ASSESSING AQUIFER EXPLOITATION USING OBSERVATION BOREHOLES

Observation boreholes are used to assess the degree of exploitation of aquifers, but if the borehole is open over a considerable depth of th e aquifer the results may be misleading. The need for individual shall ow and deep boreholes is illustrated by case studies of an alluvial aq uifer. An examination of groundwater heads in deep and shallow borehol es in the Bromsgrove Sandstone aquifer demonstrates that deep borehole s respond mainly to the abstraction but a shallow borehole reflects th e overall response of the aquifer.