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SUGGESTED OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR AQUIFER PUMPING TESTS
Citation:
Osborne, P. SUGGESTED OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR AQUIFER PUMPING TESTS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/540/S-93/503 (NTIS PB94107943), 1993.
Impact/Purpose:
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Description:
There has been an increased interest in ground water resources throughout the United States. This interest has resulted from a combination of an increase in fund water development for public and domestic use; an increase in mining, agricultural, and industrial activities which might impact ground water quality; and an increase in studies of already contaminated aquifers. Decision making agencies involved in these ground water activities require studies of the aquifers to develop reliable information on the hydrologic properties and behavior of aquifers and aquitards. The most reliable type of aquifer test usually conducted is a pumping test. In addition, some site studies involve the use of short term slug tests to obtain estimates of hydraulic conductivity, usually for a specific zone or very limited portion of the aquifer. It should be emphasized that slug tests provide very limited information on the hydraulic properties of the aquifer and often produce estimates which are only accurate within an order of magnitude. any experts believe that slug tests are much too heavily relied upon in site characterization and contamination studies. This group of professionals recommends use of slug testing during the initial site studies to assist in developing a site conceptual model and in pumping test design.