CE 626

W ELL H YDRAULICS I
Riddhi Singh Lecture 6
Email: [email protected]
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Today we will learn about…

• Steady state well hydraulics: determining

aquifer hydraulic conductivity or
transmissivity
• Unsteady state well hydraulics: fully
confined aquifer

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STEADY STATE WELL HYDRAULICS

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Why study well hydraulics?

Image from: http://tns.thenews.com.pk/watering-cost-rice/

Water supply from wells, injection wells for artificial recharge, waste disposal etc.,
dewater subsurface to enable construction projects, deal with salt water intrusion,
monitor/remove contaminants in subsurface waters,… 4
One of the oldest human interventions for
water

Chand Baori: step well

3500 narrow steps in 13 stories lined along the
wall on 3 sides of the well that extends 100 ft in
the ground
Image: http://www.indiafolks.com/history-and-culture/where-did-the-first-civilization-develop-in-india/ (left)
http://tourismattraction.com/chand-baori-one-of-the-deepest-oldest-and-largest-step-well-in-the-world/ (right)

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Basic assumptions
1. Aquifer is bounded on the bottom by a confining layer
2. All geologic formations are horizontal and have infinite horizontal extent
3. The potentiometric surface of the aquifer is horizontal and is not changing with time prior
to the start of the pumping
4. All changes in the position of the potentiometric surface are due to the effect of the
pumping well alone
5. The aquifer is homogeneous and isotropc
6. All flow is radial towards the well
7. Groundwater flow is horizontal
8. Darcy’s law is valid
9. Groundwater has a constant density and viscosity
10. The pumping well and the observations wells fully penetrate the aquifer, i.e., they are
screened over the entire thickness of the aquifer
11. The pumping well has an infinitesimal diameter and is 100% efficient

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 Flow toward a well is termed ‘radial flow’

y r , Flow equations in radial coordinates:

 2 h 1 h S h q
 + = −
Polar axis r 2
r r T t T
Origin x Hydraulic head, h [m]
x = r cos  Storativity, S [-]
y = r sin  Transmissivity, T [m2/day]
Time, t [days]
Radial distance from the pumping well, r [m]
2D flow equation Recharge to aquifer, q [m/day]

 2 h  2 h S h q
+ 2 = −
x y
2
T t T

r = x2 + y 2
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Why do we solve these flow equations?

 2 h 1 h S h q
+ = −
r 2
r r T t T

• We get an expression to relate head in the aquifer with distance

from well, given aquifer properties and pumping rates
• A variety of solutions can be found depending upon the
boundary conditions
• Two ways in which these equations can be used:
– We can predict how much ‘drawdown’ will take place in the
vicinity of the well
– If we measure the drawdown near the well, we can estimate
relevant characteristics of the aquifer
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A pumping test is an experiment when water is pumped from a well (stress) at
a specified rate and change in water level (response) is measured at one or
more locations surrounding the wells

1. To determine the hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer: hydraulic

conductivity, transmissivity, and storativity
2. Identify aquifer boundaries
3. Evaluate performance of the well
4. Water quality of the ground water

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Flow in a confined aquifer (Thiem, 1906) Original potentiometric
surface

Assumptions: h0 − h Q
1. The aquifer is confined on the top
Potentiometric
and bottom surface at time ,t
2. Well is pumped at a constant rate
3. Equilibrium has been reached; there h0 r
is no further change in drawdown
with time b
h
4. The pumping well and observation
wells are screened throughout the
entire thickness of the aquifer being Fully penetrating well pumping from a confined
aquifer
tested
Some terms:
• Cone of depression
• Drawdown
• Area of influence
• Radius of influence

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Flow in a confined aquifer (Thiem, 1906) Original potentiometric
surface
dh
Q = K ( 2 rb )
dr
h0 − h Q
Q dr
→ = dh Potentiometric
2 T r surface at time ,t
Q r 
→ ln  2  = h2 − h1
2 T  r1  h0 r
Q r  b
→T = ln  2 
2 ( h2 − h1 )  r1  h
T
→K =
H Fully penetrating well pumping from a confined
aquifer
Hydraulic head, h [m] at two different
locations 1 and 2
Transmissivity, T [m2/day]
Pumping rate, Q [m3/day] Why is storativity absent from this equation?

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Flow in an unconfined aquifer (Thiem, 1906) Original potentiometric
surface
Q
Assumptions: h0 − h
1. The aquifer is unconfined and
underlain by a horizontal aquiclude Potentiometric
2. Well is pumped at a constant rate surface at time ,t
3. Equilibrium has been reached; there is h0 r
no further change in drawdown with
time h
4. The pumping well and observation
wells are screened throughout the
entire thickness of the aquifer being Fully penetrating well pumping from a confined
aquifer
tested

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Flow in an unconfined aquifer (Thiem, 1906) Original potentiometric
surface
Q
db b0 − b
Q = K ( 2 rb )
dr
Q dr
→ = bdb Potentiometric
2 K r surface at time ,t
b0
Q  r2  b22 − b12 r
→ ln   =
2 K  r1  2 b
Q  r2 
→K = ln  
 ( b22 − b12 )  r1  Fully penetrating well pumping from a confined
aquifer

Saturated thickness b [m] at two different

locations 1 and 2
Hydraulic conductivity, K [m/day]
Pumping rate, Q [m3/day]

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UNSTEADY STATE WELL HYDRAULICS:
FULLY CONFINED AQUIFER

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Flow in a completely confined aquifer (Theis, 1935) Original potentiometric
surface

Assumptions: h0 − h Q
1. The aquifer is confined on the top
Potentiometric
and bottom surface at time ,t
2. There is no source of recharge to
the aquifer h0 r
3. The aquifer is compressible and
water is released instantaneously b
h
from the aquifer as head is lowered
4. The well is pumped at a constant
rate Fully penetrating well pumping from a confined
aquifer

As the well is pumped, water is obtained from the elastic or specific storage of
the aquifer.
Generally storativity (product of specific storage and aquifer thickness) is very
small for confined aquifer, therefore, pumping affects a large area of the aquifer.
In absence of recharge, cone of depression will expand indefinitely as pumping
continues.
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 Flow in a completely confined aquifer (Theis, 1935) Original potentiometric
surface
dh
Q = K ( 2 rb ) hydraulic head, h [m], h0 − h Q
dr transmissivity, T [m2/day]
pumping rate, Q [m3/day],
dh Potentiometric
→ Q = 2 rT drawdown, ho-h [m]
surface at time ,t
dr time, t [days], radial distance
from the well, r [m]
dh Q
→r = storativity, S [-] h0 r
dr 2 T
b
h
Initial conditions: h ( r , 0 ) = ho for all r

Boundary conditions: h ( , t ) = ho for all t Fully penetrating well pumping from a confined
aquifer

Theis’s nonequilibrium equations are derived by solving Q e− a r 2S
4 T u a
ho − h = da , u =
this equation for given boundary condition: 4Tt

By expanding the exponential integral, the Q  u u u 2

 3 4
ho − h = − − + − + − +
4 T  
0.5772 ln u u ...
equation becomes: 2.2! 3.3! 4.4! 
Q
The well function, W is used to symbolize ho − h = W (u )
the infinite series: 4 T 16