Pumping Tests and

Hydrogeologic Data

Daniel O. Niemela P.G.

 Topics

• Well and aquifer basics

• Pumping tests
• Data analysis
• Projecting well performance
Water Well 101

• Water level in well

is lower than water
level in aquifer
S tatic Water Level

• Greater well
drawdown results in
Pumping Water Level
greater flow

• Well yield and

drawdown can be
predictable
Hydrogeologic Terms

• Static Water Level

(SWL)
SWL
• Pumping Water Level
(PWL)
s
• Drawdown
PWL (PWL) – (SWL) = s

• Available Drawdown
(Max PWL) – (SWL)
Principal Types of Aquifers
• Alluvial
– Unconsolidated
– Type III

• Bedrock
– Consolidated
– Type II

• Confined
– Frequently consolidated
– Type I
 Pumping Test Objectives

• Measure flow rate and water level

• Determine yield for permanent pump
setting
• Collect aquifer data
• Pumping development (remove fines)
• Water rights (document use rate)
 Manners of Well Testing

• Pumping (submersible, turbine, etc.)

• Airlift (Baski)
• Bailer (Low flow rate)
• “Slug” (only for aquifer properties)
Pumping Test Field Measurements
• Flow rates
– Totalizing flow meter, instantaneous flow meter,
orifice, flume/weir, 5-gallon bucket
– Stop watch
– Redundant

• Water levels
– M-Scope, pressure transducer, airline, sounder
– Redundant
– 1” PVC tube(s) for easy access downhole
Dan’s Six Pump Test Essentials
M-Scope

1. M-Scope
2. 5-gallon bucket
3. Stopwatch
Graduated Bucket

4. 2 pens
5. Notepad
6. Calculator
 Measurements and Observations
• Well construction
– Borehole depth, diameter
– Casing and screen size diameter
– Screened interval
• SWL, PWL’s
• Recovery WL’s *** especially for low yield wells ***
• Observation well WL’s (Nearby Wells)
• Total well depth before and after testing
• Flow rates
• Sand production You only get one
• Color of discharge
• Location of discharge
chance to
• Water quality document a
• Temperature pumping test!
• Weather
• Time, date
• Nearby streams, ditches, etc.
 Constant-Discharge Pumping Test
• Easiest to data to evaluate because only WL’s change
• Constant flow during duration of test (<10% change)
• Most water level change occurs early in test
• Measure flow rate and water levels at specific intervals
– 1 to 10 minutes : Every 1 minute
– 10 to 20 minutes: Every 2 minutes
– 20 to 50 minutes: Every 5 minutes
– 50 to 90 minutes: Every 10 minutes
– 1.5 to 4 hours: Every ½ hour
– 4 to 24 hours: Every 1 hour
• Most important: Write down WHEN the measurement is
collected, even if it is late
Constant Discharge Pumping Test
Linear Graph (24 – hours)
200.0

150.0
Drawdown ( ft)

100.0

50.0

0.0
0 240 480 720 960 1200 1440
Ti me (mi n)

675 gpm
Arapahoe Aquifer
Constant Discharge Pumping Test
Semi-Log Graph (24 – hours)
200.0

150.0
Dr awdown (f t)

100.0

50.0

Trans ducer Theis Type-Curve

0.0
0.1 1 10 Ti me (min ) 100 1000 10000

675 gpm
Arapahoe Aquifer
Constant Discharge Pumping Test
Log-Log Graph (24 – hours)
1000.0

100.0
Theis -
Curve
Drawdown (f t)

10.0

Transducer T heis Type- Cur ve

1.0
0.1 1 10 Time (min ) 100 1000 10000

675 gpm
Arapahoe Aquifer
Consistent Response for Longer
Pumping Periods (7 – days)
1000.0

100.0
Drawdown (ft )

10.0

MiniT roll Dat a Match P oint T heis Type- Curve

1.0
1 10 100 Time ( min) 1000 10000 100000

150 gpm
Arapahoe Aquifer
 Step Pumping Test
300.00

200.00
Drawdown (ft )

100.00

0.00
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Ti me (min)

40 gpm, 70 gpm, 100 gpm

Lower Arapahoe Aquifer
Water Level Recovery
 2 0.0
200.0

150.0 15.0
Drawdown (ft)

100.0 10.0

50.0 5.0

0. 0
0.0
0 240 480 720 960 1200 1440 0 2 40 480 720 960 1200 144 0
T im e ( mi n)
Ti me (m i n)

Ideal Aquifer Trend Recharge Trend

• Gradual increase in drawdown • Water level stabilizes
2 0 0. 0

1 5 0. 0
Dr awdown (ft)

1 0 0. 0

5 0. 0

0. 0
0 .0 0 2 4 0 .0 0 4 8 0 .0 0 7 2 0. 00 9 60 .0 0 12 0 0. 0 0 1 4 40 .0 0
Ti me (m i n)

Fractured Rock Aquifer Trend

• Water level does not stabilize
Constant Discharge Pumping Test
(80 – minutes)
10 0.0

1 0. 0
Drawdo wn (ft)

1.0

0.1

Transducer Mat ch P oint Theis Type-Curve

0.0
0 .1 0 1 .0 0 1 0. 00 Time (min ) 1 00 .0 0 1 00 0.0 0 10 00 0. 00

25 gpm
Mountain Alluvial Aquifer
 Plot Data in the Field

• Identify for trends

• Watch out for changes in trends
Plot Data in the Field (cont.)

