Equilibrium hydraulics of wells

The figure shows a well in a homogeneous aquifer of infinite extent with an

initially horizontal water table. The corresponding steady state piezometric
draw down surface is also shown for the assumed constant pumped
discharge Q. The well is assumed to have a radius rw and the radius of
influence is thought to be R where the potentiometric surface is nearly equal
to the original undisturbed value H, measured from a datum. At the well, the
depth of water is designated by hw, which is also measured from a common
datum. In general, at a certain radius r measured from the center of the well,
the potentiometric surface stands at a height h measured above the datum.

The yield from the well Q may be expressed in terms of Darcys

law as,
(1)
Where K is the coefficient of permeability of the formation, i is the hydraulic
gradient that is, the slope of the potentiometric surface at the well bound
and A is the surface area of the well through which the flow is converging
into the well from the aquifer. Thus,

(2)
In the above equation, b is the Thickness of the aquifer

Naturally, the same amount of water also travels through the aquifer at a
radial distance r from the center of the well. Thus, yield would also be
(3)
The above expression is true if the aquifer thickness b is assumed to be
constant throughout. The above equations give us a value of the yield, Q, of
the well but for that a measure of the gradient of the potentiometric surface
is essential. This may be done by inserting a piezometer penetrating into the
aquifer and noting the water level there.. (Next figure)

Rearranging and integration

(4)
Which gives,

(5)

This is called the Thiem Equation and can be used to estimate the
transmissibility.

(6)

Nonequilibrium Hydraulics of Wells

During the initial period of pumping from a new well, much of the discharge
is derived from storage in the portion of the aquifer unwatered as the cone of
depression develops.

In 1935, Charles V. Theis published a brief article

that was the first transient solution for groundwater flow toward a well. He
did so by understanding the vital analogy between groundwater flow and
heat transfer. The Theis legacy is not limited to the transient theory. He was
one of the first scientists to emphasize the importance of geological
heterogeneity.
In 1935 Theis presented a formula based on the heat-flow analogy which
accounts for the effect of time and the storage characteristics of the aquifer.
His formula is

And is given by this equation..

For the water-table aquifers it is essentially the specific yield. The integral in
the 1st formula is commonly written W(u) and called the well function of u,
can be evaluated from the series..

When u is small,the terms of the last Equation following ln(u) are small and
maybe neglected. The Equation3 indicates that u will be small when t is
large, in this case modified solution of the Theis method is possible by
writing..

Q= Is the flow in cubic meter.

h= is the change in drawdown between time

Boundary Effects
`

The assumption of a symmetrical cone of depression implies a homogeneous

aquifer of great extent

Aquifer analysis
Techniques of the previous sections are suitable for analysis of single wells or
a small well field, but study of a large aquifer generally requires more
efficient computational systems, or simply aquifer analysis is an effective
means of determining the capabilities and limitation of a well to deliver water
to the surface.
: A Hele-Shaw apparatus is one instrument use for analyzing aquifer, but it
is use in two-dimensional groundwater-flow problem
: A Analog Computer is use when the problem is in three-dimensional

Potential of a Groundwater Reservoir

A basic problem in engineering groundwater studies is the question
of the permissible rate of withdrawal from a groundwater basin. This
study identified a set of equations that are based on an analytical solution to
the ground-water-flow equation for the case of one-dimensional flow in a
finite-width aquifer bounded by a linear surface-water feature such as a
stream. This quantity, commonly called the safe yield, is defined by
Meinzer.

Safe yield
The safe yield of a groundwater basin is governed by many factors, one of
the most important being the quantity of water available. And Safe yield is
generally considered equal to the average replenishment rate of the aquifer
from natural and artificial recharge. Evaporation, transpiration and basin
outflow are also factored in to replenishment rates.

Seawater Intrusion
Is the movement of salt water into freshwater aquifers, which can lead to
contamination of drinking water sources and other consequences. Saltwater
intrusion occurs naturally to some degree in most coastal aquifers, owing to
the hydraulic connection between groundwater and seawater. Because
saltwater has a higher mineral content than freshwater, it is denser and has
a higher water pressure. As a result, saltwater can push inland beneath the
freshwater.

Fresh water is lighter than salt water. Therefore, fresh water "floats" on top of
salt water. This principle becomes extremely important when considering the
drilling of a well in order to tap into the ground water of any island. The
weight of the rain water that percolates into the ground depresses the salt
water beneath it forming a profile that has the appearance of a lens. This is
called the Ghyben-Herzberg lens. The principle of this relationship was
discovered independently by a Dutch scientist named Baden-Ghyben and a
German scientist named Herzberg.

Artesian aquifer
An artesian aquifer is an underground layer which
holds groundwater under pressure. This causes the water level in the well to
rise to a point where the pressure is equal to the weight of water putting it
under pressure. This type of well is called an artesian well. Water may even
reach the ground surface if the natural pressure is high enough, in which
case the well is called a flowing artesian well.

An aquifer is a geologic layer which can hold water such as sand and
gravel, limestone, or sandstone, through which water flows and is stored. An
artesian aquifer is trapped between rocks or clay which causes the pressure.
Water returns to the aquifers when the water table at its recharge zone is at

a higher elevation than the head of the well