Towards optimal sampling schedules for integral pumping tests

Conventional point sampling may miss plumes in groundwater due to an insufficient density of sampling locations. The integral pumping test (IPT) method overcomes this problem by increasing the sampled volume. One or more wells are pumped for a long duration (several days) and samples are taken during pumping. The obtained concentration-time series are used for the estimation of average aquifer concentrations Cav and mass flow rates MCP. Although the IPT method is a well accepted approach for the characterization of contaminated sites, no substantiated guideline for the design of IPT sampling schedules (optimal number of samples and optimal sampling times) is available. This study provides a first step towards optimal IPT sampling schedules by a detailed investigation of 30 high-frequency concentration-time series. Different sampling schedules were tested by modifying the original concentration-time series. The results reveal that the relative error in the Cav estimation increases with a reduced number of samples and higher variability of the investigated concentration-time series. Maximum errors of up to 22% were observed for sampling schedules with the lowest number of samples of three. The sampling scheme that relies on constant time intervals ∆t between different samples yielded the lowest errors.

Research Highlights
► Integral pumping tests (IPTs) use large volume sampling for mass flow estimations.
► Mass flow rates of IPTs depend on the applied sampling schedule.
► Study focuses on the optimal number of samples and the optimal sampling time.
► Study is based on data from IPT field applications.
► Advices for optimal IPT sampling schedules are presented.