Project-Municipal-Water-Wells

Challenge. Expand existing well field to meet new customer demand

Solution. When Valparaiso City Utility (VCU) needed to add capacity to their existing water supply system to ensure that the near-term demands of new customers are met, INTERA was hired as a technical consultant to design and construct two new wells. The well field expansion increased capacity in the system while VCU completes another high-capacity well field outside of the city. INTERA performed the hydraulic and engineering analysis needed to manage regulatory compliance, evaluate impacts to the aquifer and nearby wells, and design the new production wells. All of the exploratory analysis and data collection was part of INTERA’s role in developing construction specifications, hiring the drillers, overseeing the construction, developing the wells, and communicating with VCU while the wells were being installed. After performing an aquifer test, we developed and used a groundwater flow model to predict the long-term, sustainable pumping rates for the new wells as well as the impacts to other existing wells. INTERA provided VCU with the necessary capacity for growth while limiting impacts to the existing wells.