Introduction of a Smart Water Well Preventing Up Coning of Brackish Water in Salinized Aquifers

Presented on Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Ate Oosterhof1 and Annemieke van Doorn2, (1)Asset Management, Vitens, Zwolle, Netherlands, (2)KWR researh institute, Nieuwegein, Netherlands

In the Northern part of the Netherlands, a number of fresh water wells are threatened by salinization through the up coning of brackish water.

 By introducing the fresh keeper concept for the abandoned well field Noardburgum, it will be possible to reuse this well field for fresh water extraction. For this concept a new smart water well has been developed. The “Smart water well” is the combination of an independent fresh and brackish water extraction screen and injection of brackish water in a single borehole. Real time information from sensors measuring the fresh/brackish water interface is used to optimize the pump rate setting.  

 The smart water well will be realized in October 2014 at the Noardburgum well field. Field tests start in December 2014. The large scale pilot project will directly be integrated in the regular business of the existing production plant of Noardburgum.

 A fresh water extraction filter at a depth of 55-75 meter will be used to extract continue 60 m³/hr. A second extraction filter will be placed at a depth of 135 -150 meters. From this filter brackish water will be extracted with a pump whose flow rate can be fluctuated from 0 up to 30 m³/hr. The optimal pump rate will be calculated from real time sensor data. The extracted brackish water will directly be injected into a deeper confined aquifer at 180 meters depth.

 The mean topic of the pilot project is to achieve a sustainable fresh water extraction in combination with an optimized minimum of brackish water replacement in the regional coastal ground water system. The smart water well design, the fresh keeper concept and the first field test results will be discussed.


MP3 Presentation Slides

Ate Oosterhof
Asset Management, Vitens, Zwolle, Netherlands
Ate Oosterhof (1974) is senior hydrologist at netherlands largest drinking water company Vitens. He studied hydrology and water management at Wageningen Agricultural university. He has over 15 years of experience in well field exploration. And is an expert in borehole management. From 2009 Ate has been chairman of the Dutch knowledge group of boreholes.

Annemieke van Doorn
KWR researh institute, Nieuwegein, Netherlands
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