Surface and Sub-surface Hydrology (WSEE6101)

Assignment No.3

Submission Date: January 30/2021

1. The stratification of a confined aquifer with a horizontal bed varies as follows. Calculate the
equivalent horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivities in each case. What happens to the degree
of anisotropy?

2. Show the necessary steps to drive the formula below for:

a. Hydraulic conductivity estimation formula for falling head permeameter

b. Vertical hydraulic conductivity estimation in anisotropic aquifer

c. Maximum head (hmax) between two rivers in unconfined aquifer having vertical recharge

3. Two confined aquifers are separated by an aquitard as shown below. The piezometric head difference
between the upper and lower aquifer measured along a vertical line is 6.5m. If the vertical hydraulic
conductivity of confining unit is 0.046 m/day, determine the direction and magnitude of leakage per
Km2 between the upper and lower confined aquifers through the confining unit. Also, estimate the
travel time of a water particle through the confining layer between the two aquifers. Estimated
thickness of separation is 4.15 m.
4. A canal is constructed parallel to a river 460 m away both fully penetrating an unconfined aquifer of
clean sand and gravel as shown in the illustration below. The aquifer has a hydraulic conductivity of
K=18.5 m/day and is subject to an average infiltration of 1.6m/year. The water surface elevation in
the canal is 8.5m and in the river it is 10m. If the mound between the canal and the river gets
contaminated and the river is to remain free of contamination, (a) determine the daily discharge of
groundwater in to the canal and into the river per Kilometer of both; (b) estimate the travel time
from the water divide to the canal and to the river (ne =0.35)

5. After a long period of pumping from an unconfined aquifer at a constant rate of 850 m 3/day, the
cone of depression reaches equilibrium. The aquifer has an initial saturated thickness of 20m and a
hydraulic conductivity of 8.65 m/day. During the equilibrium, the water levels in an observation
well 50m away and in the pumping well are measured as 18.4 and 9.9 m. Determine (a) the radius
of influence of the pumping, (b) the radial distance where the steady state drawdown is 5 cm, (c) the
expected drawdown in the pumping well (rw =0.4), and (d) the total well head losses.

6. A Pumping well is to be used to maintain a lowered water table at a construction site. The site is
square, 50m on a side, and the 25-cm diameter well is located at the center of the square, as shown
in the figure. The hydraulic conductivity of the unconfined aquifer is estimated to be about 1x10-5
m/s or 0.864 m/day. The bottom of the aquifer is approximately horizontal at a depth of 20m below
the ground surface. Under natural conditions, the water table is nearly horizontal at a depth of 1 m
 below the ground surface. During the construction period, the water table must be lowered a
minimum of 3m over the site. Assuming steady-state conditions, compute the minimum pumping
rate required.

7. A confined aquifer of 10-m thickness and 16.43 m/day hydraulic conductivity is fully penetrated by
a pumping well of 0.5m radius operating at Q =425 m3/day. Take the radius of influence of the
pumping as 300m.
a. Determine the drawdown under steady-state conditions in the pumping well and 50m away from
the well.

b. What percent increase/decrease would occur in the drawdown of the pumping well is the radius
of the well is doubled and the pumping rate is kept the same in Problem 5? Assume the same
radius of influence.

c. What percent increase/decrease would occur in the well flow if the well diameter is doubled and
the drawdown in the well is kept constant in Problem 5? Assume the same radius of influence.

8. A well that pumps at a constant rate of 0.5m3/s fully penetrates a confined aquifer of 34-m thickness.
After a long period of pumping, near steady-state conditions, the measured drawdowns at two
observation wells 50 and 100m from the pumping well are 0.9 and 0.4m, respectively. (a) Calculate
the hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity of the aquifer, (b) estimate the radius of influence of
the pumping well, and (c) calculate the expected drawdown in the pumping well if the radius of the
well is 0.4m.

9. A community is installing a new well in a regionally confined aquifer with a transmissivity of 148
m2/day and a storativity of 0.0005. The planned pumping rate is 1.23 m3/min. There are several
nearby wells tapping the same aquifer, and the project manager needs to know if the new well will
cause significant interference with these wells. Compute the theoretical drawdown caused by the
new well after 30 days of continuous pumping at the following distances: 15,45,75,150, 300, 900,
1200, and 3000m.