Determining the optimal pumping duration of transient pumping tests for estimating hydraulic properties of leaky aquifers using global curve-fitting method: a simulation approach

Global curve-fitting method (GCFM) is regarded as an effective approach in hydrogeological parameter estimation, as it integrates and uses pumping data and water recovery data of a transient pumping test for parameter estimation. The impacts of pumping duration on hydrogeological parameter estimation by GCFM were investigated in the present study using 2 in situ pumping tests and 24 simulated transient pumping tests. Empirical formulas for determining the optimal pumping duration were derived. The study results suggest that pumping duration will have impacts on the accuracy of hydrogeological parameter estimation. When pumping duration is longer than a certain period, relative errors of hydrogeological parameter estimation keep relatively stable within an acceptable limit. Therefore, it is unnecessary to continue the pumping for a very long time after the groundwater level has become stable. When the change rate of drawdown over time (γ) in an observation well located within a distance of 100 m to the pumping well reaches 0.134, the pumping can be stopped. If there are more than one observation wells in a pumping test, the smallest γ value should be selected to determine the optimal pumping duration. This research is meaningful in the instruction of pumping tests, and will reduce test costs greatly.