Optimized system to improve pumping rate stability during aquifer tests

Aquifer hydraulic properties are commonly estimated using aquifer tests, which are based on an assumption of a uniform and constant pumping rate. Substantial uncertainties in the flow rate across the borehole-formation interface can be induced by dynamic head losses, caused by rapid changes in borehole water levels early in an aquifer test. A system is presented that substantially reduces these sources of uncertainty by explicitly accounting for dynamic head losses. The system which employs commonly available components (including a datalogger, pressure transducers, a variable-speed pump motor, a flow controller, and flowmeters), is inexpensive, highly mobile, and easily set up. It optimizes the flow rate at the borehole-formation interface, making it suitable for any type of aquifer test, including constant, step, or ramped withdrawal and injection, as well as sinusoidal. The system was demonstrated for both withdrawal and injection tests in three aquifers at the Savannah River Site. No modifications to the control system were required, although a small number of characteristics of the pumping and monitoring system were added to the operating program. The pumping system provided a statistically significant, constant flow rate with time. The range in pumping variability (95% confidence interval) was from +/- 2.58 x 10(-4) L/sec to +/- 9.07 x 10(-4) L/sec, across a wide range in field and aquifer conditions.     

Cautions and Suggestions for Geochemical Sampling in Fractured Rock

Collecting water samples for geochemical analyses in open bedrock boreholes or in discrete intervals of boreholes intersected by multiple fractures is likely to yield ambiguous results for ground water chemistry because of the variability in the transmissivity, storativity, and hydraulic head of fractures intersecting the borehole. Interpreting chemical analyses of water samples collected in bedrock boreholes requires an understanding of the hydraulic conditions in the borehole under the ambient flow regime in the aquifer as well as during sampling. Pumping in open boreholes, regardless of the pumping rate and the location of the pump intake, first draws water from the borehole and then from fractures intersecting the borehole. The time at which the volumetric rate of water entering the borehole from fractures is approximately equal to the pumping rate can be identified by monitoring the logarithm of drawdown in the borehole as a function of the logarithm of time. Mixing of water entering the borehole from fractures with water in the borehole must be considered in estimating the time at which the pump discharge is representative of aquifer water. In boreholes intersected by multiple fractures, after the contribution from the borehole volume has diminished, the contribution of fractures to the pump discharge will be weighted according to their transmissivity, regardless of the location of the pump intake. This results in a flux-averaged concentration in the pump discharge that is biased by the chemical signature of those fractures with the highest transmissivity. Under conditions where the hydraulic head of fractures varies over the length of the borehole, open boreholes will be subject to ambient flow in the water column in the borehole. In some instances, the magnitude of the ambient flow may be similar to the designated pumping rate for collecting water samples for geochemical analyses. Under such conditions, the contributions to the pump discharge from individual fractures will be a function not only of the transmissivity of the fractures, but also of the distribution of hydraulic head in fractures intersecting the borehole. To reduce or eliminate the deleterious effects of conducting geochemical sampling in open boreholes, a straddle-packer apparatus that isolates a single fracture or a series of closely spaced fractures is recommended. It is also recommended that open boreholes be permanently outfitted with borehole packers or borehole liners in instances where maintaining the hydraulic and chemical stratification in the aquifer is of importance. In a field example, a comparison of results from sampling in an open borehole and in discrete intervals of the same borehole showed dramatic differences in the concentrations of chemical constituents in the water samples, even though chemical field parameters stabilized prior to both open borehole and discrete interval sampling.     

Estimation of spatial variability of aquifer parameters from geophysical methods: a case study of Sindhudurg district,Maharashtra, India

Accurate estimation of aquifer parameters, especially from crystalline hard rock area, assumes a special significance for management of groundwater resources. The aquifer parameters are usually estimated through pumping tests carried out on water wells. While it may be costly and time consuming for carrying out pumping tests at a number of sites, the application of geophysical methods in combination with hydro-geochemical information proves to be potential and cost effective to estimate aquifer parameters. Here a method to estimate aquifer parameters such as hydraulic conductivity, formation factor, porosity and transmissivity is presented by utilizing electrical conductivity values analysed via hydro-geochemical analysis of existing wells and the respective vertical electrical sounding (VES) points of Sindhudurg district, western Maharashtra, India. Further, prior to interpolating the distribution of aquifer parameters of the study area, variogram modelling was carried out using data driven techniques of kriging, automatic relevance determination based Bayesian neural networks (ARD-BNN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy neural networks (ANFIS). In total, four variogram model fitting techniques such as spherical, exponential, ARD-BNN and ANFIS were compared. According to the obtained results, the spherical variogram model in interpolating transmissivity, ARD-BNN variogram model in interpolating porosity, exponential variogram model in interpolating aquifer thickness and ANFIS variogram model in interpolating hydraulic conductivity outperformed rest of the variogram models. Accordingly, the accurate aquifer parameters maps of the study area were produced by using the best variogram model. The present results suggest that there are relatively high value of hydraulic conductivity, porosity and transmissivity at Parule, Mogarne, Kudal, and Zarap, which would be useful to characterize the aquifer system over western Maharashtra.     

