TYPES OF WELLS

TYPES OF WATER WELLS

ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF POST
GRADUATE STUDENT
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCE AND IRRIGATION
ENGINEERING

COURSE OF GROUND WATER HYDROLOGY

By ELIAS AWOL
ID NO.RMSC/159/05
SUBMITTED TO: GUCHIE GULIE (Ph.D.)
DATE: JUNE/2013

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Table of Contents
Page
1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 2
2. TYPES OF WELLS ................................................................................................................................ 3
2.1. TUBE

WELLS ..................................................................................................................................... 4

2.1.1. Based on entry of water .4

2.1.2. Based on method of construction ...8
2.1.3. Based on depth .11
Based on Types of aquifer ...14

2.1.4.

2.2. OPEN WELLS18

Open wells in unconsolidated formations .19

2.2.1.

2.2.1.1 Unlined wells...19

2.2.1.2.Wells with pervious lining ......20
2.2.1.3.Wells with impervious lining ..20
2.2.1.4. Dug-bore wells ........21

2.2.2. Open wells in hard rock formation ....22

2.2.2.1. Dug wells ...23
2.2.2.2. Dug-Cum-Bore Well ..24
3.

References

BY ELIAS AWOL

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1. Introduction
A water wells is a hole or shaft, usually vertical, excavated in the earth for bringing ground water
to the surface .Occasionally wells serve other purposes, such as for subsurface exploration and
observation, artificial recharge, and disposal of waste waters. Water wells have been a source of
water for people, animals and crops since the earliest civilizations in Africa and Asia. In Europe,
the development of many towns and cities in the middle ages and on through the industrial
period was aided considerably by the abstraction of relatively pure water supplies from wells and
springs.
Uses of wells are for irrigation purpose, livestock watering, industrial supplies, geothermal or
ground-source energy, construction, dewatering, brine mining, water injection to oil reservoirs,
aquifer clean up, river support and artificial recharge of aquifers. Wells also used extensively for
monitoring water levels and groundwater quality.
Water wells come in many forms, orientations and sizes. Traditionally most water wells were
excavated by hand as shallow, large diameter, shafts; nowadays, the majority is constructed from
relatively small diameter boreholes drilled by machine, sometimes to great depths. Water wells
are typically vertical but can be horizontal (infiltration gallery), a combination of vertical and
horizontal well (radial collector well), or occasionally inclined. The water may be abstracted by
hand-operated or motorized pumps, or it may flow to the surface naturally under positive upward
pressure (artesian well) or by gravity drainage.

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ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

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2. Types of Water Wells
Diverse geological formations require different types of wells for tapping ground water for
irrigation and water supply. The choice of type of well for irrigation is influenced by the size of
farm holdings and the relative preference given to private, cooperative and public wells. There
are two broad classes of Wells:
o Tube wells and
o HandDug well/Open wells

Fig.2.1 Types of wells

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ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

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2.1.

Tube wells

Tube well is: a hole drilled in the ground for the purpose of extracting ground water. Some tend
to limit the term to shallow wells.
Tube wells are classified on the basis of the entry of water into the well, the method of
construction, the depth and the type of aquifer tapped. These are listed below:
2.1.1. Entry of water
a) Screen wells
i. Strainer wells
ii. Slotted pipe gravel pack wells
c) Cavity wells
2. 1.2. Method of construction
a) Drilled wells
b) Driven wells
c) Jetted wells
2.1.3. Depth
a) Shallow wells
b) Deep wells
2.1.4. Type of aquifer
a) Water table wells
b) Artesian wells
c) Semi-artesian wells
d) Bore wells in hard rock areas
e) Skimming wells

2.1.1. Based on Entry of water

Tube wells are classified as screen wells or cavity wells on the basis of the entry of water from
the aquifer into the well

a) Screen wells
Several types of well screens are used to suit the specific requirements of the aquifer and
economic status of the farmer. Johanson (1966).listed the following as the desirable features for a
properly designed well screen:
Openings in the form of slots which are continues and uninterrupted around the
circumstance of the screen.

