Determination of groundwater isopotentials for drinking water production

In order to set up an early warning system to protect groundwater, the flow direction of the groundwater must be known. For a calculation or determination of this flow direction, modern online monitoring systems (IoT data logger from Microtronics, Industry 4.0) are used, so that one has sufficient measured values (diurnal cycle, weekly cycle, …) for the creation of a calculation model.

The direction of groundwater flow can be determined from three observation wells forming a so-called hydrological triangle if the permeability is sufficiently homogeneous and the thickness is nearly the same. Reference plane is the uppermost plane of the borehole rods leveled at the surface with reference to a known elevation level (e.g., muA). Furthermore, when determining groundwater isopotentials, it must be verified that the potential elevations used belong to the same contiguous “groundwater stock.”