Hand dug wells and other manual methods to dig a well have been in existence for thousands of years. Hand dug wells and their construction is a definitive work providing stepbystep guidance in the techniques of digging and constructing a well, including the principles of groundwater storage, the actual construction, the materials required, and details of additional sources of information simon watt is a civil engineer with extensive experience working in the uk, australia. How to construct hand dug water wells detailed description of how a hand dug well is constructed, used, made safe, sanitary, case study of providing sanitary water from a hand dug well in mexico, how to choose a well location and digging or drilling method, suspending well digging in wet weather risk of dug well collapse, how to decide when the well is deep enough to give enough water. Excavate to depth of irst precast concrete ring and to diameter of approximately 1.
This manual is intended for use by development workers involved in the construction of wells to supply water to a. A guide to the construction and protection of hand dug wells, gtz, blair research laboratory, harare, zimbabwe downloads 674 well digging a guide to the constrction and protection of hand dug wells pdf size. Many developed countries have abandoned hand dug wells in favor of wells that can tap ground water from deeper aquifers or treated surface water. Technical guidelines for the construction and maintenance of hand dug wells many organizations, such as local councils, international and national development agencies, private contractors, and communities are involved in the construction, rehabilitation, and upgrading of hand dug wells. Further details of openwell dug well construction in alluvial and hard rock formations can be found in michael and khepar 1999. Addressed in the chapter on drilled wells are drilling and casing techniques.
Hand dug well construction generally requires the use of a well trained construction team. Table 1 general description of the hand dug wells sampled in the study. The results showed spatiotemporal het erogeneities in the lif spectra, and the uorescence intensity peaks were. Wells construction hand dug and hand drilled description. The groundwater can become polluted by surface water runoff from oil or fuel leaking from vehicles and equipment, fertilizers and pesticides or animal waste. Exploitation des eaux souterraines by catholic relief. Properly installed dug wells are normally resistant to bacterial problems as they should be well sealed and allow water only to enter from the bottom of the well. Their construction can be dangerous due to collapsing soils, falling objects, and. This publication in a guide for hand digging of wells in tropical or subtropical areas. In many societies there are local experts with knowledge and expertise developed through years of experience. Shallow or dug water wells vs drilled or pounded water.
In 1904, when pedro lopez wanted to dig a water well on his ranch in south. Typical domestic dug well with a rock curb, concrete seal and hand pump. Shallow or dug water wells vs drilled or pounded water wells. General principles are presented, followed by a detailed description of the construction of a reinforced concrete lined circular shaft well, including alternative materials and techniques. Bricklined wells have been excavated at mohenjodaro and harappa in the indus valley. It was covered with a cap of wood, stone, or concrete. The quality of water taken from handdug wells is often very poor, mainly due to the poor construction of the aboveground elements and unhygienic methods of collecting water. Differences between a dug and drilled well difference. Tropag agricultural operations and engineering reference documents agricultural engineering tropical. Did i mention well diggers dying from caveins and other accidents, such as a loaded bucket falling on them. Driven wells like dug wells, driven wells pull water from the watersaturated zone above the bedrock. Pdf a brief history of handdrilled wells in niger researchgate.
This article offers advice for hand dug water wells and the sanitation and maintenance concerns with this water supply type. In some countries hand dug wells are dug in clay without any lining. Im writing a text about wells, some of them are dug by hand. Drilled wells may have diameters as little as 5 cm, or as large as 90 cm, but are more commonly between 10 and 30 cm. Dug or shallow water wells are wells that have either been dug by hand or with a big piece of machinery like an excavator or back hoe. Handdug wells are ground excavations and their associated structures used to. It is very difficult and problematic to disinfect a handdug well. Hand dug wells and their construction is a definitive work providing stepbystep guidance in the techniques of digging and constructing a well, including the.