Projected
Drawdown
Well Performance Projections
1000.0

100.0
675 gpm
Drawdown (f t)

400 gpm

200 gpm

10.0

Tra nsducer Theis T ype-Curve 200 gpm 400 gpm

1.0
0.1 1 10 Time (min ) 100 1000 10000

Estimate drawdown for different pumping rates using

calculated transmissivity and storativity
Well Performance Projections
200.0

150.0
Drawdown (ft )

100.0

675 gpm
50.0
400 gpm

200 gpm

Trans du cer Theis Type-Curve 200 gpm 400 gpm

0.0
0.1 1 10 Time ( min ) 100 1000 10000

Same data graphed semi-log

Well Performance Projections
1000.0

600 gpm

100.0 400 gpm

Drawdown ( ft)

200 gpm

10.0

Transducer 600 gpm 200 gpm 400 gpm

1.0
0.1 1 10 Time ( days) 100 1000 10000

Estimate drawdown for different pumping periods

using calculated transmissivity and storativity
 Specific Capacity
Simple Measure of Well Efficiency

• (Pumping Rate) / (Drawdown) = Q/s

• Compare pumping tests at different pumping rates
• Evaluate changes in well efficiency
• Forecast drawdown at different pumping rates
– Pump sizing
• Limitation: need to compare Q/s at same time after
pumping begins
– E.g. Q/s at 4 hours
– E.g. Q/s at 12 hours
 Specific Capacity
200.0

150.0
Drawdown (ft)

100.0

Q/s = 0.67 Q/s = 0.63

Q/s = 0.71
50.0

Q/s = 0.83
0.0
0 240 480 720 960 1200 1440
Time (min )
40min 6hrs 12hrs 24hrs

Pumping Rate = 100 gpm

 Specific Capacity
• Say well test at 15 gpm with 100 ft drawdown after
4 hours: (15 gpm) / (100 ft) = 0.15 gpm/ft

Then, how much drawdown at 5 gpm after 4 hours?

(5 gpm) / (0.15 gpm/ft) = 33 ft drawdown

Say only 70 ft drawdown acceptable?

(70 ft) x (0.15 gpm/ft) = 10.5 gpm
 Mountain Domestic Well
• Estimate well yield in gallons per day
– Recovery data is crucial (how long to recover to swl?)

• Compare yield with demand

– 50 to 100 gallons per day per person demand
– 150 to 350 gallons per day demand for a family
– Lawn/garden irrigation at 0.1 gallons per day per
square foot (conservative)

• Storage to accommodate peak demand

• Consider seasonal WL changes

 SWL Changes
• Alluvial aquifers & fractured rock aquifers
– Seasonal changes
– Wet year vs. dry year

• Aquifers with limited recharge (Denver

Basin & High Plains)
– Regional decline
– Irrigation season well-to-well impact
Jefferson County Mountain Water
Well Water Levels

Wet

100 ft • Large seasonal

WL changes
Dry

• Wet year vs. dry

year
Wet

120 ft

Dry

Thanks to Roy Laws

Denver Basin Water Level Decline

Appx. 38 ft/yr
 Declining Denver Basin Water
Levels (cont.)
2000 - 100 gpm 2010 - 75 gpm 2015 – 50 gpm
SWL

Available
Drawdown
SWL

PWL SWL
Available
Drawdown Available
pump
Drawdown
PWL
PWL

pump pump

•Pumping water level •Pumping water level top •Pumping water level
above well screens well screens below most well screens
•Well is efficient •Well efficiency •Well efficiency
compromised significantly compromised
 Confined Aquifer
Well-to-Well Interference
• Non-Pumping (Static) water level declines
during summer due to well-to-well interference
and recovers during winter and spring

07
5

6
1/ 0

1/ 0

1/0

1/
3/
9/

3/

9/
1100

• 175.5 ft irrigation season decline, in example 1200

• Value to frequent water level data collection 1300 175 ft

Depth t o Water Lev el (ft)

1400

06
1

7
05
/0

/0

/0
01

/0

02

/0

03

/0

04

06

07
1/
/1
/1

/1

/1

/1

/1
1/

1/

1/

1/

1/

1/

1/
2/
12

12

12

12

12

12
1500
6/

6/

6/

6/

6/

6/

6/
1
700

1600

900 1700

Static Water Level (ft) Pumping Water Level (ft) Top Screen (ft ) Bottomof Well (ft) Pump (ft)

1100
Depth to Water Level (ft)

1300

1500

1700

Static W ater Level (ft) Pum ping W ater Level (ft) Top S creen (ft) Bottom of W ell (ft) Pum p (ft)
 Rules of Thumb
• Maximum drawdown
– Alluvial and Unconfined Bedrock: 2/3 water column in
well
– Confined: 1/2 water column in well
– Keep PWL above principal well production zone
• (Max 24-hour rate during testing) x (60%) = Safe
Well Yield
• Test well at greater rate than planned
permanent equipment
• Consider water level recovery
 Summary
• Aquifers are predictable (not all wells are
predictable!)
• Consider future static water levels
• Prepare for a successful test
– Redundant water level and flow rate measurements
• Collect data and note the time
• Plot data by hand to understand water level
trends
• There are simple ways to forecast drawdown
and pumping rates