AND TECHNOLOGY

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE

TECHNOLOGY
FACULTY OF INDUSTRIAL

WATER ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND

AND MODELLING
GROUNDWATER HYDRAULICS

First Semester Examinations Paper

December 2017

pages
This examination paper consists of 5

Time Allowed: 3 hours

TotalMarks: 100

Special Requirements: Semi Log paper

Examine/s Name: Mrs Sakhile Ndlovu

INSTRUCTIONS

L. Answer anY four questions

2. Each question carries 25 marks

MARK ALLOCATION

quEsTroN MARKS
1 25
2 25
3 25
4 25
5 25
TOTAL 100

Copyright: National University of Science and TechnologY,20LT

TCW 5001
Page 1 of 5
OI]ESTION 1

Two groundwater wells are located 105 m apart within the same aquifer. Well I has a water
level at l97m above mean sea level. The second well's water level is 170m above mean
sea

level. The mean hydraulic conductivity in this aquifer is 0.12 m/day, and the porosrty is 0.55.

a) How long will it take the water to travel from Well I to Well2? (8 marks)

Why are accurate estimates of groundwater recharge necessary? (2 marks)

b)
c) Describe three methods for estimating groundwater recharge. Explain the relative merits
and demerits of each method (15 marks)

[25 marksl

OUESTION 2

An aquifer test was made in a confined aquifer. The well was pumped at a constant rate of 528
m3/d duringl}h.Table Q2 shows the drawdowns of a piezometer at 90 m distance from the
pumped well at various times.

Table Q2

Time (min) Drawdown (cm) Time (min) Drawdown (cm) Time (min) Drawdown (cm)
1 2.5 30 20 1s0 35
2 3.9 40 22.6 360 42.6
4 6.1 50 24.7 550 44
6 8 60 26.4 720 44.5
9 10.6 90 30.4
20 r6.8 t20 JJ

a) What is the purpose of conducting an aquifer test? (5 marks)

b) Use the Jacob approximation to the Theis equation to deduce relevant aquifer properties.
(15 marks)

c) Comment on the validity of the Jacob approximation for the given data (5 marks)

[25 marksl

Copyright: National University of Science and Technology,20tT

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Page 2 of 5
OTIESTION 3

a) Distinguish between four types of groundwater monitoring programs' (8 marks)

located between two fully penetating

b) An unconfined aquifer of clean sand and gravel is
rivers and has a n'ydraulic conductivity of K: 1.4
x 10-2 cm/sec. The area is subject to a
elevation in rivers A and B are 9'5 m
uniform recharge of 1.4rnlyear. The water surface
andl0.8mrespectivelyabovethebottom.ThedistanceLbetweenthetworiversis680
m. Estimate:

i. divide
the location of the groundwater
(3 marks)

(2 marks)
11. the mar<imum water table elevation,

111. the travel times from the groundwater divide to both rivers
(ne:0.40) (4 marks)

lV. the daily discharge per kilometre from the aquifer into both rivers (8 marks)

[25 marksl

OUESTION 4

a) Describe three scenarios where the development of a groundwater model may be

warranted. (10 marks)

b) During calibration of a groundwater model, it was observed that there was a poor match
between historical values and model output. Explain three causes of this discrepancy and
how the match may be improved. (10 marks)

c) Explain how the following impact model grid design:

i. mesh spacing and time step (3 marks)

ii. aspect ratio (2 marks)

[25 marks]

Copyright: National University of Science and Technology,20LT

TCW s001
Page 3 of 5
 OUESTION 5
is its main
a) What name is given to the test depicted by the data in Figure Q5 and what (2 marks)
?
application
b) Analyse the data from this test and:
you make'
i. Deduce the well performance coefficients. State any assumptions
(15 marks)

(2 marks)
ii. Assess the well condition
iii. calculate the drawdown due to formation loss and the drawdown due to well loss for a
pumping rate of 1500 m3/day (6 marks)

Asr: 1.0 m
As2: 1.6 m
I

a
C)
rF'
()
If^::::
E8
'<,
B
(€
II
o
As4:5.1 m

I Ass : 4.6 m
I

i
\

500 1000

Time (min)

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Page 4 of 5
 , END O['EXAMINATION

List of equations

?5,) As : (2'3Q t4rlcK) log (tzltr)

5=(2.3Q l4nl) I loe(2.25Til
s -- 2'25Til? s:2'3Ql2rT
T= 2.3et4ttLs

,*=finl*).,r'
thl _hl],x +H tr _ x)*
7rz -
e$-

Copyright: National University of Science and Technolory,20LT

TCW 5001
Page 5 of 5