Geophysical Assessment of Groundwater Potential: A Case Study from Mian Channu Area,Pakistan

An integrated study using geophysical method in combination with pumping tests and geochemical method was carried out to delineate groundwater potential zones in Mian Channu area of Pakistan. Vertical electrical soundings (VES) using Schlumberger configuration with maximum current electrode spacing (AB/2 = 200 m) were conducted at 50 stations and 10 pumping tests at borehole sites were performed in close proximity to 10 of the VES stations. The aim of this study is to establish a correlation between the hydraulic parameters obtained from geophysical method and pumping tests so that the aquifer potential can be estimated from the geoelectrical surface measurements where no pumping tests exist. The aquifer parameters, namely, transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity were estimated from Dar Zarrouyk parameters by interpreting the layer parameters such as true resistivities and thicknesses. Geoelectrical succession of five‐layer strata (i.e., topsoil, clay, clay sand, sand, and sand gravel) with sand as a dominant lithology was found in the study area. Physicochemical parameters interpreted by World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization were well correlated with the aquifer parameters obtained by geoelectrical method and pumping tests. The aquifer potential zones identified by modeled resistivity, Dar Zarrouk parameters, pumped aquifer parameters, and physicochemical parameters reveal that sand and gravel sand with high values of transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity are highly promising water bearing layers in northwest of the study area. Strong correlation between estimated and pumped aquifer parameters suggest that, in case of sparse well data, geophysical technique is useful to estimate the hydraulic potential of the aquifer with varying lithology.     

Use of Groundwater Level Fluctuations near an Operating Water Supply Well to Estimate Aquifer Transmissivity

We developed a method to estimate aquifer transmissivity from the hydraulic-head data associated with the normal cyclic operation of a water supply well thus avoiding the need for interrupting the water supply associated with a traditional aquifer test. The method is based on an analytical solution that relates the aquifer's transmissivity to the standard deviation of the hydraulic-head fluctuations in one or more observation wells that are due to the periodic pumping of the production well. We analyzed the resulting analytical solution and demonstrated that when the observation wells are located near the pumping well, the solution has a simple, Dupuit like form. Numerical analysis demonstrates that the analytical solution can also be used for a quasi-periodic pumping of the supply well. Simulation of cyclic pumping in a statistically heterogeneous medium confirms that the method is suitable for analyzing the transmissivity of weakly or moderately heterogeneous aquifers. If only one observation well is available, and the shift in the phase of hydraulic-head oscillations between the pumping well and the observation well is not identifiable. Prior knowledge of aquifer's hydraulic diffusivity is required to obtain the value of the aquifer transmissivity.     

The Effect of Undetected Barriers on Groundwater Drawdown and Recovery

In large-scale pumping projects, such as mine dewatering, predictions are often made about the rate of groundwater level recovery after pumping has ceased. However, these predictions may be impacted by geological uncertainty—including the presence of undetected impermeable barriers. During pumping, an impermeable barrier may be undetected if it is located beyond the maximum extent of the cone of depression; yet it may still control drawdown during the recovery phase. This has implications for regional-scale modeling and monitoring of groundwater level recovery. In this article, non-dimensional solutions are developed to show the conditions under which a barrier may be undetected during pumping but still significantly impact groundwater level recovery. The magnitude of the impact from an undetected barrier will increase as the ratio of pumping rate to aquifer transmissivity increases. The results are exemplified for a hypothetical aquifer with an unknown barrier 3 km from a pumping well. The difference in drawdown between a model with and without a barrier may be <1 m in the 10 years while pumping is occurring, but up to 50 m after pumping has ceased.     

