water bore pump testing
john Albert November 18, 2021water bore pump testing is the general method and a very common approach used by hydrogeologists to Test aquifers. It is usually performed by stimulating the aquifer and then determining its response. The major objective of the pumping test is to check the capability of production and calculate all the properties related to the aquifer which include transmissivity, hydraulic boundaries, and storability.
Precautions are taken before the test is conducted:
Those who want to conduct the test must calculate the accurate and initial water level before pumping.
They also measure the pumping rate and drop-down levels of water against time.
The selected pump is of measurable size and worthy enough to perform the water bore pump testing.
The potential capacity of the bore must be good enough.
Applicants who performed the test must also determine the recovery of water levels in the pumped bore.
As automatic water level recordings must be used during the testing.
Applicants must apply to apply and identify the measurements of barometric pressure, tidal influences, and groundwater salinity.
Purpose to perform pumping test:
All of the main purposes to perform water bore testing is to extract enough amount of groundwater in a large volume of water that has been collected to carry out a pumping test. The pumping test is used to assess interference impacts between the subject bore.
The pumping test results are also useful for the determination of new water suppliers and the determination of extraction limits for bores.
Recommendations
The test to be performed must be properly documented along with the design and operation of the alternative pumping stations.
If the water level has been down or the pump stops working, then it will be mandatory that the pumping test will be stopped and water recovery levels will be monitored.
It is recommended that water should be maintained to the pre-pumping test initial level before starting the new test.
If there are other wells or bores present near the wells or bores being tested then applicants must be able to observe the water least level and the recovery of all the bores and wells of the test. All of the detailed information must be monitored during the pumping test. Any of the outside influences like pressure. Changes, weather changes, temperature changes must be recorded that would cause influences on the pumping test and analysis of the measured data.
The water collected after the pumping test must be given to the respected authorities for further examination. These water testing must include
Examination of cations
Examination of anions.
pH
Sodium absorption ratio
Total dissolved solute s
Electrical conductivity
Qualified groundwater professionals must be able to analyze the measuring data. The analysis includes the assessment of hydraulic parameters and the long-term impact of pumping and the duration of groundwater availability for future use by the residents of that area.
Let’s have a look at the procedure of the pumping test
The procedure of a water bore pumping test:
The normal design to perform the pumping test that has been authorized by the government must include at least the following steps. These include:
Preliminary test.
Constant discharge rate.
Recovery test.
Preliminary tests:
In this step, the water level has been measured before, during, and after the test procedure of all the bores which has been included in the water bore test. The measurements must be recorded at a regular interval of time. The production bore which is pumping water continuously includes different charge rates that are appropriate for the bores.
The discharge of the water must be calculated regularly during the preliminary test and it must be made sure that there is not any drop off during the preliminary test. The recovery must also be measured until the water level has been reached up to 80% of the pre-pumping level. All the times, measurements, requirements, and rates have been measured and calculated.
Constant discharge rate:
The test must not be conducted within 24 hours of the preliminary tests. The test should be continued to be conducted within the period provided to the applicant during which the applicant proposes to operate the bore.
All the measurements of the pumping and the recovery rate must be taken into proper considerations per the schedule provided to the applicant. Different observations must be recorded with proper accuracy and relevance at different times along with the recovery rate from the bores or wells which are included in the test. These readings and recordings are presented in the final reports.
Recovery test:
Measurements of all the recorded tests have been taken in the provided schedule after the constant discharge rates. All measurements must be done with the required accuracy.
Measurements schedule:
Water level and discharge measurements must be taken into consideration at a specific interval of time given in the schedule which are
0 to 10 mins
10 to 20 mins
20 to 60 mins
1 to 8 hr
8 to 24 hrs
24 to 48 hrs
48 to more
More than 48 hours
The readings should be taken frequently throughout the test to ensure that a constant rate has been maintained. Applicants must be able to complete the readings and recordings as near as possible to the actual schedule.
Proper reporting:
A water bore pumping test report must be provided to the governmental organizations identifying all the key aspects of the bore and proposing all the water supply operations. Applicants must also be able to give the test measurements to the department of the water board in an electronic file format for further analysis. The report includes the introduction, water quality measurements, geology and physiography, subject bore details, pumping and recovery results, groundwater quality with proper reports and figures.
Conclusion:
The pumping test of the water bore must be taken into consideration in a proper setup with accuracy in the measurements. This detailed information must be provided within the scheduled time provided to the applicant. Reporting along with the accuracy is the proper proof that the water bore pumping test has been handled and done with proper consistency.
