Revolutionizing the groundwater monitoring industry by automatically analyzing wellfield information. Groundwater issues can be very complex and frustrating because you cannot "see" below the ground surface.
AQUILYTICS is a patented technology that integrates off-the-shelf software to better visualize and analyze what is really going on in your aquifer(s). AQUILYTICS is a graphical user interface (GUI) to a database that can contain any type of data - water levels, chemistry, weather, etc. AQUILYTICS continuously analyzes aquifer responses to withdrawals that optimizes well field performance and monitoring using real time water-level, flow-rate, and operations data.
ARM's mission is to reduce the costs of producing groundwater from wellfields and to enhance the utilization of groundwater aquifers as a water resource. ARM produces, installs, and licenses software tools that enable efficient real-time processing of groundwater data. ARM’s daily work is to continue to develop these proprietary tools and to license and install them to water purveyors who utilize groundwater for production. ARM’s secondary work is to train the water purveyors and their consulting scientists and engineers on the use and interpretation of the real-time data. ARM utilizes patented technology for the input, display, and imaging of groundwater system data using public-domain geographic information system (GIS) technology as the backbone. This patented technology enables large amounts of information to be processed and transmitted virtually instantaneously and interpretations made in real time to improve operating efficiency of singular wells and entire wellfields. Those improvements in efficiency and the sophistication of the data interpretation algorithms are the principal means of establishing cost savings.
Real-time groundwater level data imaging will be used by drinking-water purveyors and industrial users to better manage groundwater aquifers as a resource both for storage and withdrawal. By turning remotely-sensed data into 2- and 3- dimensional graphics in real time using sophisticated mathematical tools, the "black box" of subsurface conditions become better understood and therefore manageable.
AQUILYTICS automates the import, analysis, and visualization of aquifer test data. Project time can be more efficiently utilized to evaluate the influences of pumping, recharge, and other weather factors on the wellfield dynamics. Over time, “smart” wellfields will automatically change pumping rates, with the choice of the most energy-efficient mode or contaminant mass-removal (or avoidance) mode. AQUILYTICS also interfaces directly with sensors for temperature, pH, conductivity, and other parameter-specific probes.
Most states require reporting of pumping volumes and water elevation data. By mining data from your SCADA system, or by using AQUILYTICS as your data collection system, your reporting and compliance tasks can be customized to meet your requirements in an automated platform.
If you currently have Microsoft Access and ArcGIS (with the Spatial Analyst extension), you do not need any additional software. The AQUILYTICS extension for ArcGIS hooks up with an Access database (or your SCADA system in most cases) and allows you to view the current wellfield conditions in real time. We utilize the Spatial Analyst extension and automate the kreiging process to build multi-colored grids of any parameter that you are recording (e.g. water level elevations). AQUILYTICS then enables you to archive these grids and create animations of historic data for superior analysis capabilities.
What happens if one of my wells goes down for several weeks? What happens if contamination is detected in the groundwater? What happens if this drought continues?.
Over time, AQUILYTICS "learns" about the aquifer system and can enable a detailed, predictive groundwater model that can automate pumping levels through a SCADA to minimize the effects of a contamination plume within the well field.
As groundwater experts, we understand that each water issue requires unique solutions. ARM is prepared to customize our base software products and tailor their capabilities to your individual needs.
Mining and construction projects often require that the groundwater table be lowered either temporarily or for the long-term. Dewatering strategies can be costly to develop, and the ramifications of “unexpected” conditions can be devastating to production rates and construction schedules.
AQUILYTICS automates the collection, analysis, visualization, and reporting process for groundwater data. In addition, the resulting dewatering strategies are based on better science than conventional approaches because data are processed on an ongoing basis. Since groundwater movement is dependent on many variables that cannot be “seen” below the ground, AQUILYTICS can significantly improve the dewatering strategies for any project.
Electricity and demand charge costs comprise a significant portion of water delivery expenses and are directly related to the amount of lift required to bring water to the surface. Therefore, managing the amount of drawdown in the aquifer is crucial for optimizing the groundwater flow field and reducing drawdown. Using AQUILYTICS will automate the analysis of your pumping rate and water elevation data to reduce drawdown across the well field. Most wellfields can be better managed to decrease the overall drawdown by at least 10%. Click here to calculate your potential savings by using AQUILYTICS technology.
Download the Calculation for Determining Electricity Cost to Pump Water Spreadsheet
To take full advantage of our tools, certain levels of instrumentation are necessary to install in your well field:
ARM has experts in the selection, installation, calibration, and maintenance of these sensors.
Aquifer Resource Management systems are becoming more and more necessary, given the increased regulation, population growth and resulting demand, increased potential for contamination, and depleted groundwater resources. While millions of dollars are spent on well installation, engineering, and construction of conveyance and treatment systems, a very small percentage is spent on actually managing the aquifer. This may be because of the “black box” nature of hydrogeology – we can’t see below the ground.