The response of water level in the YuZ-5 well, Kamchatka to the magnitude 9.3, Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of December 26, 2004

Forced and free oscillations of water level were recorded in the YuZ-5 well, Kamchatka due to the passage of seismic waves from the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of December 26, 2004, M _w = 9.3, hypocentral distance 8250 km. The greatest amplitude of water level oscillations, at least 5 cm, was observed during the onset of seismic surface waves with a typical period of 20–50 s. The total duration of the forced and free water level oscillations was about ten hours. The available theoretical models that describe oscillations of water level in a well due to seismic waves and rapid injection of water were used to estimate the transmissivity of the aquifer. The values obtained exceed by at least two orders of magnitude the transmissivity derived from pumping test measurements. A hypothesis was proposed to explain the temporary increase in aquifer transmissivity during the passage of seismic waves by invoking disturbances in the structure of the crack-pore space and a sharp increase in aquifer rock permeability.     

Reverse Water‐Level Fluctuations Associated with Fracture Connectivity

Reverse water‐level fluctuations (RWFs), a phenomenon in which water levels rise briefly in response to pumping, were detected in monitoring wells in a fractured siliciclastic aquifer system near a deep public supply well. The magnitude and timing of RWFs provide important information that can help interpret aquifer hydraulics near pumping wells. A RWF in a well is normally attributed to poroelastic coupling between the solid and fluid components in an aquifer system. In addition to revealing classical pumping‐induced poroelastic RWFs, data from pressure transducers located at varying depths and distances from the public supply well suggest that the RWFs propagate rapidly through fractures to influence wells hundreds of meters from the pumping well. The rate and cycling frequency of pumping is an important factor in the magnitude of RWFs. The pattern of RWF propagation can be used to better define fracture connectivity in an aquifer system. Rapid, cyclic head changes due to RWFs may also serve as a mechanism for contaminant transport.     

Static and dynamic conceptual model of a complexly fractured crystalline rock aquifer

A conceptual model of anisotropic and dynamic permeability is developed from hydrogeologic and hydromechanical characterization of a foliated, complexly fractured, crystalline rock aquifer at Gates Pond, Berlin, Massachusetts. Methods of investigation include aquifer‐pumping tests, long‐term hydrologic monitoring, fracture characterization, downhole heat‐pulse flow meter measurements, in situ extensometer testing, and earth tide analysis. A static conceptual model is developed from observations of depth‐dependent and anisotropic permeability that effectively compartmentalizes the aquifer as a function of foliation intensity. Superimposed on the static model is dynamic permeability as a function of hydraulic head in which transient bulk aquifer transmissivity is proportional to changes in hydraulic head due to hydromechanical coupling. The dynamic permeability concept is built on observations that fracture aperture changes as a function of hydraulic head, as measured during in situ extensometer testing of individual fractures, and observed changes in bulk aquifer transmissivity as determined from earth tides during seasonal changes in hydraulic head, with higher transmissivity during periods of high hydraulic head, and lower transmissivity during periods of relatively lower hydraulic head. A final conceptual model is presented that captures both the static and dynamic properties of the aquifer. The workflow presented here demonstrates development of a conceptual framework for building numerical models of complexly fractured, foliated, crystalline rock aquifers that includes both a static model to describe the spatial distribution of permeability as a function of fracture type and foliation intensity and a dynamic model that describes how hydromechanical coupling impacts permeability magnitude as a function of hydraulic head fluctuation. This model captures important geologic controls on permeability magnitude, anisotropy, and transience and therefor offers potentially more reliable history matching and forecasts of different water management strategies, such as resource evaluation, well placement, permeability prediction, and evaluating remediation strategies.     

Interpretation of Pumping Tests in Heterogeneous Aquifers with Constant Head Boundary

This paper investigates the impact of heterogeneity of the transmissivity field on the interpretation of steady-state pumping test data from aquifer systems delimited by constant head boundaries such as aquifers adjacent to lakes or rivers. Spatially variable transmissivity fields are randomly generated and used to simulate the drawdown due to a pumping well located at different distances from a constant head boundary. The steady-state drawdown simulated at different observation wells are then interpreted using the Hantush method (Hantush 1959). The numerical simulations show that, in contrast to the case of infinite aquifer domains, the interpreted transmissivity varies depending on well locations and the separation distance between pumping well and boundary relative to the correlation length. The ensemble-averaged estimated transmissivity varies between the geometric mean and the arithmetic mean, and can even exceed the arithmetic mean in a narrow domain adjacent to the boundary. It approaches the geometric mean of the underlying transmissivity field only if the distance between the pumping well is more than 20 times the characteristic length of the transmissivity field.     

