If the static level is unchanged but the drawdown is decreasing, what does this indicate about the pump?

• A. Flow rate increasing
• B. Tank full
• C. The pump is losing efficiency
• D. Pressure test

Answer: (C)

This situation shows how the pump’s performance affects water levels. The static level is the water surface when nothing is being pumped, and drawdown is how far the level falls while the pump is running. If the static level stays the same but the drawdown gets smaller, the pump is delivering less water than before. A lower discharge means the pump isn’t moving as much water, which points to a loss of efficiency or capacity—wear, clogging, or other limitations reducing its ability to lift water.

If the flow rate were increasing, you’d expect the drawdown to be greater because more water is being pumped. A tank being full isn’t indicated by a change in drawdown, and a pressure test is a different type of measurement altogether.