MCCCD Program Description

Groundwater Production and Management

Course: WRT207

First Term: 2012 Fall

Lecture 3.0 Credit(s) 3.0 Period(s) 3. Load
Subject Type: Occupational
Load Formula: S

Description: Basic hydrology and hydrogeology; construction of water wells from site selection and specifications through drilling, design, development, testing, and equipping; rehabilitation of existing wells, Arizona Groundwater Management Law of 1980; water quality; common operational problems of well fields; types and purposes of monitoring wells.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Describe the physical properties of several aquifer types and compositions found in Arizona. (I) 2. Describe the major effects of the 1980 Arizona Groundwater Law and Department of Water Resources administrative rules on rights to pump groundwater and drill new water wells in active management areas of Arizona. (II) 3. Solve groundwater hydraulics problems using Darcy`s law, the Theis equation, and the Jacob-Cooper approximation. (II) 4. Select the optimum well drilling method and well design for several given sets of circumstances, and write specifications for a case problem. (III) 5. List and describe the things considered in well design. (IV) 6. Describe procedures for developing, disinfecting, and testing a new water well. (V) 7. Utilize a system-head curve and pump curves in selecting the optimum pumping equipment in a case problem. (VI) 8. Identify several types of problems which can develop in water wells and describe methods of repairing each to rehabilitate the well. (VII) 9. Identify common operational problems encountered in well fields and describe methods of preventing and/or repairing. (VIII) 10. Describe how safe the Safe Drinking Water Act is implemented in Arizona and describe the operator`s role in maintaining the purity of underground aquifers as well as potability of water provided to the public. (IX) 11. Explain the purposes of monitoring wells and identify common types. (X)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Basic Hydrology and Hydrogeology A. The Hydrologic Cycle B. Physical Properties of Vadose Zones and Aquifers (Unconfirmed, Confined and Perched) 1. Porosity 2. Permeability 3. How Groundwater Moves: Darcy`s Law 4. Measurement By Piezometer C. Groundwater-Bearing Formations in Arizona 1. Basins 2. Transition Areas 3. Colorado Plateau II. Water Well Site Selection A. Groundwater Exploration 1. Exploratory Drilling and Sampling 2. Geophysical Methods a. Electric Resistivity b. Seismic B. Groundwater Rights 1. The 1980 Arizona Groundwater Management Law 2. 1983 Department of Water Resources Rules for Well Spacing C. Hydraulic Principles Related to Well Spacing 1. Drawdown 2. Yield 3. Theis Equation and the Jacob-Cooper Approximation 4. Radius of influence 5. Cone of Depression 6. Coefficient of Storage 7. Coefficient of Transmissibility III. Water Well Drilling Methods A. Rotary B. Reverse Rotary C. Cable Tool D. Criteria for Selection of Method 1. Geological conditions 2. Cost 3. Time Available 4. Special Needs E. Bidding a Well - How to Write Specs F. Contract with the Driller G. Analysis of Samples During Drilling 1. Field Classification 2. Acid Reaction 3. Grain Size and Roundness H. Logs During Drilling (Selection and Interpretation) 1. Velocity 2. Resistivity 3. Caliper 4. Sonic IV. Water Well Design A. Pipe and Casing Selection 1. Blank 2. Perforated 3. Well Screen B. Gravel Pack Design C. Formation Stabilizer D. Sanitary Protection V. Developing and Completing the Water Well A. Importance of Development - How Much is Enough? B. Surging C. Jetting D. Disinfection E. Special Problems VI. Testing the Well A. Testing for Sizing the Pump B. Calculating Efficiency, Yield, and Cost Per Unit of Water Produced C. Long-Term Testing of the Well to Gain Information Re Aquifer D. Interpreting Well Test Records as a Means of Trouble-Shooting Well and Pump Problems VII. Pumps for Water Wells A. Suction Life B. Kinds of Pumps 1. Positive Displacement Pumps 2. Velocity Pumps a. Centrifugal b. Vertical Deep Well 3. Turbine 4. Submersible C. Selecting a Pump 1. System-Head Curve 2. Pump Curves D. Impeller Design VIII. Rehabilitating Existing Wells A. Types of Problems 1. Collapsed Casing 2. Cascading Water 3. Sand 4. Corrosion 5. Mineral Deposits B. Methods of Rehabilitation 1. Camera Techniques 2. Sweging 3. Mills Knife 4. Chemical Treatment 5. Sonic Treatment 6. Wire Brushing 7. Sleeving IX. Common Operational Problems of Well Fields A. Cavitation 1. Causes 2. Solutions B. Pump Motor Problems C. Power Supply Irregularities D. Pumping Stations Maintenance X. Domestic Water Quality A. Safe Drinking Water Act B. Chemical Character of Groundwater C. Contaminants 1. Inorganic 2. Organic 3. Radiologic 4. Pathogenic Bacteria D. Sources of Contaminants 1. Underground Tanks and Pipelines for Gasoline and Oil 2. Surface Water Polluted by Municipal and Industrial Wastewater 3. Industrial Waste Lagoons and Evaporation Ponds 4. Underground Storage of Liquid Waste (Injection Wells) 5. Pesticides and Animal Waste from Agriculture E. Monitoring Wells 1. Purposes 2. Types

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: 5/24/2012

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.