Alice Springs Roe Creek borefield : hydrogeology of the Pacoota aquifer
Details:
Title
Alice Springs Roe Creek borefield : hydrogeology of the Pacoota aquifer,
Creator
Read, R. E,
Northern Territory. Department Of Natural Resources, Environment And The Arts. Land And Water Division,
Collection
E-Publications,
PublicationNT,
E-Books,
Report no ; 03/2007,
Date
2007-04,
Location
Roe Creek Borefield,
Description
Made available via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).,
The Pacoota Sandstone lies to the north of and under the Mereenie Sandstone at Roe Creek, and is used to supplement the Alice Springs water supply from the Mereenie Sandstone. Its thickness at Roe Creek is between 400 and 500 m.
The Pacoota Sandstone acts as a single aquifer, though with low permeability normal to bedding. This vertical anisotropy results in a lower apparent transmissivity in a north south direction. Bedding plane transmissivity is about 500 m2/d, and the ratio of horizontal to vertical hydraulic conductivity in the range 100:1 to 10 000:1.
Siltstone beds near the base of the Mereenie Sandstone appear to form a barrier between this unit and the Pacoota Sandstone.
Of the three production bores now in operation only RN 15097 has a significant operating life remaining, at a pumping rate of about 40 L/s.
A new production bore should be drilled to the south of RN 13409.
The extractable volume in the Pacoota Sandstone to a depth of about 300 m that could be extracted by two production bores pumping at 40 L/s (1.2 GL/year) each is about 290 GL. This estimate is conservative because it has not accounted for the fall in water levels in the Pacoota due to pumping from the Mereenie.
The aquifer system is too complex for simple analytical modelling and requires a numerical model.
A more detailed analysis of the life of the existing production bores should be undertaken in conjunction with the numerical modelling.
As many bores as possible in the Pacoota Sandstone should be geophysically logged with modern digital equipment to create a set of consistent records.,
Table of contents
Introduction -- Geological setting -- Production bores -- Production pumping -- Hydrogeological setting -- Aquifer properties -- Impact of production pumping -- Recharge -- Flow from the Pacoota Sandstone to Mereenie Sandstone -- Analysis of production pumping -- Water chemistry -- Predicted life of the production bores -- Conclusions and recommendations -- References -- Appendices.,
Language
English,
Subject
Groundwater -- Northern Territory -- Alice Springs Region,
Hydrogeology -- Northern Territory -- Alice Springs Region,
Roe Creek Borefield,
Hydrogeology of Pacaoota Aquifer,
Publisher name
Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts,
Place of publication
Alice Springs,
Series
Report no ; 03/2007,
Format
v, 21 pages : colour maps ; 30 cm.,
File type
application/pdf,
Copyright owner
Check within Publication or with content Publisher.,