The conventional approach is to develop a computer model that simulates groundwater flow. Unfortunately, the mathematics used to develop the model rely on assumptions that are not “real”. Moreover, the parameters that are used to make up the model (most importantly transmissivity, flow boundaries, and recharge) are often gross estimates and are arbitrarily tweaked to try and match observed groundwater levels. Models that are currently used across the groundwater industry do not allow for changes in permeability vertically within a single model layer. Therefore, models that do not contain the same number of layers as changes in permeability cannot be used with an acceptable confidence level for accurately depicting what is actually occurring in the aquifer or predicting what will happen under myriad scenarios.
AQUILYTICS represents the next generation of “smart” groundwater flow modeling. By continually recording and analyzing pumping rate, water level, conductivity, chemical, and precipitation data, groundwater models can become more calibrated over time. In addition, AQUILYTICS can be connected to automated neural network algorithms that “learn” over time.
The groundwater sciences have been greatly advanced over the last 25 years with the aggressive investigation and clean up of soil and water contamination. Billions of dollars have been spent on underground storage tank releases alone.
During the 1990s, "pump and treat" technologies were typically looked upon unfavorably, largely because of poor quality control in the field investigations and poor communication between geologists and engineers. Thousands of systems of were installed that did not yield the designed flow rate, did not create adequate capture zones, failed to recover the contaminants or exert the gradient control necessary for plume containment.
AQUILYTICS was developed to assist groundwater professionals in making better decisions, in performing better science, and to better communicate groundwater issues. Using pressure transducers, aquifer testing is continuous. AQUILYTICS technology automates the import of pressure transducer data into Microsoft Access, export to Aquifer Test Pro, ArcGIS, Visual MODFLOW, GMS, GroundwaterVistas, RockWorks, SPLIT, VisualBluebird, and any other software package that imports from a .txt, .csv, .xls, or ascii format. AQUILYTICS also enables the user to quickly develop cross-sectional views of your grid data in ArcGIS.
Contamination of our drinking water supplies by terrorists has become a focus of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It has been estimated that one gallon of chemicals can contaminate 5 million of gallons of groundwater. Moreover, once the chemicals are introduced to an aquifer, many years may be required to restore the aquifer to useable conditions.
AQUILYTICS can be used to alert water managers that something has been introduced to the well or the aquifer. Using conductivity or chemical sensors, in-well conditions can be continuously monitored. A range of acceptable conditions can be set, which, if exceeded, can send information to a SCADA system to react accordingly. While conventional wisdom would be to shut off the pump, such course of action may be the worse thing to do because of the influence nearby pumping wells might have on plume migration (i.e., possible transport of the contamination throughout the aquifer).
In some instances, the introduction of oxygen into sediments that become dewatered can adversely affect water chemistry after the pump is turned off. Water managers with iron-reducing or sulfate-reducing bacteria issues will attest to this!
Thousands of water wells are installed every day for water supply, dewatering, and groundwater remediation purposes. The location of these wells is vital for the effectiveness, quality, and cost of long-term operation of the well. Many well location decisions are based more on land ownership or proximity to users or water treatment facilities than on the hydrogeologic factors. While this cannot be avoided in many instances, the cost and operational implications of poor well siting can be significant. Conventional hydrogeologic approaches toward well siting are often based on basic principles of groundwater flow and a single “pumping test”.
AQUILYTICS automates the collection, analysis, visualization, and reporting process for groundwater data in a Geographic Information System (GIS) platform. The resulting capture zone and yield estimates are based on better science than conventional approaches because data are processed on an ongoing basis. Since groundwater movement is dependent on many variables that cannot be “seen” below the ground, AQUILYTICS can significantly improve the well siting strategies for any project.
Most states require reporting of pumping volumes and water elevation data. By “mining” data from your SCADA system, or by using AQUILYTICS as your data collection system, your reporting and compliance tasks can be customized to meet your requirements in an automated platform.
Coastal areas are prone to the condition where the normal fresh-water/salt-water interface “moves” inland and near the ground surface. While barrier wells, recharge wells, and recharge basins are strategies to mitigate salt-water intrusion. A better strategy may be to attenuate the potential for salt-water intrusion before it occurs.
AQUILYTICS enables the continuous capture and analysis of pumping and water level data. Over time, “smart” models can be developed that result in accurate predictions for managing hydraulic heads within the aquifer and decreasing the potential for salt-water intrusion. Also, “sentinel” wells can be instrumented with conductivity probes that AQUILYTICS can continuously monitor and incorporate into pumping strategies.
The 1996 amendments to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act required that a Source Water Assessment be completed for every public water system, including all cities, towns, villages, townships, and including schools, restaurants, and other public facilities that have wells or surface water supplies. While the regulation required the assessments to be completed by 2003, many states, counties, and cities are still in the process of completing the assessments.