Assessing radial transmissivity variation in heterogeneous aquifers using analytical techniques

Pumping tests are one of the most commonly used in situ testing techniques for assessing aquifer hydraulic properties. Numerous researches have been conducted to predict the effects of aquifer heterogeneity on the groundwater levels during pumping tests. The objectives of the present work were as follows: (1) to predict drawdown conditions and to estimate aquifer properties during pumping tests undertaken in radially symmetric heterogeneous aquifers, and (2) to identify a method for assessing the transmissivity field along the radial coordinate in radially symmetric and fully heterogeneous transmissivity fields. The first objective was achieved by expanding an existing analytical drawdown formulation that was valid for a radially symmetric confined aquifer with two concentric zones around the pumping well to an N concentric zone confined aquifer having a constant transmissivity value within each zone. The formulation was evaluated for aquifers with three and four concentric zones to assess the effects of the transmissivity field on the drawdown conditions. The specific conditions under which aquifer properties could be identified using traditional methods of analysis were also evaluated. The second objective was achieved by implementing the inverse solution algorithm (ISA), which was developed for petroleum reservoirs to groundwater aquifer settings. The results showed that the drawdown values are influenced by a volumetric integral of a weighting function and the transmissivity field within the cone of depression. The weighting function migrates in tandem with the expanding cone of depression. The ability of the ISA to predict radially symmetric and log‐normally distributed transmissivity fields was assessed against analytical and numerical benchmarks. The results of this investigation indicated that the ISA method is a viable technique for evaluating the radial transmissivity variations of heterogeneous aquifer settings. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An inverse procedure to estimate transmissivity from heads and SP signals

Experimental hydraulic heads and electrical (self-potential) signals associated with a pumping test were used in an inverse model to estimate the transmissivity distribution of a real aquifer. Several works reported in the literature show that there is a relatively good linear relationship between the hydraulic heads in the aquifer and electrical signals measured at the ground surface. In this experimental test field, first, the current coupling coefficient was determined by the best fit between experimental and modeled self-potential signals at the end of the pumping phase. Soon afterward, with the hydraulic heads obtained from the self-potential signals, the transmissivity distribution of the aquifer was conditioned by means an inverse model based on the successive linear estimator (SLE). To further substantiate the estimated T field from the SLE analysis, we analyzed the drawdown rate, the derivative of the drawdown with respect to the ln(t), because the drawdown rate is highly sensitive to the variability in the transmissivity field. In our opinion, these results show that self-potential signals allow the monitoring of subsurface flow in the course of pumping experiments, and that electrical potentials serve as a good complement to piezometric observations to condition and characterize the transmissivity distribution of an aquifer.     

Estimating Aquifer Properties Using Derivative Analysis of Water Level Time Series from Active Well Fields

Water level time series from groundwater production wells offer a transient dataset that can be used to estimate aquifer properties in areas with active groundwater development. This article describes a new parameter estimation method to infer aquifer properties from such datasets. Specifically, the method analyzes long‐term water level measurements from multiple, interacting groundwater production wells and relies on temporal water level derivatives to estimate the aquifer transmissivity and storativity. Analytically modeled derivatives are compared to derivatives calculated directly from the observed water level data; an optimization technique is used to identify best‐fitting transmissivity and storativity values that minimize the difference between modeled and observed derivatives. We demonstrate how the consideration of derivative (slope) behavior eliminates uncertainty associated with static water levels and well‐loss coefficients, enabling effective use of water level data from groundwater production wells. The method is applied to time‐series data collected over a period of 6 years from a municipal well field operating in the Denver Basin, Colorado (USA). The estimated aquifer properties are shown to be consistent with previously published values. The parameter estimation method is further tested using synthetic water level time series generated with a numerical model that incorporates the style of heterogeneity that occurs in the Denver Basin sandstone aquifers.     

