Groundwater

 Hydraulics of Wells
 Aquifer Analysis
Hydraulics of Wells
Unconfined flow
Unconfined flow
@ Initially horizontal water lever of water table

H = saturated thickness of the aquifer

h = height of the water table above the aquifer bed
Z = drawdown
r = radial distance from the wellbore
Z vs r = drawdown curve
R = radius of influence
 𝑑ℎ
Q = 2πrhK
𝑑𝑟

where:

2πrh = Area of the cylinder

K = Conductivity

dh/dr = slope of the water table

r = 𝑟2 - 𝑟1

h = ℎ2 - ℎ1
Q = 2 𝜋 K ‫𝑟 ׬‬2 − 𝑟1 ℎ2 − ℎ1 dh/dr
Q = 2 𝜋 K ‫𝑟 ׬‬2 /𝑑𝑟 − ‫𝑟 ׬‬1 /𝑑𝑟 ‫ ׬‬ℎ2 𝑑ℎ − ‫ ׬‬ℎ1 𝑑ℎ
 let: 𝑟2 = 𝑥1 ; 𝑟1 = 𝑥2 ; ℎ2 = 𝑥3 ; ℎ1 = 𝑥4 ; dr = d𝑥12 ; dh = d𝑥34
‫𝑥 ׬‬1 /d𝑥12 = 1/ln(𝑥1 ) ; ‫𝑥 ׬‬2 /d𝑥12 = 1/ln(𝑥2 ) ;
‫𝑥 ׬‬3 d𝑥34 = 𝑥32 /2 ; ‫𝑥 ׬‬4 d𝑥34 = 𝑥42 /2 ;

so, ‫𝑟 ׬‬2 /d𝑟 = 1/ln(𝑟2 ) ; ‫𝑟 ׬‬1 /d𝑟 = 1/ln(𝑟1 ) ; ‫ ׬‬ℎ2 dℎ = ℎ22 /2 ; ‫ ׬‬ℎ1 dℎ = ℎ12 /2
Q = 2 𝜋 K 1/ln(𝑟2 ) − 1/ln(𝑟1 ) ℎ22 /2 − ℎ12 /2
Q = 2 𝜋 K ℎ22 /2 − ℎ12 /2 / ln(𝑟2 ) − ln(𝑟1 )
 π𝐾(ℎ22 − ℎ12 )
Q= 𝑟
ln( 2ൗ𝑟1 )
ln(x) = 2.31log(x)

𝜋/2.31 = 1.36
 1.36𝐾(ℎ22 − ℎ12 )
Q= 𝑟
log( 2ൗ𝑟1 )
ℎ22 − ℎ12 = ℎ2 + ℎ1 ℎ2 − ℎ1

ℎ2 + ℎ1 = 2H
Q = 𝜋 K 2H ℎ2 − ℎ1 / ln(𝑟2 /𝑟1 )
 2πKH(ℎ2 − ℎ1 )
Q= 𝑟
ln( 2ൗ𝑟1 )
T = K ℎ2 + ℎ1 /2 = K 2𝐻 /2 = K H
 2πT(ℎ2 − ℎ1 )
Q= 𝑟
ln( 2ൗ𝑟1 )
ln(x) = 2.31log(x)

2𝜋/2.31 = 2.72
 2.72T(ℎ2 − ℎ1 )
Q= 𝑟
log( 2ൗ𝑟1 )
Example #1: Unconfined flow
A 30-cm diameter well completely penetrates an unconfined aquifer of
saturated depth 40 m. After a long period of pumping at a steady rate
of 1500 lpm, the drawdown in two observation wells 25 and 75 m from
the pumping well were found to be 3.5 and 2.0 m respectively.
Determine the transmissivity of the aquifer in square meters per
second. What is the drawdown at the pumping well in meters?
Confined flow
Confined flow
@ Initially horizontal water lever of water table

H = thickness of the confined aquifer; H0 = former H

h = height of the water table above the aquifer bed
Z = drawdown
r = radial distance from the wellbore
Z vs r = drawdown curve
R = radius of influence
If,

r > 1.5H,

gives reasonably good result

r < 1.5H,

requires special analysis

 𝑑ℎ
Q = 2πrHK
𝑑𝑟

Where:

H = Thickness of confined aquifer

 𝑄 𝑑𝑟
dh =
2πHK 𝑟

Where:

H = Thickness of confined aquifer

‫𝑑 ׬‬ℎ = [Q/(2𝜋HK)] ‫𝑟𝑑 ׬‬/𝑟
h = [Q/(2𝜋HK)] ln(r)
r = 𝑟2 - 𝑟1

h = ℎ2 - ℎ1
 𝑄 𝑟2
(ℎ2 -ℎ1 ) = ln
2𝜋HK 𝑟1

where:

H = Thickness of confined aquifer

 2πKH(ℎ2− ℎ1 )
Q= 𝑟
ln( 2ൗ𝑟1 )
T = K ℎ2 + ℎ1 /2 = K 2𝐻 /2 = K H
 2πT(ℎ2− ℎ1)
Q= 𝑟
ln( 2ൗ𝑟1 )
ln(x) = 2.31log(x)

2𝜋/2.31 = 2.72
 2.72T(ℎ2 − ℎ1 )
Q= 𝑟
log( 2ൗ𝑟1 )
Example #2: Confined flow
A 30-cm diameter well completely penetrates a confined aquifer of
permeability 45 m/day. The length of the strainer is 20 m. Under steady
state of pumping the drawdown at the well was found to be 3.0 m and
the radius of influence was 300 m. Calculate the discharge in liters per
minute.
Unsteady flow
Unsteady flow
@ Initially inclined water lever of water table

u vs W(u) = type curve

Z vs r 2 /t = data curve
Z vs t = time-drawdown curve
 Q ∞ 𝑒 −𝑢
Z𝑟 = ‫׬‬ 𝑑𝑢
4πT 𝑢 𝑢

Where:

Z𝑟 = Drawdown at a distance r

Q = Pumping rate

T = Transmissivity
 𝑟2𝑆
u=
4𝑇𝑡

where:

t = Time in days

S = Storage coefficient
 ∞ 𝑒 −𝑢
W(u) = ‫𝑢𝑑 𝑢 𝑢׬‬

𝑢2 𝑢3
= - 0.5772 – ln u + u - + ∙∙∙
2∙2! 3∙3!
 ∞ 𝑒 −𝑢
W(u) = ‫𝑢𝑑 𝑢 𝑢׬‬

𝑢2 𝑢3
= - 0.5772 – ln u + u - + ∙∙∙
2∙2! 3∙3!
𝑟2 4𝑇
= 𝑢
𝑡 𝑆
Example #3: Unsteady flow
A 12-in.-diameter well is pumped at a uniform rate of 1.1 cubic feet per
second while observations of drawdown are made in a well 100 ft
distant. Values of t and Z observed together with values of 𝑟 2 /t are
given in what follows. Find T and S for the aquifer, and estimate the
drawdown in the observation well at the end of 1 year of pumping.

u = 0.40; W(u) = 0.70; Z = 3.4 ft; 𝑟 2 /t = 5.3 x 104 𝑓𝑡 2 /day

 2.3𝑄 𝑡2
T= log
4π∆𝑍 𝑡1

Where:

∆Z = Change in drawdown
 2.25𝑇𝑡0
S=
𝑟2

Where:

𝑡0 = Time at (Z = 0)
Example #4: Unsteady flow
A 12-in.-diameter well is pumped at a uniform rate of 1.1 cubic feet per
second while observations of drawdown are made in a well 100 ft
distant. Values of t and Z observed together with values of 𝑟 2 /t are
given in what follows. Find T and S for the aquifer, using Cooper-Jacob
method.

𝑡0 = 2.7 hr; 𝑡1 = 3 hr; 𝑡2 = 30 hr; ∆Z = 11 ft

 2.3𝑄 𝑟12
T= log 1
4π∆𝑍 𝑟2

2.25𝑇𝑡
S=
𝑟02
Aquifer Analysis
 𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕ℎ
(𝑇𝑥 ) + (𝑇𝑦 ) +R= S
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑡

Where:

R = Groundwater flow (inflows and outflows)

h = Elevation of the water table

S = Specific yield

Tx = Function of h

Ty = Function of h