Conjunctive Water Use (Proceedings of the Budapest Symposium, July 1986).

IAHS
Publ.no. 156,1986.

Field measurements of bank filtration

E. DRIESCHER
Institut fur Géographie und Geo'dkologie der Akademie
der Wissenschaften der DDR, Bereich Hydrologie, DDR 1167
Berlin, Mu ggelseedamm 260
ABSTRACT In Lake MUggel (southeast of Berlin) - a
shallow lake in fluvioglacial deposits, important
by its contribution to municipal water supply
- field measurements of bank filtration were
performed. Using simple tubes of plastics pressed
manually into the lakebed the initial water level
within the tube (equal to lake level) and the
(decreased) level after half an hour was measured.
The method allows one to recognize the offshore
boundaries of infiltration (zero decrease) and
the relative differences in the regional pattern
of seepage fluxes through the lakebed. Systematic
errors of the method can be diminished by an
improved procedure at the expense of time.

PROBLEM

Lake MUggel - situated in the southeast of Berlin - is an important

water reservoir for the capital of the GDR. Water supply wells
adjacent to the lake are withdrawing a great deal of surface water
via bank filtration, especially in its northern part, the site of
our investigations. The lake is embedded in sandy fluvioglacial
deposits. It is shallow and free from organic bottom sediments
several hundred meters offshore. That is an area believed to be
nearly completely involved in bank filtration. Until our
observations the location of the lakeward boundary of infiltration
zone was unknown, futhermore spatial differences in bank filtration
along the shore were unknown.

METHOD

To measure the seepage we used simple tubes of plastics (diameter

7.6 to 13.0 cm) varying in length from 90 to 180 cm dependent on
water depth. The only additional equipment of the tubes are
openings in the wall lockable by gas-cocks. These are essential for
equalizing the water level in the tube and that of the lake. The
tubes were pressed manually into the lakebed as far as possible (on
the average 10-15 cm) with opened cocks. After several minutes the
cock was closed and the water level within the tube was measured
from the top of the tube by a folding rule (accuracy + 0.1 cm).
After half an hour the measurement was repeated. When infiltration
occurred a decrease of the water column in the tube was observed.
29
30 E.Dreischer

The difference between the two values is the seepage rate at this
point, identical with the filtration velocity in Darcy's law. (See
Fig.l). Further measurements of the tube level over time (e.g. at
t = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 h) revealed only slightly diminished
seepage rates. This fact demonstrates that the decreasing hydraulic
gradient during the time of measurement (0.5 h) can be neglected.
Therefore, it is not necessary in the case under consideration to
use more complicated devices which hold the water level inside and
outside the tube equal.

ruler -~
— tube of plastics
_2 tgkejerel

• {cock

take bottom

FIG.l Principle of the seepage meter

= initial water level in the tube at t = 0 h
= water level in the tube at t = 0.5 h
- Y' = infiltration rate

Because measurements were made by wading water depths less than

1.3-1.4 m and calm weather are required.
Along the northern shoreline (about 2.5 km length) seepage was
measured along 15 straight lines perpendicular to the shore.
Distances between the observation points amounted to 1 - 2 m near
the shoreline. Further off they were 5 m.

RESULTS

More than 750 measuring points gave a good insight into the pattern
of seepage in this part of the lake. Highest infiltration rates
occur nearest to the shore, they remain relatively high within a
belt of 20- 40 m offshore, slightly decreasing with increasing
distance. Beyond this area rates diminish rapidly to very small
values.
The area of infiltration ends at various distances between 50 and
100 m from the shoreline. It turned out that there are remarkable
differences in seepage flux along the shore. Lines with high
infiltration rates and those of low rates occur within short
distances. Highest rates were observed in the range of the
bathing-beaches and lowest in the eastern part of the lake were the
distance between gallery and shore increases. Lake bottom areas
with considerable seepage flux are strongly consolidated, whereas
offshore areas with minor or zero infiltration consist of loose
sandy material.
 Field measurements of bank filtration 31
DISCUSSION

Assuming that the infiltration rates along the different straight

lines are representative for the adjacent area, we can calculate the
probable total amount of bank filtration. Compared with the actual
withdrawal of the corresponding well galleries the result revealed
that the measured rates of infiltration are overestimated. The
method proved to contain an essential disadvantage which is inherent
in all similar nonstationary devices: By pressing the tube into the
lakebed the consolidated upper layer (siltation layer) is disturbed
along the tube wall and becomes more permeable than under normal
circumstances. As could be shown by parallel tests with a drum and
the usual tubes this effect will be of less influence if tubes of
larger diameter are used.
The error can be reduced by a modification of the method. When
the tube or a part of it is left in the lake bottom for a longer
time the siltation layer will be clogged by infiltrating particles.
Several experiments were performed with short parts of a tube (c. 30
cm) which stayed in the lake for days. For measuring purposes a
longer tube was connected with them. As expected the values on the
second and third day were less than measurements taken over at once
in the first few hours. Seepage rates obtained with the revised
method are more realistic but are still in error. The short tube
now becomes a trap for particulate organic matter, producing an
"outer siltation layer" and reducing the permeability of the lake
bottom. Under undisturbed natural conditions this material is
transported by currents offshore to deeper parts of the lake.
The intensive study of the shore revealed that the lake bottom is
quite inhomogeneous and that it is necessary to check many points in
order to get "representative" values. For this reason and because
of economy of time the modified method will be applicable only if
the goal of the investigations is to get infiltration rates as
exact as possbile. For a quick survey of relative seepage rates and
their range the first procedure seems to be the method of choice.
Measurements of the sinking water level within one tube after
equal time intervals give values that follow an exponential curve.

It can be expressed by the equation

y = a exp ( -bt ) + C

y = water level in the tube ) measured from

C = water level in the tube at t = « ) the upper end
t = time (h) of the tube
a, b = constants

By determining the initial water level in the tube ( = lake level)

and the values of two further measurements ( e.g. at t =1 and t = 2
h) we can compute C.
If we regard the tubes to be piezometer, indicating the hydraulic
pressure at their base, we can use the level of the water column
after "infinite" time (C) - knowing further the diameter of the tube
and its depth in the lakebed - to calculate the hydraulic
conductivity of the lake bottom enclosed by the tube, [compare
32 E.Dreischer
BOUWER (1969)].
As a result of our investigations in Lake MUggel we found the
part of the shore involved in bank filtration to be smaller than
expected. This led to the conclusion that it would be possible to
make use of the other parts of the shore, kept free from organic
sediments by natural processes, for prefiltration of lake water to
improve water treatment.

REFERENCE

Bouwer, H. (1969) Theory of seepage from open channels. In:

Advances in hydroscience (ed. by Ven Te Chow) Vol. 5, p. 168.
Academic Press, New York and London.