Geologic Resources: Groundwater Supply Development

Groundwater Supply Development

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		Exploration for suitable aquifers often begins the development of a new groundwater supply. Many techniques are used depending on the individual geologic situation and quantity of water required. Several surface geophysical methods have been proven to be especially useful for initial regional groundwater exploration. Test drilling is then normally performed and involves installation of test production wells and observation wells. Once an aquifer is located, pumping tests are normally conducted to test the capacity of individual wells and determine characteristics of the aquifer as a whole. Depending on individual requirements, groundwater modeling and water quality testing are often done to further characterize an aquifer. The drawing on the right illustrates some of the components of a pumping test (aquifer test). Such testing and analysis allows an estimation of the "safe yield" of a well or an aquifer. Analysis of pumping test data can involve the computation of aquifer coefficients by use of classical formulae, analytical modeling, or by use of digital computer models.