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Well Field Optimization Project Final Report: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – May 2007 Stanislaus and Tuolumne Rivers Groundwater Basin Association Findings and Recommendations Well Replacement and Repair of Existing Wells Th e well evaluation project has identifi ed 18 wells that need repairs in order to improve their performance to an acceptable level. Th is includes 11 Modesto Irrigation District (MID) wells and 7 Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) wells. It is recommended that OID and MID schedule and budget repair of these wells as soon as possible. Th e specifi c work that must be performed is identifi ed by well in the evaluation report. Th e well evaluation project also identifi ed six wells that must be replaced, including one OID well and fi ve MID wells. Th e existing wells should be decommissioned and properly destroyed and new wells should be drilled and developed. It is also recommended that the districts budget and schedule a well replacement program for these wells. Implement Phase II of the Well Field Optimization Program Th is phase of the program expands the Well Field Optimization to include service areas of other water purveyors in the Basin. Th is will include expanding the well evaluations, DMS, and DSS. Th e DMS will also be modifi ed to become web-based to provide access by all Association member agencies. Implement Phase III of the Well Field Optimization Program Th is phase will fully automate the DSS and conjunctive management operations, which will include: Using remote sensing to collect real-time groundwater level and water quality data as well as water quantities and quality in the agencies’ main laterals and pipelines Establishing a process to assess the water requirement in each lateral Installing a SCADA system to monitor, control, manage, and optimize groundwater pumping, surface water quantities in the laterals, groundwater levels, and operational outfl ows Financial Plan A fi nancial plan should be developed to facilitate orderly development and implementation of the recommendations listed above, including identifi cation of potential grant funding. • • • Report Prepared By: GEI Consultants, Bookman-Edmonston Division Project No: 054030 Well Field Optimization Project Final Report: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY May 2007 Typical Pumping Plant ---PAGE BREAK--- Executive Summary Th e Stanislaus and Tuolumne River Basin Groundwater Association (Association) was formed in 1994 by six agencies interested in improving the management of the Modesto Groundwater Subbasin (Basin). Notable among the Association’s accomplishments is the preparation of the Integrated Regional Groundwater Management Plan for the Modesto Subbasin (IRGMP) in 2005. Th e current project, the Well Field Optimization Project (Project), is also notable because it is the fi rst IRGMP recommendation funded for implementation. Th e goal of the Project is to improve understanding of the groundwater system and its infrastructure and to develop tools for optimizing operations of the well fi eld in conjunction with the surface water resources of the Basin. Th e Project is the fi rst of a three-phase Well Optimization Program (Program). Objectives of the Program are to: Operate wells to meet water supply demands of the districts Lower power costs per unit of water pumped by prioritizing well usage by cost of operations Maintain groundwater levels that satisfy the Basin Management Objectives (BMOs) established in the Groundwater Management Plan Manage the water quality of groundwater discharged into the surface water delivery system Increase the eff ectiveness of shallow groundwater management In the current phase, the Project was completed for Modesto and Oakdale Irrigation Districts. Implementation of future phases (depending on funding availability) will automate the system for real-time conjunctive use management and will expand to the other Association member agencies’ service areas. Th e Project includes a Data Management System (DMS) and a Decision Support System (DSS). Districts’ facilities and wells are inventoried and data collected are stored in the database. Using the data stored in the DMS, the DSS optimizes well fi eld operations according to pumping energy costs, water quality objectives, and/or water conservation. Th e DSS provides operational fl exibility to the districts for conjunctively managing surface and groundwater resources on a real-time basis. • • • • • Th e Project can be broken down into four major components as listed below. Facilities Inventory and Mapping Production Well Evaluations Database Management System Decision Support System A summary of each component follows. Facilities Inventory and Mapping and Well Evaluations Existing district facilities, wells and laterals, were inventoried and mapped. First steps of the inventory and mapping included gathering all available data and assessing the quality of the data for use in the Well Performance Evaluations, DMS, and DSS. Next, data gaps were identifi ed and prioritized for fi eld surveys. Finally, all available and newly collected data were entered in the DMS and/or Geographic Information System (GIS) for use in the DSS and performance evaluations. Well evaluations were completed to rank district wells and identify wells with acceptable effi ciency and performance. Th is information was also used in the DSS. Recommendations for repairs or replacements of non-effi cient wells were prepared and prioritized and associated cost estimates provided to the districts. Database Management System A Database Management System (DMS) was developed for storage, retrieval, and evaluation of groundwater data. Th e DMS is a Microsoft Access® database with a custom interface for entering well data into a database, viewing data, and generating reports. For example, the DMS can be used for storage and retrieval of production data as well as water level and water quality data collected by Association member agencies’ monitoring programs. Th e DMS also interacts with the DSS, supplying well data used in the DSS decision algorithm and logging well operation status as orders are placed. Decision Support System Th e Decision Support System (DSS) was developed to optimize the conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources to meet objectives developed for each district. Th e DSS is a custom tool within Microsoft Access® that interacts with the DMS, retrieving data and updating well operation status as orders are placed. Th e main function of the DSS is to automate the decision process for system operators in selecting wells to meet deliveries. Th e DSS optimizes well selection based on criteria input by the operator, including location, time of delivery, fl ow rate, effi ciency, cost of energy for pumping the water, and water quality. DSS output includes a list of available wells that meet the selection criteria. Th e user can select from among the eligible wells to satisfy the order. 1) 2) 3) 4) Well Field Optimization Project Final Report: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY May 2007 The Well Field Optimization program was developed to combine data evaluation capabilities of the DMS with the decision support capabilities of the DSS into a single, easy to use interface. Surface water is conveyed through canals to the MID and OID service areas for delivery to farmers. Pumping plant similar to the one shown above pumps groundwater and discharges it to the District’s conveyance system.