Based on the online classes

Session: 2020-21
B. Tech. VII Semester
AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING
Subject: Ground Water Well and Pump Engineering
[Sub Code:BT-733]
Submitted by
Er. Kapil Kumar
Department of Agricultural Engineering
Submitted to

SIR CHHOTU RAM INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

CH.CHARAN SINGH UNIVERSITY MEERUT
 Self-Declaration

“It is declared that the e-contents submitted herewith, related to B. Tech. VII semester Agricultural

Engineering of Subject- Ground Water Well and Pump Engineering (BT-733) are exclusively meant for academic
purposes and for enhancing the teaching and learning. Any other use for
economic/commercial purpose is strictly prohibited. The users of the content shall not
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forms through offline and online portals. The contents of the course are authentic and best as
per my knowledge.”

Signature
Name: Kapil Kumar
Department of agricultural Engineering
S. C. R. I. E. T.
Ch. Charan Singh University, Meerut

[Ground Water Well and Pump Engineering] Page 2

 Lecture No. 4
Water Wells- Classification of Water Wells

4.1. 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 Asia. 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.

4.2. Uses of water wells

 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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4.3. 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:

 Tube wells and

 Hand Dug well/Open wells

Fig.4.1 Types of water wells

4.4. 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:

4.5. Entry of water

A. Screen wells

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 1. Strainer wells
2. Slotted pipe gravel pack wells
B. Cavity wells

4.6. Method of construction

a) Drilled wells
b) Driven wells
c) Jetted wells

4.7. Depth

a) Shallow wells
b) Deep wells

4.8. Type of aquifer

a) Water table wells

b) Artesian wells
c) Semi-artesian wells
d) Bore wells in hard rock areas
e) Skimming wells

4.9. 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.
 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.

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  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.

4.10 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.

4.11. 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.

4.12. 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 is spherical. In a strainer well, the
area of flow is increased by increasing the length of strainer pipe, while in a cavity well 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

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cavity is developed by drawing out a part of the sand from this layer so that such amcavity 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
its construction.

Fig.4.2. Schematic sketch of a cavity well (Anjaneyulu, 1972)

Fig.4.3A. Cavity well (for centrifugal pump)

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 Fig.4.3B. cavity well (for turbine submersible pump)

4.13. 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.

4.14. 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.

4.15. 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.).

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4.16. 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. 4.4a.KS 1000 Water Well Drilling Fig.4.4b. Rotary drill

Advantages of cable tool drilling

 One person operation

 Low equipment cost
 Simple rugged design
 Requires minimal maintenance
 Requires low horsepower
 Virtually indestructible

4.17. Driven tube wells:

A driven well consists of a series of connected lengths of pipe driven by repeated impacts in the ground to
below the water table. Driven wells are constructed by driving a small water-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 they are not
sealed with grouting material. Hand deep; machine-driven wells can be 50 feet deep or more.

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 Fig.4.5 A driven well with driving mechanism

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.

4.18. 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 well point system.

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 Fig4.6.Jetted well with self-jetting well point

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4.19. 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 low water- 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.

4.20. 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 well’s 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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 Fig. 4.7 Shallow and Very Shallow Shrouded Tube well

4.21. Advantages of shallow wells

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

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4.22. 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.

4.23. 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.

Fig.4.8. Deep well detail

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4.24. 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.

Fig. 4.9. Water table wells

4.25. 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.

4.26. Semi – artesian wells:

Semi-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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4.27. 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.4.10 Artesian well

4.28. 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 high head and leading to high suction heads. Therefore,
generally, submersible and jet pumps have to be used.

Fig.4.11. Schematic sketch illustrate a bore well tapping fissured zone in a hard rock area. Note the soil
cover overlying the hard rock.

4.29. Skimming wells

The Indo-Gangetic plain is mostly underlain by a huge water-bearing aquifer, formed by alluvial deposits
which at some places contain native saline water of the sea. The deep ground water is highly 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.
4.30. 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:
 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,
 To tap ground water in hard rock areas and
 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.
4.31. Limitations of open wells
 Large space is required by the well structure and for dumping excavated material.
 Construction of well is slow and laborious.
 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).
 They are susceptible to contamination or pollution from surface sources, unless properly protected.

 Due to shallow water table there are large water level fluctuations and there is possibility of the well
drying up, especially during drought periods.

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Depending upon the nature of the ground water formation to be tapped, open wells is classified as: (i) Open
wells in unconsolidated formations, and (ii) open wells in hard-rock formations. Open wells may be either
circular or rectangular in 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
formations are usually rectangular in shape. For the same area of cross-section, the perimeter of a rectangular
well is more, 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. 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.

4.32. 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 is 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. 4.12 Open wells –unlined and lined with pervious lining

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4.33. 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.

4.34. 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.

Fig.4.13. open well with masonry lining and inverted filter at bottom

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4.35. 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.

Fig.4.14. 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

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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.

4.36. 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 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

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4.37. 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.

Fig.4.15. Schematic sketch of a dug well in a hard rock formation

4.38. 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.

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 OPEN WELL- ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

S. Advantages
No.
1 Storage capacity of water is available in the
well itself.
2 Does not require sophisticated equipment &
skilled personnel for construction.
3 Can be easily operated by installing a
centrifugal pump.
4 Can be revitalized by deepening by blasting
or drilling vertical or side bores.
5 5 High cost of construction as the depth
Disadvantages
1 Large space is required for the well and for the
excavated materials.
2 Construction is slow and laborious
3 Subject to high fluctuations of water table
during different seasons.
4 Susceptibility to dry up in years of drought.
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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