What's New In Aquifer Testing?

Thank You to the participants who attended the 2014 Aquifer Testing Course in Fort Collins. On behalf of the instructors and myself, you helped make this year's course one of the most enjoyable and memorable ever!

Thanks to our host, In-Situ, Inc, for sponsoring this powerful course at their headquarters in Fort Collins, Colorado.  In-Situ staff hospitality overflows with their friendly welcome and professional organization of facility tours, a fun evening reception, and a glimpse into the inner sanctum of the world's leading manufacturer of aquifer testing equipment.

2014 Aquifer Testing Course Participants

Jim Butler's and Glenn Duffield's abilites to teach and connect with people coupled with their content provide the core to this 2-day educational experience.  One of the unmentioned benefits of the course besides simply learning and enjoying the experience is gaining accessibility to both of these recognized experts.    

When the course is complete and we have all returned home, sometimes technical questions arise, right?  

The course creates familiarity with the instructors who offer their assistance to professionals beyond the classroom.  Glenn Duffield is the author of AQTESOLV and his door is open to course participants that ask for assistance with data analysis after the course is complete. Plus, In-Situ provides technical assistance of all types, all the time.

We never take course and webinar registrations for granted and we recognize our responsibility to truly help each other on all levels.  Thank you for giving us that opportunity to help you.  -Dan

Solid "H(o) Slug" .....what is it?

Pronounced:  H naught slug

The Solid H(o) Slug™ is a traditional solid slug that is designed to yield a pre-estimated initial displacement during a slug test. 

It's a new item available only through Midwest GeoSciences Group.  The H(o) Slug may ordered in either teflon or PVC.  

Calculated initial displacement is represented by "H(o)*" where H is the calculated distance of instanteous change at time zero (o) in water level created by the the slug.  "H(o)" is the measured initial displacement.  It is important to compare calculated H(o)* with measured H(o) as part of the QA/QC of the slug test for checking the reliability of test data.

The 60-sec video below shows initial displacement occurring within a two-inch diamter well using the H(o) Slug for a one-foot initial displacement.  Note how the water level changes by 1 foot after dropping the slug mimicing the initial displacement during a falling head slug test.

The H(o) Slug is available now at http://www.midwestgeo.com/ for both english and metric units:
12 in, 18 in and 24 in  --or--  30cm, 45cm, 60cm. 

Learn why slug testing with different initial displacements is very important and how normalizing the data can create appreciable data analysis efficiences using the FIELD GUIDE FOR SLUG TESTING AND DATA ANALYSIS.

Aquifer Testing Course at the University of Texas San Antonio

For our third year teaching the Advanced Aquifer Testing Course, we aimed at Texas because we had already hit Miami (2006) and San Diego (2007). We like the warm temps in February although we also like Canadian cities too when there's lots of snow to enjoy.

We landed in San Antonio and the course was slightly past capacity. Attendees are normally knowledgeable and enthusiastic at these courses, but this gang was not only those things, but also noticeably more interactive. I cannot explain the cause except perhaps it was the gracious Texas hospitality we each experienced. Regardless, this course is full of those brief moments where I suspect my friends and I will look back and reference many subtle and not-so-subtle memory-making instances.

UTSA Downtown is a showcase campus with new buildings and classrooms. The people, the food, the architecture, the birds and the landscape left a lasting memory on each of us. If you decide to visit UTSA Downtown, its conveniently located within either a long walk or a short car ride to the famous San Antonio Riverwalk.

The main instructors at this course are Jim Butler, Glenn Duffield and Shlomo Neuman. Dr. Neuman is located in the photo in the front row (fourth from right wearing a dark blue jacket) and Dr. Butler is the tallest standing in the back row, a few feet behind Dr. Neuman. I cannot tell you where Glenn is located....if I recall correctly, he was helping a student analyze project-related pumping test data in the classroom. He's a trooper.