Public/Private Potable Water Supply Systems
Many public/private water supply systems operate lime softening water treatment facilities utilizing either water intakes (from rivers or streams) or numerous shallow surficial aquifer supply wells as their source of raw water supply. Hydrotech’s patented horizontal well system can provide a superior supply option to either of those two supply systems.
Horizontal wells provide a means of filtration if used in conjunction with surface water diversions. Such natural filtration is lacking in direct surface water intake systems. Also, a single horizontal well can typically produce as much as 20 vertical wells completed in the surficial aquifer.
In addition to the filtration provided by horizontal wells, attenuation of many undesirable chemical compounds is obtained in the subsurface that would not otherwise occur using direct surface water intakes. Surface water systems typically have greater fluctuating water quality due to seasonal flow volumes in the supply source. The added filtration and chemical attenuation can substantially reduce water treatment costs and the number of chemical treatment processes required and provide a more stable, dependable supply of water quality.
Use of HES horizontal wells reduce the potential for saltwater upcoming compared to vertical wells. This is because the water withdrawn from the surficial aquifer by horizontal wells is withdrawn over a much larger area reducing the drawdown effects created compared to a vertical well systems.
A single horizontal well system 500 feet long can typically produce at a sustainable rate of up to 500,000 gallons per day. Larger yields can be obtained with longer horizontal well systems.
Thus, the advantages of horizontal wells over both direct surface water intakes and shallow vertical wells are substantial.