A Simple Correction for Slug Tests in Small-Diameter Wells

A simple procedure is presented for correcting hydraulic conductivity (K) estimates obtained from slug tests performed in small‐diameter installations screened in highly permeable aquifers. Previously reported discrepancies between results from slug tests in small‐diameter installations and those from tests in nearby larger‐diameter wells are primarily a product of frictional losses within the small‐diameter pipe. These frictional losses are readily incorporated into existing models for slug tests in high‐K aquifers, which then serve as the basis of a straightforward procedure for correcting previously obtained K estimates. A demonstration of the proposed procedure using data from a series of slug tests performed in a controlled field setting confirms the validity of the approach. The results of this demonstration also reveal the detailed view of spatial variations in K that can be obtained using slug tests in small‐diameter installations.