tech update pumps
The Deal
on Dewatering
Pump selection and planning
for successful wellpoint dewatering
ellpoint dewatering is the
W
By Kirsten Peterson Stroud
process of removing ground-
water temporarily from soils
in a localized area to complete the
construction of a foundation, pipeline
or other below-ground structure or to
perform soil remediation.
Typical wellpoint dewatering
applications include:
• Land remediation;
• Pollutant reclamation;
• Laying deep sewer, water or
utility lines;
• Excavation and lining work for
canals and channels;
• Excavations for basements,
structures and foundations of
buildings; and
• Foundations of dams,
bridges, powerhouses and
underground tanks.
Learning the System
A series of shallow wells known
as wellpoints are installed at a pre-
determined depth and appropriately
spaced along a trench or around an
excavation site. Dewatering experts
employ several installation techniques,
including installing, or jetting by high
pressure water, the wellpoints by hand,
using a casing or punch, and drilling
methods such as augers and drill rigs.
The installed wellpoint reaches the
surface via a riser pipe, which is in
turn connected to a common header
pipe main through a clear, flex-
ible swing joint that incorporates an
adjustable header valve. The swing
joint provides a clear view of what is
being pumped, and the valve allows
control of the air entering the system.
Lastly, the header pipe is connected to
a wellpoint pump.
The vacuum produced by the pump
draws water through notches in the
wellpoints. The water then travels from
the wellpoints through the swing joints
into the header pipe to the pump. It is
then discharged away from the site or
to other processes to remove unwanted
properties such as contaminants.
Considered the oldest method of
practical pre-drainage in general use
▼
This wellpoint dewatering setup displays the header pipe with swing joints and valve assemblies.
10 WATER QUALIT Y PRODUCTS
for more than 80 years, wellpoint
dewatering is versatile and works well
in most types of formations, as the
depth and spacing of wells can be
controlled and the amount of vacuum
to each wellpoint can be varied to
accommodate site conditions.
In the Planning Stages
System design depends on many
factors, from soil conditions, methods
of construction and header elevation
to water volume, pump and discharge
location. Surface drainage and well-
point depth considerations also must
be taken into account. Single-stage
wellpoint systems have an effective
suction lift of 15 ft at sea level, and
under certain circumstances, lifts can
be increased to as much as 22 ft. The
wellpoint system is utilized to dewater
soils drained by gravity flows with a
drawdown limited to an average of 18
ft per stage; however, several stages
may be used in one system. Wellpoints
typically have capacities ranging from
a fraction of a gallon per minute (gpm)
to 100 gpm.
Wellpoint dewatering is best suited
for relatively shallow excavations in
stratified soils and permeable sandy
soils, though it can effectively dewater
coarse sands and gravels, silts and some
clays. Stratified soils consist of layers of
different soil textures. Rapid-moving
water deposits gravel and coarse sand.
Slow-moving water deposits fine sand
and silt. Still water deposits the finest
clay materials. Water does not move
uniformly downward in stratified soils.
The difference created between the
pressure of the groundwater (atmo-
spheric pressure) and the filters (well-
points) directs the groundwater flow
towards the wellpoints at a velocity
that depends on the permeability of
the various types of ground. When
the wellpoint system in a given
section pumps more water than filters
through the voids, the water table
begins to lower, forming a conical
surface. As pumping continues, the
dewatered area increases until the
capacity removed by the wellpoint
system is equal to the capacity due to discharge through bags made of Additionally, it is a best prac- Kirsten Peterson Stroud is marketing
filtration. At this point the water table geotextile fabric. Sediment and erosion tice to minimize the dewa- manager for Thompson Pump. Stroud
stabilizes, forming the “cone of influ- control is impeded by the use of dewa- tering discharge velocity to avoid can be reached at kpetersen@
ence.” The size of this cone is closely tering and sediment filter bags for scouring the receiving area, and thompsonpump.com or 386.944.4145.
linked to the permeability of the pumping and filtering sediment-laden design structural controls such
ground and therefore will be larger in water. These bags retain solids, sedi- as basins or sumps that receive For more information on this subject
low-permeability ground. ment and other particles, allowing only discharge water to handle the write in 1003 on the reader service
Shallow water tables are susceptible clean water out of the bag. anticipated discharge flow. wqp form on page 33.
to pollution. Drain fields, dry wells,
animal wastes and fertilizer applica-
tions can contaminate a shallow water
table. Recharge is usually from rainfall,
falling directly above and percolating
downward to the water table. As the
water moves downward, it may carry
contaminants. Environmental remedia-
tion requires understanding the safety
of addressing a potentially harmful
situation in a speedy, accurate and effi-
cient manner. Wellpoint dewatering
can be employed to effectively aid in
remediating these contaminants.
There are professional dewatering
and pump companies that offer
complete groundwater control services,
including site investigation, design,
calculations and comprehensive subsoil
knowledge, along with recommenda-
tion and installation of appropriate
dewatering systems.
A professional’s first step in plan-
ning a wellpoint dewatering system is
to meet with the project engineer and
job foreman to acquire pertinent infor-
mation, then gather soils and water-
shed information from soil borings and
other available resources. The next step
is to evaluate and note topography,
including reviewing underground
utilities, examining intervening water
sources and reviewing the equipment
needed and labor required.

Pump Selection
As water is collected, a high
proportion of air is collected as well.
Wellpoint pumps, such as a rotary,
vacuum, piston and vacuum-assisted,
are designed specifically with high air-
handling capability to manage ground-
water, air and soluble gases.
From filtration to remediation,
pumps handle various caustic elements
in an effort to keep potentially
harmful liquids under control. The
larger the pump, the quicker a site can
be dewatered. Additionally, more than
one pump can be added to a system. In
wellpointing, control of air is impor-
tant, as excessive air causes cavitation,
which reduces pump efficiency.

Fluid Discharge Best Practices

Today, it is common before
releasing dewatering discharge to
rivers, lakes or wetlands to filter the
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