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Close spacing of slot openings to provide the maximum percentage of open area.
V-shaped slot openings that widen inward.
Single metal construction to avoid galvanic corrosion.
Adaptability to different ground water and aquifer conditions by the use of various
materials.
Maximum open area consistent with adequate strength.
Ample strength to resist the force to which the screen may be subjected during and after
installation.
Full series of accessories to facilitate screen installation and well completion operations.
There are many screen well types like Strainer, slotted well type, Louver-Type
Screen, Coir-Rope strainer; bamboo strainer, agricultural strainers but here
mentioned the two types of screen well.
i.

Strainer wells: It essentially consists of a perforated or a slotted pipe with a wire

mesh wrapped around the pipe with smaller annular space between the two. In this
type of tube well a screen is placed against the water bearing stratum. The wire screen
prevents sand particles from entering the well pipe through the fine mesh (screen) and
the sand particles of size larger than the size of mesh are kept away from entering the
pipe. This reduces the danger of sand removal and hence, larger flow velocities can be
obtained. In the strainer type tube well drilling is continued through different layers
and after ascertaining the water bearing strata, strainers are located opposite these
strata to allow the water to come into the tube well. Plain pipes are to be located
against those layers which are not water bearing. This is done by joining the whole
length of strainers and the plain pipes in the same length and order in which they are to
be lowered in the bore. For the strainer type well drilling is to be started with pipes of
larger diameter (known as casing of pipes) than the strainer and these pipes are to be
extract after the strainers are installed.

ii.

Slotted Type Tube Wells: It uses a slotted pipe without being covered by any wire
mesh. If proper depth of water bearing strata is not available even at deep depths of 85
to 100 m, so as to obtain the required discharge from a strainer well. After placing the
assembly of plain and slotted pipes in the bore hole, gravel is poured into the bore hole
between the well pipe assembly and the casing pipe. Gravel packs are highly
perforated for deep wells and tap more than one aquifer.

b) Cavity Type Tube Wells:

A cavity well is the shallow tube well drilled in alluvial formation .A cavity type tube well draws
water from bottom of the well and not from the sides. The difference in flow pattern of a screen
well and cavity well is that whereas in a strainer well, the flow is radial, the flow in a cavity well

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ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

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is spherical. In a strainerr well, the area of flow is increased by increasing the length of str
strainer
pipe, while in a cavity well
ll the area of flow is increased by enlarging the size of cavity. The
cavity formed with a certain discharge enlarges in size if an increased discharge is pumped out.
The cavity type well does not have a strainer and draw water from one stratum only. Drilling is
started with the correct size of pipes which are left to serve as tube for the well. The cavity is
developed by drawing out a part of the sand from this layer so that such a cavity acts as storage
reservoir for pumping. The cavity well requires a strong and dependable stratum immediately on
top of the water bearing stratum. Cavity wells are very economical and can be adopted where the
ground strata permits
rmits its construction.

Fig.2.2. Schematic sketch of a cavity well (Anjaneyulu, 1972)

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ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

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Fig.2.3A. Cavity well (for centrifugal pump)

Fig.2.3B. cavity well (for turbine submersible pump)

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ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

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2.1.2. Based on Method of construction
Under this classification wells are grouped according to their method of construction. They are
drilled wells, driven wells and jetted wells.
a) Drilled tube wells:
Drilled wells are smaller in diameter, usually ranging from 10-20 cm (4-8 in.), and completed too
much greater depths than bored wells, up to several hundred meters. The producing aquifer is
generally less susceptible to pollution from surface sources because of the depth. Also, the water
supply tends to be more reliable since it is less affected by seasonal weather patterns.
There are two primary methods of drilling:
Rotary
Cable tool.
Rotary (air or hydraulic) drilled wells are constructed using a drill bit on the end of a rotating
drill stem. Drilling fluid or air is circulated down through the drill stem in the hole and back to
the surface to remove cuttings. Rotary drilling rigs operate quickly and can reach depths of over
300 m (1000 ft.), with casing diameters of 10-45 cm (4-18 in.).
Cable tool drilled wells are constructed by lifting and dropping a heavy drill bit in the bore hole.
The resulting loose material, mixed with water, is removed using a bailer or sand pump. This
method, also called percussion drilling, reaches depths up to 300 m (1000 ft.). Well diameters
can range from 10-45 cm (4-18 in.). The drilling rate is typically much slower than for a rotary
rig, but when aquifers are low yielding, they may be more easily identified using this method.

