Hydraulic conductivity and water quality of the shallow aquifer, Palm Beach County, Florida

Subsurface geophysical logs were correlated with logs of drill cuttings to determine the permeability of selected zones of the shallow aquifer, Palm Beach County, Fla. The hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer is estimated to range from 1 to 130 feet per day, based on lithology and physical properties. The yield of wells penetrating this aquifer ranges from 100 to more than 1,000 gallons per minute. Water samples were collected from different depths throughout the county and analyzed for chemical constituents. Stiff diagrams illustrate the changes in types of water by depth and area. Water of suitable quality is in the eastern parts of the county. In this area the aquifer is the thickest and most permeable. The concentration of chemical constituents in the water increase in a westerly direction. The water in the western parts of the county is unsuitable for most purposes. (Woodard-USGS)