Concentration Profiles in Screened Wells under Static and Pumped Conditions

Purge and pump samples from screened wells reflect concentration averaging and contaminant redistribution by wellbore flow. These issues were assessed in a screened well at the Hanford Site by investigating the vertical profile of a technetium-99 plume in a conventional well under static and pumped conditions. Specific conductance and technetium-99 concentrations were well correlated, and this enabled measurement of specific conductance to be used as a surrogate for technetium-99 concentration. Time-series measurements were collected during purging from three specific conductance probes installed in the well at 1.2, 3.1, and 4.9 m below the static water level in a 7.7-m-deep screened well. The vertical contaminant profile adjacent to the well in the aquifer was calculated using the concentration profile in the well during pumping, the pumping flow rate, and a wellbore flow and mixing model. The plume was found to be stratified in the aquifer—the highest concentrations occurred adjacent to the upper part of the screened interval. The purge and pump sample concentrations were 41% to 58% of the calculated peak concentration in the aquifer. Plume stratification in the aquifer adjacent to the well screen became more pronounced as pumping continued. Extended pumping may have partially reversed the effect of contaminant redistribution in the aquifer by wellbore flow and allowed the stratification of the plume to be more observable. It was also found that the vertical profile of contamination in the well under static (i.e., nonpumping conditions) was not representative of the profile in the aquifer. Thus, passive or micropurge sampling techniques, which sample the wellbore water at different depths, would not yield results representative of the aquifer in this well.     

Estimation of Salt Water Upconing Using a Steady‐State Solution for Partial Completion of a Pumped Well

A new steady‐state analytical solution to the two‐dimensional radial‐flow equation was developed for drawdown (head) conditions in an aquifer with constant transmissivity, no‐flow conditions at the top and bottom, constant head conditions at a known radial distance, and a partially completed pumping well. The solution was evaluated for accuracy by comparison to numerical simulations using MODFLOW. The solution was then used to estimate the rise of the salt water‐fresh water interface (upconing) that occurs under a pumping well, and to calculate the critical pumping rate at which the interface becomes unstable, allowing salt water to enter the pumping well. The analysis of salt water‐fresh water interface rise assumed no significant effect on upconing by recharge; this assumption was tested and supported using results from a new steady‐state analytical solution developed for recharge under two‐dimensional radial‐flow conditions. The upconing analysis results were evaluated for accuracy by comparison to those from numerical simulations using SEAWAT for salt water‐fresh water interface positions under mild pumping conditions. The results from the equation were also compared with those of a published numerical sharp‐interface model applied to a case on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This comparison indicates that estimating the interface rise and maximum allowable pumping rate using the analytical method will likely be less conservative than the maximum allowable pumping rate and maximum stable interface rise from a numerical sharp‐interface model.     

How to Find Aquifer Statistics Utilizing Pumping Tests? Two Field Studies Using welltestpy

We present a workflow to estimate geostatistical aquifer parameters from pumping test data using the Python package welltestpy . The procedure of pumping test analysis is exemplified for two data sets from the Horkheimer Insel site and from the Lauswiesen site, Germany. The analysis is based on a semi-analytical drawdown solution from the upscaling approach Radial Coarse Graining, which enables to infer log-transmissivity variance and horizontal correlation length, beside mean transmissivity, and storativity, from pumping test data. We estimate these parameters of aquifer heterogeneity from type-curve analysis and determine their sensitivity. This procedure, implemented in welltestpy , is a template for analyzing any pumping test. It goes beyond the possibilities of standard methods, for example, based on Theis' equation, which are limited to mean transmissivity and storativity. A sensitivity study showed the impact of observation well positions on the parameter estimation quality. The insights of this study help to optimize future test setups for geostatistical aquifer analysis and provides guidance for investigating pumping tests with regard to aquifer statistics using the open-source software package welltestpy .     

Evaluation of Vertical Head Profiles in Water Production Wells during Pumping

In a recent field study, the performance of four production wells was evaluated. The intake of a vertical turbine test pump was set below the top of the screened interval of the wells due to anticipated drawdown. Water level sounding tubes were welded to the well casing at various depths in each well. Drawdown data collected at various depths were used to evaluate the vertical head distribution in the wells under various pumping stresses. A direct relationship was observed between the head loss and the location of the pump intake in the production wells. A vertical head profile developed, suggesting that the location of the pump intake controlled the location of water production from the aquifer. The head loss in the wells observed during pumping was directly proportional to well discharge and annulus size between the well casing and the vertical turbine pump shaft. The pressure differences that developed in the wells created increased drawdown in water level sounding tubes installed deep in the wells compared to the total drawdown observed in the production wells. Certain implications should be considered based on the evaluation of the data obtained from this study. Because water management decisions are made using well test data, the quality of the data is crucial. In instances where well performance is evaluated using water level data collected from water level sounding tubes that are located close to a pump intake (in this case deep in the well), it should be recognized that well performance could be underestimated.     