Fig. 2.4a.KS 1000 Water Well Drilling

Fig.2.4b. Rotary drill

Rig KiloloStar.org

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ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

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Advantages of cable tool drilling

o One person operation
o Low equipment cost
o Simple rugged design
o Requires minimal maintenance
o Requires low horsepower
o Virtually indestructible

b) Driven tube wells:

A driven well consists of a series of connected lengths of pipe driven by repeated impacts in the ground to
small diameter pipe into shallow
below the water table. Driven wells are constructed by driving a small-diameter

water-bearing
bearing sand or gravel. Usually a screened well point is attached to the bottom of the
casing before driving. These wells are relatively simple and economical to construct, but they
can tap only shallow water and are easily contaminated from nearby surface sources because
they are not sealed with grouting material. Hand-driven
Hand driven wells usually are only around 30 feet
deep; machine-driven
driven wells can be 50 feet deep or more.

Fig.2.5 A driven well with driving mechanism

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ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

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Yields from driven wells are small, with discharges of about 100-250 m3/day. Driven wells are
best suited for domestic supplies, for temporary water supplies, and for exploration and
observation.
Driven wells are limited to unconsolidated formations containing no large gravel and rocks that
might damage the driven point. To drive a well the pipe casing and threads should be protected at
the top with a drive cap.
Important advantages of driven wells are that they can be constructed in a short time, a
minimum cost, and even by one person.
c) Jetted tube wells:
Jetted wells are constructed by the cutting action of a downward directed stream of water. The
high- velocity stream washes the earth away, while the casing, which is lowered in to the
deepening hole, conducts the water and cuttings up and out of the well. Small-diameter hole of 3
to 10 cm are formed in this manner (although the method is capable of producing diameters up to
30cm or more) to depths greater than 15m. Jetted wells have only small yields and the portability
of the equipment; jetted wells are useful for exploratory test holes, observation wells, and wellpoint system.

Fig2.6.Jetted well with self-jetting well point

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ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

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2.1.3. Based on Depth

Tube wells are classified as shallow or deep tube wells on the basis of their depth.
a) Shallow wells:
Shallow tube wells are of low capacity. The average depth of the well is usually less than 35 m.
Cavity tube wells and strainer tube wells with coir strainers generally fall in this category. The
latter usually tap only the unconfined aquifer.
The most common "dry well" problem has been with dug wells. Most dug wells are shallow and
excavated in poorly permeable material; consequently they are readily affected by drought or by
seasonal declines in the water table. Pumping during the drought would cause the water to
decline to or below the pump intake. Excavating this well deeper to match the well on the right
would solve this problem. Dug wells should be constructed during seasonal or climatically lowwater-level periods.
Many dug wells extend only to the bedrock surface and tap the perched water (unconfined
ground water separated from an underlying main body of ground water (aquifer) by an
unsaturated (impermeable) zone) on top of the bedrock. These wells cannot be easily deepened.
In such cases a new drilled well is the only long-term solution.
Some drilled wells that tap shallow bedrock will yield only 1 or 2 gallons of water per minute.
These wells are not deep enough to provide adequate storage of water for short-term pumping
cycles. Such a well may contain only 50 feet of water above the pump intake. As an example,
when the water table declines 10 feet because of drought conditions, only 40 feet of water is
available in the well for one pumping cycle, and the well seems to "go dry." In that situation,
deepening the well may solve the problem as long as the deeper water is of good quality. If
usable water is not available at a greater depth, the pumping rate must be reduced so that less
water is pumped during each cycle.

