Using operational data to estimate the reliable yields of water-supply wells

Misstear, Bruce; Beeson, S.

doi:10.1007/s100400050004

Cited by 32 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Some interesting works have been done in a joint study by Mott MacDonald and the United Kingdom Water Industry Research (UKWIR) attending to a methodology to estimate the aquifer yield (Misstear and Beeson 2000). The approach is focused on the reliability of the well.…”

Section: State Of the Artmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The methodology is based on available data from wells and a new method has been developed to estimate the BDeployable Output^of groundwater abstraction wells (Tham 2012). The analytical or modelling approach presented in Misstear and Beeson (2000) and in Tham (2012) is based on Forchheimer transient flow equation. The main assumption is the value of the hydraulic conductivity (or trasmissivity).…”

Section: State Of the Artmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Reliability Analysis for Preliminary Forecasts of Hydrogeological Unit Productivity

Alimonti

Lombardi

2015

Water Resour Manage

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of this work is to find a probabilistic characterization of the productive capacity of a well in a geological formation hosting an aquifer. Such characterization in terms of productive capacity may allow a preliminary assessment to be made of the probability of success for a required productivity (i.e. target point). This evaluation is usually carried out by statistical analysis of a geological dataset, which is likely to be influenced by many parameters. Such datasets are often incomplete or unreliable. Therefore, a method for evaluating potential productivity, using probabilistic hydraulic conductivity data, is proposed. The hydraulic characterization of hydrogeologic units is based on the collection of information obtained mainly through pumping tests and their interpretation. The results, expressed in terms of hydraulic conductivity, are summarized in a range of variability that is strictly dependent on the number of performed tests and their spatial distribution in the unit itself. If this range is known, an estimate of well's yield can be made on a deterministic basis, through Thiem's relationship for steady state conditions, by setting a value of hydraulic conductivity that corresponds to the average value of the range. The proposed reliability analysis enables to overcome the limitations of the deterministic approach by correlating each calculated flow rate, which is taken to be a design flow rate exceeding the critical flow rate of the hydrogeologic unit, to its probability of failure. Therefore, this approach aims to evaluate the probability of failure of the water system. The preliminary result is to associate the values of aquifer exploitation with a probability failure function. This outcome can then be used to define the potential solutions in the optimal allocation of the withdrawal by means of reliability analysis that takes into account the uncertainty of the system.

show abstract

Section: State Of the Artmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: State Of the Artmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reliability Analysis for Preliminary Forecasts of Hydrogeological Unit Productivity

Alimonti

Lombardi

2015

Water Resour Manage

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…S3 of the ESM) to 90 days, 200 days, 1 and 2 years, reflecting pumping periods used in the present study, by Misstear and Beeson (2000) and by van Tonder et al (2001a) for the Karoo model and FC-method, respectively. The calculated specific capacity at the end of each pumping period was applied to the available drawdown of 6 m, producing yields of 0.69, 0.58, 0.51 and 0.44 L/s, respectively.…”

Section: Analytical Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After implementation of an 18-h on and 6-h off daily schedule, total daily production was 60% of the anticipated yield of the municipal well field. Misstear and Beeson (2000) used operational data to establish reliable yields in a shallow, unconfined, fissure flow (UK Chalk) aquifer. Their calculations were based on extrapolation of drawdowns using the Cooper-Jacob (1946) straight-line method and assuming 200 days of continuous pumping, during a dry summer under average demand conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reliable yields of public water-supply wells in the fractured-rock aquifers of central Maryland, USA