AQUILYTICS automates the collection and analysis of groundwater data within a GIS platform to build a platform for ongoing aquifer testing. While the technology is best suited for communities with sensors (e.g. digital flow meters and digital water level sensors), it can be used to prepare higher quality and less expensive assessments for any water supplier. Moreover, the capital cost of instrumenting your wellfield can be quickly recovered given the high cost of consulting and ongoing “studies”.
As part of our mission, Aquifer Resource Management will train your staff or consulting hdyrologists and engineers to use our groundwater analysis tools. Training is available at your site or ours.
Water rights issues can be complex mixtures legal and scientific disciplines. Increases in development, population growth, "corporate" agriculture, oil and gas production (specifically coal-bed methane), and mining combine with depleted groundwater resources to set the stage for litigation and rule making for water rights issues.
Using AQUILYTICS to monitor and model groundwater conditions provides a superior platform for defensible conclusions regarding where water is coming from.
Groundwater chemistry is a complex issue that is site specific (and many times even specific to an individual well!). The minerals in the formations that water moves through control the amount of dissolved minerals and resulting chemical compounds in the water. The conductivity of the groundwater may be directly related to the amount of dissolved minerals and chemicals in the water. AQUILYTICS technologies can be utilized to evaluate the geochemistry of the wellfield, to evaluate the optimal pumping rate to reduce water treatment, to evaluate possible blending strategies, and to perform a cost-benefit analysis of new wells versus water treatment issues.
Many areas of the world experience water shortages, primarily during the summer months. Water managers often are faced with enforcing "watering bans" to conserve water during these time periods. Water use restriction systems are commonly used whereby residents with even addresses can water their lawns on one day and those with odd addresses can water their lawns on the alternate day. Unfortunately, decisions to conserve water are based more on conservative, often fear-based factors rather than on hydrogeologic principles. Moreover, the loss in revenues from water that could be safely delivered to the customer are rarely evaluated in budgeting and operation economics.
AQUILYTICS enables the continuous capture and analysis of pumping and water level data. Over time, "smart" models can be developed that result in accurate predictions for various precipitation and aquifer recharge scenarios.
Unfortunately for the long term operations costs of water delivery systems, new well siting is often dictated by land ownership and distance to treatment plant implications, rather than aquifer resource management. This results in wells placed too close to other wells. Because the flow rate is directly relate to the amount of saturated thickness of the aquifer, and because the drawdown effect in any one well is the sum of the drawdown interferences produced by all the wells, well interference issues cause operational problems and increase energy costs.
AQUILYTICS can be used to identify well interference, measure the effect, and ultimately predict what the optimal pumping rates should be to minimize the effects of interference. For systems with SCADA and variable frequency drives, AQUILYTICS could be used to send information back to the SCADA system to automatically turn pumps up and down to minimize well interference costs.
The specific capacity of a well is the ratio of the flow rate (usually in gallons per minute) and the resulting drawdown (usually in feet). If you see the drawdown increasing at a constant flow rate, it is either because of well interference (another nearby well is also pumping) or, more likely, that the well screen or borehole is becoming plugged. Unfortunately, a well that becomes plugged will rarely be returned to the original efficiency, therefore, it is important to keep track of the specific capacity on an ongoing basis. Some water managers rely on the advice of their drilling or service contractors to determine when a well needs to be redeveloped, while other managers put the wells on a routine redevelopment schedule. Both of these approaches may result in wells being redeveloped when they really don’t need to. Moreover, the costs associated with pulling pumps and mechanically or chemically treating the screen are a significant hit to any water delivery budget.
Wells become plugged in part because of the precipitation of minerals in the water on the well screen or borehole. The precipitation can occur because of the significant pressure drop that happens when water leaves the aquifer and enters the well. In a screened well, you can calculate the entrance velocity of water into the well. Many water managers pump the well to the maximum capacity and pay no attention to entrance velocities. However, pumping the well at the optimal flow rate can greatly increase the life of the well and increase the time between rehabilitation.
AQUILYTICS technology enables you to track specific capacity on an ongoing basis, to develop acceptable ranges for each well, and to determine optimal flow rates for each screened well on an ongoing basis. In addition, a color coded a graph (e.g. green for safe, yellow for caution, and red for “redevelop now!”) can be customized so your operators know when it is time to address rehabilitation issues.
The federal Safe Drinking Water Act required that each public water supplier develop a Wellhead Protection Area (WHPA) and a plan to manage the area delineated to be contributing water over a ten-year time of travel. While many states have EPA-approved Wellhead Protection programs.
“It was an easy decision to leverage our investment into SCADA and VFDs to optimize our pumping rates and save considerable electricity in the meantime.”
“Aquifer Resource Management’s technologies have helped us to visualize what is actually going on in our aquifer when we turn our pumps on and off. Much better than computer models!”
“We were basing our decisions for well rehabilitation on a five-year schedule. It did not take a lot for us to understand that ARM’s technologies tell us when we get the best payback on our rehab efforts!”
“‘Watching’ the adjacent communities well pumps turn on and off gives us a better way of managing our water supply.”