Performance and Protection of Shallow wells

Shallow wells in clay formation are good for stability of their walls, but recharge is usually slow
if many people draw water from it. The result is a common long queue of people awaiting
water recharge in the well. On the other hand, shallow-wells in sandy formations tend to
be hazardous as they collapse easily, but their recharge is usually fast due to much higher
porosity compared to the clay formations. This problem is usually managed by lining the
wells walls with locally made materials such as bricks or baskets. A concrete slab is often put on
top to prevent pollution. Where resources allow, a pulley system or better still, a hand-pump is
installed to lift the water to the surface

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ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

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Fig. 2.7 Shallow and Very Shallow Shrouded Tube well

Advantages of shallow wells

o They can acquire a well using their own resources (low cost and locally available technology
compared to borehole or piped water technologies).
o Some Areas needing water supplies are not accessibility by big drilling machines.
o Some areas have naturally polluted deep water (eg too salty for human consumption),
while shallow water is of better quality).
o When external supportt is relatively low, compared to the magnitude of need, some
communities opt for digging many shallow wells
wells for the same amount of money,
which would have gone into much fewer boreholes.

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ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

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Limitations of shallow wells

Despite the above advantages of shallow wells, the following are some of their typical
limitations;
Shallow wells dry quickly in protracted dry season since the water table of the
annually recharged perched water aquifer in the superficial deposits (eg the sand, clay
formation etc) goes down fast.
Easy water pollution due to poor disposal of human and industrial waste on the
ground.
The large diameter wells are hazardous to people when they collapse.
If unprotected, animals can also cause pollution when they drink from it.

b) Deep wells:
Deep tube wells are wells of high capacity, tapping more than one aquifer. Their depth usually
ranges from 60-300 m. Deep tube wells may be strainer wells or gravel-pack wells, depending
upon the characteristics of the aquifer formation.

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Fig.2.8. Deep well detail

2.1.4. Based Aquifer characteristics
Tube wells under this category are classified as water table wells, semi-artesian wells, artesian
wells and hard rock bore wells. The classification is based on the location of the well and the
characteristics of the aquifer. Wells may be defined as water table or artesian wells, depending
upon whether they tap a water table aquifer or an artesian aquifer. Artesian wells are further
classified as semi-artesian wells and flowing artesian wells. Tube wells bored in hard rock
formations are classified as hard rock bore wells.

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a) Water table wells :

These are installed in unconfined aquifers which are under water table conditions, i.e. the water
level is not under pressure. Generally, shallow tube wells fall under this category.

Fig. 2.9. Water table wells

b) Semi artesian wells :

Semi-artesian
artesian wells are installed under semi artesian conditions of aquifer. The water is under
pressure, but not so high as to flow out of the well.

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c) Artesian wells :
A flowing well gets its supply from an aquifer where the water is under such high pressure that it
overflows at the top. The well is so named because the initial knowledge about such wells was
derived from Artois in France. The static water level in this case is above the ground and can be
measured within the well casing, if the pipe is extended high enough so that the flow does not
occur. Alternatively, flow can be contained by capping the well casing, after which the shut-in
head can be measured with a pressure gauge.

Fig.2.10 Artesian well

d) Bore wells in hard rock areas :
Tube wells in hard rock areas are called bore wells because the bore hole is able to hold on its
own for most of its depth and the tube is put only against the upper weathered soil zone. Bore
wells have proved their merit as drinking water wells when the discharge requirement is limited.
Bore wells for irrigation purpose also coming into vogue, especially with drip irrigation systems.

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In case of wells with very low discharge, there is considerable loss of water in conveyance and
application. In such cases, a storage tank is constructed to store water, from which the desired
rates of flow could be allowed into the water conveyance system. A lined conveyance system is
desirable. The other disadvantages of such wells are the excessive drawdown, resulting in hig
high
head and leading to high suction heads. Therefore, generally, submersible and jet pumps have to
be used.

