Maintenance of well yield in the long term
Annual Conference
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Over time, well yield can reduce, water quality alter and operational costs increase, however with appropriate well maintenance these problems can be remediated or avoided altogether. Well maintenance comprises activities undertaken to allow a well to continue to operate at maximum efficiency, thereby prolonging well life. If such measures are not undertaken, well rehabilitation such as pump replacement or well screen replacement may be necessary.
In order to avoid loss of a strategic groundwater supply, regular performance evaluation is necessary to establish a baseline against which future performance can be compared. Therefore well maintenance begins with regular inspections and monitoring of well yield, water quality and pumped water level.
Diagnosis of a problem requires review of well construction details and ongoing monitoring data in combination with more specific water quality analyses and CCTV inspection to examine the well casing and screen. Maintenance may require chemical treatment of the well, physical cleaning or development or re-evaluation of the pumping regime.