An Analytical Solution for Steady‐State Flow Between Aquifers Through an Open Well

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Abstract
Vertical communication between aquifers via open wells may cause migration of a chemical plume from a contaminated aquifer into a water‐supply aquifer. Hence, quantifying the rate of flow through such wells may aid either in identifying likely transport paths or in designing a migration monitoring system. In this study, a steady‐state solution was developed which allows quantification of the volumetric flow rate which will occur within an inactive well which fully penetrates two confined aquifers. The solution is an adaptation of the Thiem solution and includes a well‐loss term based on the square of the flow rate. The solution for flow between a confined aquifer and an unconfined aquifer is also presented. Based on three examples concerning hypothetical flow problems, it was shown that the well‐loss term is insignificant unless both aquifers have high transmissivities and the well‐loss coefficient is large. Limitations of the solution are also presented.

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