Fig.2.11. Schematic sketch illustrate a bore well tapping fissured zone in a hard
rock area. Notee the soil cover overlying the hard rock.
e) Skimming wells
The Indo-Gangetic
Gangetic plain is mostly underlain by a huge water-bearing
bearing aquifer, formed by alluvial
deposits which at some places contain native saline water of the sea. The deep ground water is
highly
hly brackish (Zuberi and McWhorter, 1973). In the upper portion, however, fresh water has
accumulated through seepage and deep percolation from rainfall, rivers, canals and cultivated
fields. This upper layer of fresh water is thick near the source of recharge (rivers, canals, etc.).
This layer of water is of good quality and can be used for irrigation.

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ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TUBE WELLS

S.No.
Advantages
Disadvantages
1
do not require much space
Requires costly & complicated drilling
equipment & machinery.
2
Can be constructed quickly- not time consuming Requires skilled workers & great care to
drill & complete the tube well.
3
Fairly sustained yield of water can be obtained Installation of costly turbine or submersible
even in years of drought.
pumps is required.
4
Economical when deep seated aquifers are Possibility of missing the fractures, fissures
encountered.
& joints in hard rock areas resulting in
many dry holes.
5
Flowing artesian wells can sometimes be struck.
6
Generally good quality of water is tapped.

2.2 Open wells

Open wells have been the major means of domestic water supply throughout the span of the
recorded history of mankind. They are also used extensively in small-scale irrigation. Compared
to tube wells, open wells are shallow and usually used to tap water table aquifers. Open wells are
used mainly for three purposes:
(1) To extract ground water from fine grained aquifers of shallow depth, where the danger of
entering small particles requires a large area of contact with the aquifer,
(2) To tap ground water in hard rock areas and
(3) To serve as reservoirs for ground water slowly replenishing the well. Storage of water in an
open well permits its periodic extraction at a rate greater than the rate of recuperation of
ground water into it.
Open wells are best suited to shallow and low-yielding aquifers. They do not require
sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel for construction. They can be operated by
indigenous water lifts driven by man or animal power, or low-cost mechanically operated
centrifugal pumps. Open wells can be revitalized by deepening or providing bores at the
bottom or sides.
Limitations of open wells
o Large space is required by the well structure and for dumping excavated material.
o Construction of well is slow and laborious.
o Open dug wells are economically unsuitable for tapping deep aquifers, as the cost of
construction becomes excessive as the depth of the well increases (Deeper aquifers could,
however, be tapped by resorting to dug-cum-bore wells).
o They are susceptible to contamination or pollution from surface sources, unless properly
protected.

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o Due to shallow water table there are large water level fluctuations and there is possibility of
the well drying up, especially during drought periods.
Depending upon the nature of the ground water formation
formation to be tapped, open wells is classified
as: (i) Open wells in unconsolidated formations, and (ii) open wells in hardhard-rock formations.
Open wells may be either circular or rectangular in cross-section.
cross section. The circular shape is preferred
in alluvial and other porous formations because of its greater structural strength and convenience
in well sinking. However, open wells in hard-rock
hard rock formations are usually rectangular in shape.
For the same area of cross-section,
section, the perimeter of a rectangular well is more, an
and hence the
area exposed to seepage of water into it from fractures and fissures, are substantially higher in a
rectangular well than in a circular one.
2.2.1. Open wells in unconsolidated formation classified as:
1. Unlined wells
2. Wells with pervious lining,
3. Wells with impervious lining,
4. Dug-cum-bore wells.

2.2.1.1. Unlined wells

Well dug for purely temporary purposes are not usually protected by lining, since this increases
the cost of construction, which cannot be justified in a particular situation. As the sides of the
wells are not protected, it is essential that the sub-soil
sub
iss compact enough to stand vertically
under natural conditions. The water table should not be lower than about 4 m below the ground
level. To ensure stability, the depths of unlined wells are limited to about 6.5 m.

Fig. 2.12 Open wells unlined

and lined with pervious lining

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2.2.1.2. Wells with pervious Lining
This type of wells is usually lined with dry bricks or stone masonry. Water flows from the
surrounding aquifer into the wells through the sides of the well. Pervious lining is suitable when
the water-bearing formation consists of gravel or coarse sand deposits. When the formation
consists of layers of fine sand, the sand particles escape along with water into the well, through
the pervious lining. As a result, a hollow space or cavity is formed behind the well lining, thus
endangering the structural stability of the well. The annular hollow space around the well lining
will be self-sealing in loose formations but, in cohesive materials, it must be filled with brick or
stone ballast. The ballast is about 2 cm in size and packed behind the lining. It should extend at
least up to the static water table.