Hammond¹

2017

Hydrogeol J

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Most studies of fractured-rock aquifers are about analytical models used for evaluating aquifer tests or numerical methods for describing groundwater flow, but there have been few investigations on how to estimate the reliable long-term drought yields of individual hard-rock wells. During the drought period of 1998 to 2002, many municipal water suppliers in the Piedmont/Blue Ridge areas of central Maryland (USA) had to institute water restrictions due to declining well yields. Previous estimates of the yields of those wells were commonly based on extrapolating drawdowns, measured during short-term singlewell hydraulic pumping tests, to the first primary water-bearing fracture in a well. The extrapolations were often made from pseudo-equilibrium phases, frequently resulting in substantially over-estimated well yields. The methods developed in the present study to predict yields consist of extrapolating drawdown data from infinite acting radial flow periods or by fitting type curves of other conceptual models to the data, using diagnostic plots, inverse analysis and derivative analysis. Available drawdowns were determined by the positions of transition zones in crystalline rocks or thin-bedded consolidated sandstone/limestone layers (reservoir rocks). Aquifer dewatering effects were detected by type-curve matching of step-test data or by breaks in the drawdown curves constructed from hydraulic tests. Operational data were then used to confirm the predicted yields and compared to regional groundwater levels to determine seasonal variations in well yields. Such well yield estimates are needed by hydrogeologists and water engineers for the engineering design of water systems, but should be verified by the collection of longterm monitoring data.

show abstract

“…Many publications are available in the water sector on how to define DO for different types of water source (borehole, spring, river, lake, etc), and the techniques for boreholes are well summarised in Misstear and Beeson (2000). The best way to start when determining the DO for a particular borehole is to perform a step test on the borehole.…”

Section: Description and Application Of Techniquementioning

confidence: 99%

Responsible Water Resources Management in a Semi-Arid Region of Kenya using Techniques from Public Water Utilities

Boak¹

2016

SPE International Conference and Exhibition on Health, Safety, Security, Environment, and Social Responsibility

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Tullow Kenya BV, with joint-venture partners, holds the exploration licences for several onshore blocks in Turkana, northern Kenya, and an exploration/appraisal drilling programme is well advanced. Turkana is one of the driest parts of Kenya, so finding, developing and managing water supplies presents many challenges. The challenges have been solved by applying methods and procedures from the water utility industry; the way in which this has been achieved is explained.Water is required by Tullow for drilling, field camps, civil engineering and community water supply. Larger quantities of water will be required in the future for reservoir injection. Water supplies to meet current demand are provided by a dispersed network of boreholes, exploiting groundwater in local shallow aquifers. Water is distributed from sources to demand centres by a combination of pipelines and tanker trucking. The demand centres include permanent installations but also many short-term sites. Matching supply from widely-scattered sources, with different yields and water qualities, to ever-shifting patterns of demand is the same puzzle faced by public water utilities.Key indicators used in the water sector include: deployable output, outage, water available for use, headroom and potential yield, and these have been successfully applied in Turkana. The application of water resources management and reporting procedures from the water utility industry to an oil operation in a region that is semi-arid, remote and insecure, with fierce competition for scarce water resources, has proven to be a powerful technique. Given that most of the source boreholes yield relatively fresh water, there is a big responsibility on Tullow to use water wisely and to be able to demonstrate that it is doing so. The techniques also allow plans to be made for when and where new water sources (from groundwater and surface water) need to be brought on stream to stay ahead of the demand curve.Yields from individual water sources vary considerably with the seasons and from year to year. Defining the long-term sustainable yield of any particular source is not straightforward and must be done using a standard technique if the results are to have any value for comparison, reporting or auditing. Tullow has addressed this and other water resource management issues by the novel approach of treating its operations in Turkana as if it were a water utility.

show abstract

Using operational data to estimate the reliable yields of water-supply wells

Cited by 32 publications

References 10 publications

Reliability Analysis for Preliminary Forecasts of Hydrogeological Unit Productivity

Reliability Analysis for Preliminary Forecasts of Hydrogeological Unit Productivity

Reliable yields of public water-supply wells in the fractured-rock aquifers of central Maryland, USA

Responsible Water Resources Management in a Semi-Arid Region of Kenya using Techniques from Public Water Utilities

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About