Jul 20, 2004 a hand dug well is about like a hand dug septic system. Additional guidelines place fill material pea gravel, impervious clay material, or limestone chips from the bottom of the well to 20 feet below the point where the casing is to be removed. Handdug wells are best suited for clay, sand, gravel and mixed soil ground formations. A well or cistern that is no longer used for clean water supply or storage. Buying property with old hand dug well thoughts and advice. Shallow or dug water wells vs drilled or pounded water wells pros and cons. Historically, dug wells were excavated by hand shovel to below the water table until. Technical guidelines for the construction and maintenance. All i can say is my hat is off to those old birds in the early 1900s. A well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, or drilling to. Corps volunteers implementing handdug wells are usually interested in exploiting.
This manual is for development works involved in the construction of wells to supply water to a local population for personal consumption. Compares different methods of digging a well, includes hand dug method. Important considerations before making the investment allan fulton1, toccoy dudley2, dan mcmanus 2, and kelly staton introduction water wells are expensive. Depending on which region you are working in, the depth of the water table may. Pdf assessment of the quality of water from handdug wells in. Yep, you can do it, but it doesnt make a whole lot of sense. This article series offers advice for hand dug water wells and the sanitation and.
An excellent guide to a relatively safe method of digging hand dug wells by the highly experienced british drilling company. Hand dug well construction generally requires the use of a well trained. Hand dug wells and their construction is a definitive work providing stepbystep guidance in the techniques of digging and constructing a well, including the principles of groundwater storage, the actual construction, the materials required, and details of additional sources of information. Traditionally, dug wells are formed and built by initial excavation of the land area through the use of a hand shovel until it reaches lower than the water table and when the incoming water surpasses the bailing rate of the digger. Disinfection of handdug wells is more difficult than disinfecting drilled wells. A bricklined well is a hand dug water well whose walls are lined with bricks, sometimes called dutch bricks if they are trapezoidal or made on site. There are several excellent books and articles about.
Building design of handdug wells there are several ways to design and build handdug wells. Hand dug wells exist in a wide range of cost and quality categories. Ijerph free fulltext evaluation of handdug wells in rural. Hand dug wells are very useful in formations with low permeability due to their capacity to store water which will seep in overnight. If there is no large body of water nearby, the water from this surface water table usually comes from rain water filtering through the soil until it collects above the impermeable layer. It covers the main aspects of planning, design and technology options as well as construction processes for hand dug wells and spring developments. Pdf over 30 years, water supplies in parts of niger have been transformed by private businesses. Various aspects of constructing hand dug wells are explained, including well design, supplies, the lowering and raising of workers and equipment, digging, lining techniques, construction of the middle section of a well, and construction of the bottom of a well.
I just cant see drilling a new well, that over time, may or may not have the same ecoli and colliform in as the hand dug well. Though mechanized methods are more efficient and effective, there are often no options for people and communities in need of water. Various aspects of constructing handdug wells are explained, including well design, supplies, the lowering and raising of workers and equipment, digging, lining. Households that use dug wells shall test for lead in their water and take step to remediate if detected. In the upper 20 feet of the well, place the sealing materialbentonite approved for waterwell sealing, clean clay, or. Dupont 1942, blasters handbook, a manual describing explosives and practical. Differences between a dug and drilled well difference between.
Hand dug wells and their construction by watt, simon, wood, w. Long ago, manual welldigging was a profession enjoyed by workers of small stature who could fit in a confined space. Handdug wells are ground excavations and their associated structures used to access. Section two, hand dug wells, provides information on wells that can, or must, be dug by hand. I think we are going to ask the seller to make all the recommended changes and go with the hand dug well. They did what they had to do to survive, plain and. The technique is ancient, but is still appropriate in developing countries where labor costs are low and material costs are high.
Their indispensability has produced a number of literary references, literal and figurative, to them. Two of the most notable examples are hand dug wells and their construction, by s. Not to mention it seems wasteful to me, since it appears that the hand dug well can provide plenty of water. This is a nonrwsn publication and endorsement by rwsn or any of its member organisations should not be inferred. In the old days before pounding or drilling wells became popular all wells were dug wells. The following links will open the structural drawings in pdf acrobat format. Theres a good chance that the average joe who had to dig a well in ancient egypt. Handdug wells located near the river and on the floodplain act as primary. In situ filtration well construction utilizes materials that are found incountry.