2.2.1.3. wells with impervious lining

Open wells with permanent masonry lining, laid in cement mortar, are commonly used in
alluvial formations. Once constructed, they form a permanent structure for tapping water, as
long as ground water conditions remain favorable. Though wells with impervious linings are
usually deeper than the two types described earlier, their depths generally do not exceed 30 m
as, beyond that, the cost becomes excessive and the well tends to be uneconomical. Such linings
are provided with weep holes for the lateral entry of water.
Wells with Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) linings are also sometimes used, especially for
higher depths. In some shallow water table regions, RCC collar wells, sometimes referred to as
ring wells are used, though mainly for domestic water supply.

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Fig.2.13. open well with masonry lining and inverted filter at bottom
2.2.1.4. Dug-Cum-Bore wells
Dug wells are sometimes provided with vertical bores at their bottom, to augment their yields.
Such wells are referred to as dug-cum-bore wells. Boring consists essentially of drilling small
diameter holes of sizes ranging from 7.5 to 15 cm in diameter, through the bottom of the well,
and extending them up to or into the water-bearing formation lying underneath the bottom of the
dug well. In unconsolidated formations there is usually only one hole, which is bored at or near
the centre of the well bottom. In hard-rock areas, however, the number of holes may range from
1 to 6 depending on the nature of the rock and the size of the well.
The bore in open wells may be of two types, according to whether they tap the water-bearing
medium through a cavity formed below hard impermeable strata or through strainers or screens
provided opposite the water-bearing stratum/strata. In the first type, the bore extends to the top of
the water bearing formation, where a cavity is formed. In the second type, well screens are laid
opposite the water bearing formations and blind pipes provided opposite the non-water bearing
strata. The first type i.e. a cavity bore is cheaper but feasible only for shallow artesian aquifers
lying beneath the bottom of a dug well.

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Fig.2.14. Sectional view of an open well with bore at the bottom ending in a cavity.
Dug-cum-bore wells are hydraulically superior to ordinary dug wells. However, their success
will depend on the availability of confined aquifers at reasonable depths below the dug section of
the well. If a dug-cum-bore well is operated by a pump set and the suction pipe of the pump is
installed on the bored section itself, the well practically becomes a tube well. However, in such
wells, the flow of ground water from the upper unconfined aquifer into the well is restricted. The
well staining then serves the purpose of a pump house only. In such a situation, the construction
of a regular tube well will be more economical than a dug cum-bore well. The only advantage,
however, is that it permits a phased development of the well structure.

2.2.2. Open wells in hard rock formation

Open wells, in hard rock areas, often called hard rock wells; the aquifer is directly dependent on
precipitation for recharge. Hence, the water table is prone to considerable fluctuations in relation
to the incidence of rainfall. The shallow ground water reservoir is constituted by the weathered
mantle covering the unaltered rock, and by the fracture porosity of the unaltered rock itself. They
are characterized by limited permeability. Hence, they are capable of yielding only limited
quantities of ground water. Due to their poor permeability, tube wells are usually unsuitable in
such formations. This is because they have to be pumped at heavy drawdown, for considerable
lengths of time, to derive even meager supplies of water. This factor is detrimental to aquifer

