Water Well Capacity Evaluation

Location:
Cashiers, North Carolina

Details:
Altamont performed a well capacity test for a water well in Cashiers, North Carolina to determine its optimal long-term capacity.  Work was performed for Jackson County to help the county determine the viability of purchasing the well.  The water well was classified as a non-transient, non-community (NTNC) water supply system and served a county public library, a charter school, a U.S. post office, and one residence.  The well capacity test consisted of a step-drawdown test to estimate the specific yield of the well, followed by a 72-hour constant rate pumping test to demonstrate the long-term capacity of the well.  Pumping rates for the step-drawdown test ranged from 20 gallons per minute (gpm) to 102 gpm.  The 72-hour pumping test maintained a flow rate of 100 gpm.  The drawdown was monitored with both an electronic water level meter and an In-Situ^® datalogger.  The flow rate was measured with a properly calibrated gauge and manually, by filling a vessel of known volume.  The pumped water was discharged toward a low-lying area, which drained into a downstream reservoir.  Erosion control measures were used to minimize scouring and downstream sedimentation.  The aboveground plumbing system included an in-line 5,000-gallon tank designed for potable water use to ensure that service to the water users was not disrupted.  The majority of the 72-hour pumping test was performed over the weekend to minimize the impact of the work to the Cashiers community.

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