Hard-rock aquifer response to pumping and sustainable yield of wells in some areas of Mediterranean Region

Abstract

AbstractPumping tests carried out in three highly tectonized Mediterranean areas, which share similar climate conditions, were used to characterize hard-rock aquifers and examine the issue of the sustainable yield of wells. On the basis of the identified drawdown trends and hydraulic parameters, pumping scenarios were simulated through different methods. The results show that the long-term trend in the drawdown and the initial thickness of the aquifer constrain the sustainable yield of a well. In the worst cases examined, namely those related to an aquifer with a barrier boundary and a delayed response of the aquifer, the sustainable well yield is 1–2 L s−1. These well discharge values are significant when compared with those found in other regions of the world, and may be related to the dense network of the discontinuities which characterizes the sites.