Spring Investigations and development

Client:

Solebury Township, Pennsylvania

Project:

Ingham Spring Evaluation

Ingham Spring is one of the largest springs in southeast Pennsylvania and forms the headwaters of Aquetong Creek in Solebury Township. UBR was retained by Solebury Township to conduct a study to assess the groundwater contribution area to Ingham Spring and seasonal range of spring flow rates.  This study is an essential step in the Township’s plan to develop and implement policies and practices to protect the quantity and quality of water issuing from this spring.

Ingham Spring Outlet

The principal elements of the Ingham Spring evaluation included:

• The delineation of the surface-water drainage basins/watersheds within the project area and evaluation of the geologic framework and major geologic structural features;
• A field-based evaluation of groundwater flow conditions involving the collection of water levels in over 200 wells, and the development of a water-level contour map (potentiometric surface map) for the project area;
• The delineation of groundwater divides and determination of the groundwater contribution area to Ingham Spring on the basis of the field-collected water level data and potentiometric surface map interpretation;
• An evaluation of groundwater recharge for years of normal and below-normal (drought) precipitation within the contribution area to Ingham Spring and a comparison of the spring discharge measurements, particularly during the summer and fall months, to the calculated groundwater recharge for the Ingham Spring contribution area.

Ingham Spring Pond

Spring Meadows Farm, Delaware Township, New Jersey

Evaluation, Permitting; Development

Uhl, Baron, Rana & Associates, Inc. has been working with Spring Meadows Farm on permitting and testing elements for the development of a spring water source for bulk water purposes.  The project has entailed securing a state (NJDEP) permit for wetlands construction, recharge and sustainability evaluation, seasonal spring flow measurements, provision of a back-up well source for drought periods and associated aquifer testing and impact assessment.

Bohol Water Company; Bohol Province, Philippines

Municipal Water Supply Evaluation

In 2001, UBR conducted a project to assess the feasibility of utilizing groundwater as a sustainable source of public water supply for ten municipalities in the Province for the Bohol Water Company.  The ten municipalities that were assessed are located within 25 km from the capital city of Tagbilaran, and their current population is about 182,000.  Our principal assignment was to:

• Inventory current sources of water supply (wells and springs) in the ten municipalities and develop recommendations for future usage;
• Evaluate the sustainability of the underlying aquifer systems for long term supply until the year 2020 and identify potential development constraints;
• Develop recommendations for a Phase 2 groundwater exploration program; and
• Outline preliminary development costs to meet the projected year 2005 water demand.

Our study and analysis showed that on the mainland island of Bohol, there is an abundance of developable groundwater from either wells or springs to meet present and long term future demands.  On Panglao Island, where growth is projected to increase substantially, the groundwater resource is more limited and development should be carefully planned and executed.   

Bohol Province, in the central part of the Philippines, is blessed with numerous springs that issue from carbonate, volcanic and crystalline rock aquifer systems. There are over 2,000 documented springs in the province or about 1 spring for every 2 km2.  These springs are vital to the livelihood of the province and serve to supply drinking water to many of its residents, irrigate many hectares of cropland, provide important baseflow to all of the river systems in the province, and comprise an important future water resource for the province.  The province is home to many large capacity springs some of which were developed for drinking water over 100 years ago (Photo 3: Bilibili Spring in Cortes Municipality).  The springs serve many purposes in the province.  Some are utilized for drinking water supply and also as a gathering spot for doing laundry and sharing stories (Photo 4:  Kansaon Spring in Maribojoc Municipality).  Others are utilized for the irrigation of rice paddy and other crops.  Many springs serve to provide base flow to the river and stream systems in the Province. 

Bilibili Spring

Kansaon Spring

Engineers without Borders, Cameroon, West Africa

Project:

UBR mentored engineering students from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Delaware during assessment phase evaluations of potential water supply sources for village water supply systems in two locations in Cameroon.

Mr. Uhl assisted students in the village of Kop in the Northwest Province of Cameroon in the evaluation of potential spring sources that might be used for a permanent piped water supply system.  Springs were identified, flows measured, and water quality samples collected and analyzed.  Two springs were selected for development and piping systems were mapped in the field.  In a follow-up trip, the water systems were installed for the village.

Spring Issuing from Granitic Bedrock in Northwest Cameroon, Kop Village.