OW2 is 23.4 m from the
pumping well and has a head of 9.9 m above the top of the aquifer. Draw and label
a sketch to represent the listed conditions and determine the aquifer transmissivity
in m2/day. (20)

Convert units to meters and hours or days

 Q r2
T= ln ⁡( )
2 π (h2−h1 ) r1
49.97 23.4
T= ln ⁡( )
2 π (9.9−8.94 ) 9.2

T= 185.59m2/day

4. A confined aquifer is 33m thick and 7km wide. Two observational boreholes are located
500m apart in the direction of flow. The head in borehole 1 is 97.5m and in borehole 2 it
is 89.0m. The hydraulic conductivity is 1.2m/day. What is the total daily flow of water
through the aquifer? (5)

dh
Ans: Q=− Kb x width
dl
1.2m 97.5 m−89.0 m
= x 33 m x x 7000 m
day 500 m
3
m
= 4712.4
day

5. State and list the two key equations applied in the derivation of equations of
groundwater flow? (5)

Equations of groundwater flow are derived from a consideration of the basic flow
law, Darcy’s law,
and an equation of continuity that describes the conservation of fluid mass during
flow through a
porous material.
Darcy’s Law
 Law of conservation of mass/ Continuity equation
Inflow = Outflow ± change in storage

6. List 5 assumptions applied in the analysis of test pumping data. (5)

1. The aquifer is homogeneous and isotropic,

2. The well has been sunk through the full depth of the aquifer and it receives
water from the entire thickness of the aquifer.
3. Flow is laminar,
4. Aquifer is of infinite areal extent.
5. Aquifer is of uniform thickness
6. Pumping has continued for a sufficient time at a uniform rate, so that the
equilibrium stage or steady flow conditions have reached
7. The inclination of the water surface is small so that its tangent can be used in
place of sine for the hydraulic gradient in Darcy’s equation

7. A well is located in confined aquifer with a hydraulic conductivity of 7.7 m/day

and a storativity of 0.08. The aquifer is 39.0 m thick and is pumped at a rate of 480
m3/day that causes drawdown that increases over time. What is the drawdown at a
distance of 500.0 m, from the abstraction well after 10 days of pumping? The
W(u) table is provided. (5)

T=Kb=7.7 m/day x39.0 m = 300.3 m2/day

500 m x 500 m x 0.08
2
r S 2
=1.67
u= = m
4 Tt 4 x 300.3 x 10 days
day
From the Well function, W (u), and u, for u= 1.67, W(u)=0.1051
 3
Q 480 m /day
s= W ( u )= 2
x 0.1051=0.013 m
4 πT 4 π x 300.3 m /day

8. A well is located in an aquifer with a hydraulic conductivity of 20 m/day and a

storativity of 0.0051. The aquifer is 20.1m thick and is pumped at a rate of 2725
m3/day. What is the drawdown at a distance of 7 m from the well after 1 day of
pumping? The W(u) table is provided. (5)

T=Kb=20.0 m/day x 20.1 m = 402.0 m2/day

7 m x 7 m x 0.0051 −4
2
r S 2
=1.55 x 10
u= = m
4 Tt 4 x 402.0 x 1 days
day
From the Well function, W (u), and u, for u= 1.55 x 10−4, W(u)= 8.2505
3
Q 2725 m /day
s= W ( u )= 2
x 8.2505=4.45 m
4 πT 4 π x 402.0 m /day

9. A well in a confined aquifer is pumped at a rate of 0.01389 m3/sec. Measurement of

drawdown in two observation wells shows that after 1270 min of pumping, no further
drawdown is occurring. Well 1 is 7.9 m from the pumping well and has a head of 8.94 m
above the top of the aquifer. Well 2 is 22.3 m from the pumping well and has a head of
9.9 m above the top of the aquifer. Draw a sketch to represent the listed conditions and
determine the aquifer transmissivity in m2/day. (10)

Convert pumping rate to standard units: Q = 0.01389 m3/sec = 1200.096 m3/day

Convert time to standard units: t = 1270min= 0.882 day
r1 =7.9m h1= 8.94
r2= 22.3m h2=9.9m
T=198.307m2/day for pi = 3.14 or 206.5 m2/day for pi = π
 10. A 30cm borehole fully penetrates a confined aquifer 30m deep. After a long period
of pumping at a rate of 1.2m3/min, the drawdowns in the observation boreholes at
20m and 45 m from the pumping well are found to be 2.2m and 1.8 m
respectively. Determine the Transmissivity of the aquifer. What is the drawdown in
the pumped well? (5)

11. A well is located in confined aquifer with a hydraulic conductivity of 13.1 m/day
and a storativity of 0.008. The aquifer is 12.0 m thick and is pumped at a rate of
3000 m3/day that causes drawdown that increases over time. What is the
drawdown at a distance of 10.0 m, from the abstraction well after 2 days of
pumping? (5)

T=Kb=13.1m/day x 12m=157.2m2/day
2
r S
u= =0.00064
4 Tt

From W(u) table, at u=6.4 x 10-4, W(u)=6.84

3
Q 3000 m /day
( h 0−h ) =s= W ( u )= 2
x 6.84=10.39 m
4 πT 4 π x 157.2 m /day

12. A well in a confined aquifer is pumped at a rate of 50 m3/hr for 500 minutes. The
aquifer is 14.6 m thick. Time-drawdown data from an observation well located 251
meters away are given in Table below. Find T, K and S. (10)
W(u)= 1
1/u = 1
h0-h = 0.73 m
t= 4.1 mins
NB: Units may optionally be standardized to our common units, meters and cubic meters
NB: Units may optionally be standardized to our common units, meters and cubic meters

13. Fully penetrating well in a 40.0m thick artesian confined aquifer pumps at a rate of
0.0030m3/s for 1950 days and cause a drawdown of 64.5m at an observation
well 50m away from the pumping well. The original piezometric surface was
95.5m above the bottom confining aquifer. The hydraulic conductivity is 6.8 x 10-
7 m/s. How much drawdown will occur at an observation well 70m away?
(5)

h1 = 95.5 – 64.5 = 30m

−7
6.8 x 10 m 60 s 60 min 24 hr
Convert K to standard units x x x =0.058752m/day
s 1 min 1 hr 1 day
Convert pumping rate to standard units
3
0.0030 m 60 s 60 min 24 hr 3
x x x =259.2 m /day
s 1min 1 hr 1 day

Calculate Transmissivity, T=Kb= 0.058752 m/day x30m = 1.76256 m2/day

Transpose

to

2
m
3 2 π x 1.76256 (h 2−30)
m day
259.2 =
day 70
ln
50

Solve for h2
3
m
h2 =259.2 ln ¿ ¿
day

Calculate drawdown
s2=95.5 m−37.875 m=57.6 m