Abstract
The effects of constant-head pumping on a well over a period of 1 year have been monitored and the results used in the research of a potential alternative for the attainment of sustainable yield. Sustainable yield is frequently related to the response of drawdown during a pumping test at constant-rate, which sometimes involves a difficult choice of conceptual model to be used to analyse the pumping results. The experiment, carried out on a well that taps a fractured aquifer in Italy, recorded the aquifer’s response to pumping, compared with the response of springs. From the trends in discharge variation with time, the period and magnitude of the recharge and the stored water volume at the beginning of the depletion period can be evaluated, and the discharge rate during the same depletion period can be predicted. A sustainable yield can be derived based on the water volume extracted during the depletion period rather than on the prediction of drawdown over a long time. The experiment also highlights the stability of water quality extracted from the well, and where this criterion is important, in some cases, the constant-head pumping can represent an alternative method of groundwater exploitation.
Résumé
Les effets d’un pompage à charge constante sur un puits pendant une période de un an ont été surveillés et les résultats ont été utilisés pour la recherche d’une alternative potentielle à l’obtention d’un rendement durable. Ce dernier est fréquemment lié à la réponse du rabattement lors d’un essai de pompage à taux constant, ce qui implique parfois un choix difficile du modèle conceptuel à utiliser pour analyser les résultats de l’essai. L’expérience, réalisée en Italie sur un puits exploitant un aquifère fracturé, consistait à enregistrer la réponse de l’aquifère au pompage et à la comparer à celles des sources. A partir des tendances observées de la variation du débit dans le temps, la période et l’importance de la recharge ainsi que le volume d’eau stocké au début de la période de rabattement peuvent être évalués; le débit peut être prédit pour cette même période. Un rendement constant peut être dérivé en se basant sur le volume d’eau extrait pendant la période de rabattement plutôt que sur la prévision du rabattement sur une longue durée. L’expérience met également en évidence la stabilité de la qualité de l’eau extraite du puits, et lorsque ce critère est important, dans certains cas, le pompage à charge constante peut représenter une méthode alternative d’exploitation des eaux souterraines.
Resumen
Durante un periodo de un año, se ha monitorizado el efecto de un bombeo constante en un pozo y los resultados han sido utilizados para investigar una potencial alternativa para la consecución de un caudal sostenible. El caudal sostenible está relacionado frecuentemente con la respuesta del descenso durante un ensayo de bombeo con un caudal constante, lo que a veces implica una difícil selección del modelo conceptual que se debe utilizar para interpretar los resultados del bombeo. El experimento, llevado a cabo en un pozo que explota un acuífero fracturado en Italia, registró la respuesta del acuífero al bombeo, comparada con la respuesta de manantiales. A partir de las tendencias de la variación de la descarga con el tiempo, puede evaluarse el periodo y la cantidad de la recarga y el volumen de agua almacenado al principio del periodo de vaciado, y se puede predecir el rango de la descarga durante el mismo periodo de extracción. Se puede obtener un caudal sostenible basado en el volumen de agua extraído durante el periodo de agotamiento más que en la predicción del descenso durante un largo tiempo. El experimento también arrojó luz sobre la estabilidad de la calidad del agua extraída del pozo, y en algunos casos donde ese criterio es importante, el bombeo a nivel constante puede representar un método alternativo para la explotación de aguas subterráneas.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Futurella SpA, Italy, in the person of Mr Nicola Del Negro, for the opportunity to conduct the fieldwork. The authors are grateful to the anonymous reviewers and the editors for their helpful and constructive comments.
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Piscopo, V., Summa, G. Experiment of pumping at constant-head: an alternative possibility to the sustainable yield of a well. Hydrogeol J 15, 679–687 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-006-0132-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-006-0132-2