Flow to a well in a water-table aquifer: An improved laplace transform solution

An alternative Laplace transform solution for the problem, originally solved by Neuman, of constant discharge from a partially penetrating well in a water-table aquifer was obtained. The solution differs from existing solutions in that it is simpler in form and can be numerically inverted without the need for time-consuming numerical integration. The derivation invloves the use of the Laplace transform and a finite Fourier cosine series and avoids the Hankel transform used in prior derivations. The solution allows for water in the overlying unsaturated zone to be released either instantaneously in response to a declining water table as assumed by Neuman, or gradually as approximated by Boulton's convolution integral. Numerical evaluation yields results identical with results obtained by previously published methods with the advantage, under most well-aquifer configurations, of much reduced computation time.