ASSESSING THE RELIABLE OUTPUTS OF GROUNDWATER SOURCES

The described methodology for the assessment of the reliable outputs o f groundwater sources was developed during a recent contract for UK Wa ter Industry Research. It is relatively simple and flexible so that it can be applied to the wide range of groundwater source types and aqui fers encountered in the UK. It can be used for all water level conditi ons, including that of drought, and for various demand conditions. The re are two approaches, one based upon operational data and the second upon the analysis and extrapolation of pumping test data. The operatio nal approach has several options of increasing refinement - the choice of option depending on data availability and user requirements. The a pplication of the methodology to real groundwater sources is described using three examples.