WELL DISCHARGE

MEASUREMENTS
BY: JOHN CARLO V. DE LEON
MEASUREMENT OF A
PUMPING WELL
 The discharge of a pumping well will
vary with rise and fall in groundwater
level
 requires repeated measurements to
keep track of the rate of change of
discharge
 Water-level changes that could
affect pumping rate can also occur
as a result of recharge from
precipitation or changes in pumping
of nearby wells.
 AQUIFER PUMPING TESTS

Aquifer pumping tests are carried out to

measure the drawdown resulting from pumping a
well and then to calculate the hydraulic
parameters of the ground water zone. The
magnitude and timing of drawdown observed in
a specific test is directly related to the hydraulic
conductivity and storage coefficient, respectively
of the aquifer.
 In an aquifer test, pumping is controlled and
generally held constant for the test duration and the
ground water levels in the pumped well and a nearby
observation wells are measured. A cone of depression is
formed in the aquifer due to pumping. Depending on
the time required to achieve steady state conditions,
pumping is carried out for an extended period of time.
 MEASUREMENT OF SPRING DISCHARGE

The discharge of a spring, usually termed the yield, is

the volume of water passing a certain point during a
certain time. The yield is determined by the amount of
water which percolates into the aquifer and how much
water is stored in aquifer. Measuring spring flow is another
way of characterizing a spring's overall condition. It is
typically measured in cubic feet per second (cfs) or in
million gallons per day (mgd), although smaller springs
can be measured in gallons per minute (gpm).
 To measure the yield of a spring, an
overflow gauging weir may be used. If
this method is used, then care must
be taken to ensure the level of water
behind the weir does not rise above
the level of the eye of the spring.
 An alternative method id to divert the
spring flow into container of known
volume. The time taken for the
container to fill is measured and the
yield in liters per second is easily
calculated.
THANKS 