GROUNDWATER SUPPLY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Client:

Projects:

Location:

The firm is contracted to the East Orange Water Department for projects involving groundwater exploration, test and production well drilling program management, water allocation permitting, well efficiency testing, historical water quality overview, and strategic planning.  The East Orange Water Department derives its’ supply from 4 wellfields constructed in the East Orange Water Reserve which is 2,300 acres in area.  These wellfields supply 10 million gallons per day to the City.

Principal Projects:

• The running of aquifer pumping tests on new production wells to evaluate aquifer hydraulic characteristics and degree of well interference.
  
• Installation of two test wells; design and conduct of aquifer pumping tests; and preparation of permit-related technical reports and impact assessment for allocation permit modification.
  
• Production well design and preparation of bid contract documents.
• Evaluation of production well conditions through well efficiency testing and the development of recommendations for wells to be replaced, redeveloped, or relocated.
• Evaluation of water quality conditions and changes over a 4-decade period.  The development of recommendations for groundwater quality protection through land use controls and the development of a surface and groundwater monitoring program.

Download pdf of New Jersey Flows

Location:

UBR is contracted to the Montville Township Water & Sewer Department for various projects involving groundwater exploration; test well program design and management, aquifer and regional sustainability assessment and wellhead protection program development and planning.  The Township is characterized by areas underlain by bedrock and buried valley glacial aquifer systems.  The Towaco Valley Glacial Aquifer is the sole source of drinking water supply to the Township.

Principal Projects:

• Assessment of optimal areas for new production wells within the Towaco Valley Aquifer using surface geophysical exploration techniques.
  
• Evaluation of groundwater development feasibility in the Montville Buried Valley Aquifer System along the Rockaway River Valley. An analysis was made of aquifer recharge, sustainability, and storage potential as well as development feasibility over selected portions of this system.
  
• Assessment of aquifer recharge to the Towaco Valley Aquifer including an analysis of groundwater/surface water interaction and development sustainability.
• Development of a wellhead protection program and ordinance for the Towaco Valley Aquifer.
  
• Assessment of production well efficiencies through a step-drawdown testing program and an evaluation of the effectiveness of a well redevelopment program.
• Evaluation of groundwater quality trends with respect to total dissolved solids, hardness, sodium and chloride

Location:

UBR was contracted by Hoechst Celanese to obtain a groundwater allocation permit for the facility which is a combination headquarters and manufacturing location.  Groundwater is used for cooling water as well as process needs and is derived from a bedrock aquifer system.  The permit was granted to Hoechst Celanese for a withdrawal of 0.5 Million Gallons per Day.

Principal Technical Elements:

• Test and production wells were installed to supply cooling and process water for the facility.
  
• A controlled aquifer pumping test was run and evaluated to develop an impact assessment for the proposed groundwater allocation. The NJDEP used this pumping test as a training element for some of its new employees.
  
• A technical hydrogeologic report was prepared in support of the groundwater allocation permit application.

The Firm is contracted to the Boonton Water Department to provide services for groundwater exploration, management and production well design and drilling program management.

Principal Projects:

• Production well programs involving preparation of bidding documents; well design; drilling and installation supervision; and the running of aquifer pumping tests on the installed production wells to evaluate aquifer hydraulic characteristics, sustained well yields, and degree of well interference.
• Test well drilling programs to assess optimal areas for replacement production wells; design and conduct of aquifer pumping tests; and preparation of permit-related technical reports and impact assessment for allocation permit modification.

The Firm provides hydrogeologic services for groundwater exploration, management and well facility design and installation to the MUA.

Principal Projects:

• Evaluation of the feasibility of using an iron ore mine for the storage of water derived from high flow surface water skimming (using horizontal collector wells) to meet peaking water needs particularly in summer months.  The project involved the drilling of a 1,000 foot well into the mine; a 14-day pumping test at 3 mgd to assess interconnection of mine workings and potential for impacts to surrounding groundwater users; and an evaluation of the feasibility of utilizing horizontal collector wells for capturing high flows in a nearby river system.
• Assessment of production well efficiency (pump and well) and the design of a replacement pump system to avail of unused yield in one of the MUA’s principal production wells.
• Design boring to assist in a replacement production well for a well that pumped sand and had been improperly designed.
• Permit application process with the NJDEP-BWA for installation and commissioning of a replacement production well.
• Evaluation of a major proposed development project within the MUA’s wellfield watershed and development of an assessment of potential for impacts (short and long-term) to the MUA’s production wells.
• Redevelopment of the utilities main production well to restore well yield and reduce tubridity.

The firm was contracted by the Washington Township Municipal Utilities Authority to provide hydrogeologic consulting services for groundwater exploration, and production well permitting. Click on map for larger image.

Principal Projects:

• Evaluation of aerial photography and Satellite Imagery for an analysis of bedrock fracture traces and lineaments, and correlation of the identified features with existing surface geophysical results from a Very Low Frequency (VLF) survey and published geologic structure.  Study objectives were the development of additional groundwater resources within a crystalline bedrock terrain.
• Evaluation of test production well aquifer testing results; aquifer hydraulic characteristics, sustained yield, impact assessment and preparation of required hydrogeologic report for a NJDEP-BWA water allocation permit modification for additional resource allocation.
• Evaluated existing well information, and coordinated the utilization of a vertical electrical sounding (VES) survey to identify a target fractured aquifer zone. Evaluated data and designed a replacement well for the community to optimize yield.

The firm was contracted by the Montville Township Water Bureau to provide hydrogeologic consulting services for aquifer test and analysis of a 1.4 million gallon per day (mgd) production well and related regulatory permitting activities.

Principal Projects:

Conducted a hydrogeologic characterization of the Passaic Aquifer system for a New Jersey Water Allocation Permit Application.  Aquifer characterization activities included installation of groundwater observation wells, conductance of a 72-hour aquifer pumping test, data collection, analysis, interpretation and preparation a hydrogeologic assessment report in support of a water allocation application.