Wind power can pump water from an aquifer.
Aquifers are geologic layers filled with water, which are tapped by drilling wells. Wells can be more than 1,000 feet deep. Most usable water in the United States comes from underground, with public water utilities processing about 38 billion gallons a day. Water systems in America cost $3.5 billion a year. Aquifer levels drop rapidly at times of high demand, and as people pump out more and more groundwater, ground levels fall with the water table. The resulting land subsidence occurs in nearly every American state.
Instructions
Drill the Well
1. Commission a professional geological study of the area. Aquifers are categorized under four headings according to rock and sediment types. This study will determine the most appropriate way to proceed.
2. Carry out pump tests. For these, a test well is drilled and pumped. A record of the decline of water level is kept, both in the test well itself and in observation wells drilled nearby. The tests determine how easily water moves through the aquifer, how much water is stored and how efficiently the well will produce water.
3. Interpret the pump test data, including both data created by traditional graphical methods and more modern computer techniques. Hydrogeologists still rely on graphical analysis to examine water withdrawal and predict how an aquifer will react to pumping over time.
4. Drill the well. The well constructor will fill out a report that provides a detailed profile of how the well was constructed, geologic materials encountered, where groundwater was found, the diameter and depth of the drill hole, details of the well casing and casing seal, a static water level measurement and pump test data.
5. Install a pump to take water from the wellhead.
Storage and Use
6. Build a water storage tank.
7. Lay pipes to transfer water to storage and finally for use. If the water is for household use, it must be tested for contaminants and treated before drinking.
8. Ensure compliance with all local, state and federal regulations on water extraction and use.
Tags: pump test, pump test data, test data, test well, water from, water level, water storage