Contribution of magnetic resonance sounding to aquifer characterization and recharge estimate in semiarid Niger

To improve the knowledge of the regionally important Continental Terminal 3 (CT3) aquifer in south-western Niger, fifteen magnetic resonance soundings (MRS) were carried out in December 2005 in the vicinity of wells and boreholes. The output MRS geophysical parameters, i.e. water content and decay constants versus depth, were compared to hydrogeological characteristics, i.e. water table depth, total porosity, specific yield and transmissivity estimated from direct measurements, pumping tests and transient groundwater modelling. The MRS-determined parameters were then used to estimate the rates of groundwater recharge.Contained in poorly consolidated Tertiary sandstones, the CT3 aquifer's water table has continuously risen by 4 m in total over the past four decades. Additionally, a significant portion of this increase has occurred in the past decade alone, with an annual rise now ranging between 0.1 and 0.3 m depending on the monitored well. Increase in groundwater recharge due to land clearance and deforestation explains this situation. According to previous estimations, the pre-clearing recharge ranged from 1 to 5 mm per year in 1950–60 s, while more recent recharge rates (1990s–2000s) range from 20 to 50 mm per year. These recharge values are directly affected by estimated aquifer specific yield value, while the spatial variation of rates of water table rise can be attributed to large scale hydrodynamic heterogeneities in the aquifer. However, few field measurements were available to confirm these assumptions.The main results of this study are: (1) The water table depth and aquifer transmissivity are estimated from MRS output parameters with an average accuracy of ± 10% and ± 9% respectively. (2) The MRS-determined water content is linked to both the total porosity and the specific yield of the aquifer, but no quantitative formulation can be proposed as yet. (3) Using the average MRS-determined water content over the investigated area, i.e. 13%, the groundwater recharge rates can be estimated to be ~ 2 mm per year in the 1950–1960s (pre-clearing period), and ~ 23 mm per year for the last decade. (4) The variations in specific yield and transmissivity cannot explain by themselves the spatial variability of the rise of the water table. (5) The ranges in transmissivity and water content obtained from MRS are more realistic than the groundwater modelling outputs. Therefore, MRS could be used to better constrain the aquifer parameters in groundwater modelling with a dense site network.Finally, this work illustrates how MRS can successfully improve characterisation and transient multi-year groundwater balance of commonly found sedimentary aquifers, particularly when integrated with well observations and pumping tests.     

A single recovery type curve from Theis'' exact solution

The Theis type curve matching method and the Cooper-Jacob semilog method are commonly used for estimation of transmissivity and storage coefficient of infinite, homogeneous, isotropic, confined aquifers from drawdown data of a constant rate pumping test. Although these methods are based on drawdown data, they are often applied indiscriminately to analyze both drawdown and recovery data. Moreover, the limitations of drawdown type curve to analyze recovery data collected after short pumping times are not well understood by the practicing engineers. This often may result in an erroneous interpretation of such recovery data. In this paper, a novel but simple method is proposed to determine the storage coefficient as well as transmissivity from recovery data measured after the pumping period of an aquifer test. The method eliminates the dependence on pumping time effects and has the advantage of employing only one single recovery type curve. The method based on the conversion of residual drawdown to recovered drawdown (buildup) data plotted versus a new equivalent time (delta(t) x t(p)/t(p) + delta(t)). The method uses the recovery data in one observation point only, and does not need the initial water level h0, which may be unknown. The accuracy of the method is checked with three sets of field data. This method appears to be complementary to the Cooper-Jacob and Theis methods, as it provides values of both storage coefficient and transmissivity from recovery data, regardless of pumping duration.     

Interpretation of a Pumping Test with Interference from a Neighboring Well

In confined aquifers, the influence of neighboring active wells is often neglected when interpreting a pumping test. This can, however, lead to an erroneous interpretation of the pumping test data. This paper presents simple methods to evaluate the transmissivity (T) and storativity (S) of a confined aquifer under Theis conditions, when an interfering well starts pumping in the neighborhood of the tested well before the beginning of the test. These new methods yield better estimates of the T and especially S values than when the interfering well influence is neglected. They also permit to distinguish between interfering wells and other deviations from the Cooper‐Jacob straight line, such as impermeable boundaries. The new methods were then applied on data obtained from a numerical model. The new methods require knowing the pumping rate of the interfering well and the time elapsed since the pumping started in each well, but contrary to previous methods, they do not require the aquifer natural level at the beginning of the test, which is often unknown if the interfering well has started pumping before the tested well.