Technologies in groundwater logging
 Groundwater
use in Southern Africa continues to grow as a viable and cost effective
alternative to surface water supplies, from rural village water supply systems
through to supplementary and primary municipal supply systems. Get
acquainted with the smallest groundwater datalogger in the world, the Diver.
Simple and cost effective
In both water rich and water scarce zones alike, recognition is being given
to the value of proper monitoring of resources for planning, forecasting and
management purposes. Diver offers simple and cost effective monitoring.
The primary benefits of using Diver are the accurate and reliable results
and the easy installation in pumping production boreholes.
Extremely wasteful
Mr. Ricky Murray, of CSIR in Stellenbosch, South Africa tells us that his Diver
instruments are currently being used to establish whether borehole pumping
cycles and abstraction rates have been designed for maximum efficiency. He goes
on to say: "So far, our research into rural groundwater schemes has shown
that a large number of these schemes are operating in an extremely wasteful way.
This has come from taking hand readings from a number of boreholes."
Pumps
"In many cases water in boreholes is being drawn down to the pump intake
within minutes of the pumps being switched on. Where no cut-off switches in the
boreholes exist, this results in a combination of air and water being pumped to
the reservoirs. Where cut-off switches do exist, pumps have been seen to operate
on a continual on-off basis, as the water level in the boreholes fluctuates
between two specified levels. Both these types of pumping systems are a terrible
waste of energy, and they are not good for pumps or aquifers."
Research project
"The Diver will be deployed in a number of boreholes with the aim
of establishing whether many of the abstraction regimes of rural water supply
schemes are indeed poorly designed. Each borehole will be monitored for a few
months using the Diver. At the end of the research project, we will
develop guidelines on how to determine whether a scheme is operating efficiently
or not, and how to modify the pumping cycle to maximise efficiency and minimise
costs." Eijkelkamp distributors offer close co-operation and assistance for
groundwater management or other projects where Diver concept instrumentation is
applicable. Barlofco represents Eijkelkamp Agrisearch Equipment in Southern
Africa.
For more information for projects in Southern Africa: www.barlofco.co.za
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