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efficiency, due to the reduction in its saturated thickness. It is, therefore, desirable to have open
wells in such formations.
Open wells are capable of storing fairly large supplies of water during a given recovery period.
Thus, the available supplies of water can be obtained at small drawdown in relatively short
periods, thereby allowing sufficient recuperation between successive periods of pumping. Open
wells also expose a greater surface area of the aquifer for seepage into them. In hard rock terrains
where the ground water occurrence is spurious, the most important zone in which ground water
invariably occurs is the weathered zone. The thickness of the weathered zones depends upon
topography, climatic conditions and rock type. Therefore, a study of the weathered zone profile,
mode of weathering, structural features, and correlation of all these features with litho logy are
useful. In the basement rock, one can expect a good yield only if it is located in a shear, fracture
or fault zone. Dykes, which act as barriers to ground water movement, are often encountered
intermittently in granitic terrain.
Dykes are actually dark colored, medium-to-fine-grained igneous rocks occurring as intrusions in
a wall-like form. They have a high specific gravity of about 3, low porosity and are very durable.
They are more resistant to weathering. Unless, the rock is highly fractured and weathered, which
is not common, the chances of striking water within a dyke are remote. Thus, a dyke is a good
negative indicator of ground water. Dykes act as subsurface dams and effectively stop and/or
change the lateral movement of ground water. On the upstream side of a dyke, one may get high
yielding wells, while on the downstream side the availability of ground water may be meager.
Open wells in hard rock areas may be dug wells or dug-cum-bore wells
[

2.2.2.1. Dug wells

In spite of the rocky sub-stratum, well construction is undertaken in hard rock areas, as they
provide the only convenient local source of irrigation and water supply. These wells are usually
open, excavated pits through the rock, and lined only a couple of meters. Usually, pneumatic
rock blasting equipment, using jack-hammers and explosives, is employed for the excavation of
the well through hard rocks. Ordinary horizontal centrifugal pumps are commonly used for
pumping water from the open wells. The inside view of an open well in a fissured formation
fitted with a motor-driven centrifugal pump is shown below.

BY ELIAS AWOL

ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

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Fig.1.15. Schematic sketch of a dug well in a hard rock formation

2.2.2.2. Dug Cum-Bore Well
Boring of dug wells in hard rock areas, to augment their discharge, has been gaining popularity.
Boring helps to tap embedded water-bearing materials, if existing underneath, as in the case of
the Deccan trap areas. Boring also helps to tap additional fissures and cracks in crystalline hard
rock areas, even if embedded layers of water-bearing materials are not available.
It may be seen that several types of operations (deepening by blasting, large diameter central
borings, slim boring in different directions, etc.) are available to augment the discharge of dug
wells in hard rock areas. The comparative efficiency and merit of each of these operations
depend upon local hydro geological situations.

BY ELIAS AWOL

ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

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OPEN WELL- ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

S.No.
1
2
3
4

Advantages
Storage capacity of water is available in
the well itself.
Does not require sophisticated equipment
& skilled personnel for construction.
Can be easily operated by installing a
centrifugal pump.
Can be revitalized by deepening by
blasting or drilling vertical or side bores.

BY ELIAS AWOL

Disadvantages
Large space is required for the well and for the
excavated materials.
Construction is slow and laborious
Subject to high fluctuations of water table during
different seasons.
Susceptibility to dry up in years of drought.
5. High cost of construction as the depth increases in
hard rock areas.
6. Deep seated aquifers cannot be economically
tapped.
7. Uncertainty of tapping good quality water.
8. Susceptibility for contamination unless sealed
from surface water ingress.

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Reference
1. Water Wells and Boreholes BRUCE MISSTEAR ,Department of Civil, Structural and
Environmental Engineering, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland DAVID BANKS Holymoor
Consultancy, Chesterfield, UK LEWIS CLARK (Deceased) formerly of Clark Consult
Ltd, Henley on Thames, UK ,2006.
2. Code of practice for construction and testing of tube wells /bore wells, part 1 cocystru
ction ,Second Revision October 1994.
3. www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/.../waterwells_Module3.Design and construction of water wells
module 3.
4. www.amazon.com/Ground-water-rural-homeowner-Waller/dp/.Ground Water and
the Rural Homeowner by Roger M. Waller.
5. Ground water Hydrology, Third edition, David Keith Todd (University of California,
Berkley and Todd Engineers) and Larry W. Mays (Arizona State University) 2005.
6. Water wells and Pumps, Second Edition, A. M. Michael, S. D. Khepar, and S. K. Sondhi,
2008.

BY ELIAS AWOL

ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

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