Handdug well construction procedures skat consulting. Discussed first are the basic points to consider when planning a well. The well was then lined cased with stones, brick, tile, or other material to prevent collapse. Drilled wells wells constructed with a variety of rotary and percussive mechanisms, usually power driven. Dug wells sswm find tools for sustainable sanitation. On the internet i see many times the term hand dug well is used, but also handdug well and even handdug well are quite frequently used. These wells are inexpensive and lowtech as they use mostly manual labour. Hand dug, with wood cribbing concrete caisson 6 x 7 perforated steel lower section depth 1 feet capacity well test 3,900 gpm with 2. A large diameter well is dug by hand, and then lined with either bricks or concrete to prevent contamination and collapse of the well. Spawl the tendency for surface layers of concrete to chip off and break away from the main body of concrete. Anyways, the hand dug well is only about 25 from the house and has never run dry. They are typically 30 to 50 feet deep and are usually located in areas with thick sand and gravel deposits where the ground water table is. Manual access, that can be deepened or maintained easily at a later date. An approach to repair damaged steel casing or screen background it is not uncommon for largediameter water wells to suffer some damage during their operational lifetime as a result of various downhole procedures e.
Abbott 5 shuttering inner moulds used in insitu casting of lining, or a temporary liner to support soil during excavation. Dug wells dug wells are holes in the ground dug by shovel or backhoe. Mature harappan 26001900 bc technology included bricklined wells, perhaps derived from earlier designs. However, many dug wells have construction issues and can pose a risk of. Depths of dug wells are typically maxed at 25 30 feet deep. The content on this page has been adapted from publications of lifewater international, written by fred proby. They are typically 30 to 50 feet deep and are usually located in areas with thick sand and gravel deposits where the ground water table is within 15 feet of the grounds surface. Hand dug wells section of the rural water supply network website. Building design of hand dug wells there are several ways to design and build hand dug wells. Seeking funds for water projects infonet biovision home. Recently many dug wells are becoming an issue with fhava loans during real estate transactions. Inscriptions in mesopotamia tell of construction of bricklined wells in the period before the rule of sargon of akkad c. Wddwgb14 dug well design wells constructed by excavation. Construction of a dug well water should be entering a dug well only from the bottom.
Hand dug wells and their construction 2nd edition by simon watt author, w. In the borana area of ethiopia, for example, traditional handdug wells have been reported with depths of over 100 metres. Depths of hand dug wells range from shallow dug wells about5 metres in depth to deep dug wells over 20 metres in depth. In many areas dug wells are becoming prohibited for residential use because of the high contamination rate. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website. Buy now see all 3 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. In the borana area of ethiopia, for example, traditional hand dug wells have been reported with depths of over 100 metres.
Once a water table is hit, the well is capped and a handpump is installed creating a complete and enclosed water system. Technical guidelines for the construction and maintenance of. Sealing abandoned wells kendall county health department. When inspecting an existing dug well, look for any defects or openings in the casing that will allow foreign substances or small animals to enter the well. Pdf dissolved organic matter in handdug well water as. Excerpts reprinted by special permission from popular mechanics several new backtothe land communes and couples have asked about low cost methods of drilling a well. They knew the value of a dollar, and wasnt afraid to work for it either. Buying property with old hand dug well thoughts and. Their construction can be dangerous due to collapsing soils, falling objects. Soil overburden the layers of various soils encountered above bedrock. Eur eng introduction in the context of this paper a protected dug well well consists of a hand dug hole, in excess of one metre in diameter the sides of the hole are lined with pre cast concrete rings. Basically, there are two common types of well the dug wells and the drilled wells. Dug wells are generally used for individual water supplies in areas containing unconsolidated glacial and alluvial deposits. Choice of technology and construction manual, by stephen p.
Hand dug wells and their construction development bookshelf. Today though we use a drilled well not far from the hand dug well. This article offers advice for hand dug water wells and the sanitation. Hand dug wells and their construction paperback july 1, 1979 see all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. This manual is intended for use by development workers involved in the construction of wells to supply water to a local population for personal consumption.