How does a water borehole work? and where can i get a diagram?
a simple diagram that shows how a borehole works, and details on how a water borehole is made and works. Also does anyone know the difference between piped water supply and borehole water (with regards to rural uganda)? doesnt the piped tap water just come out out a borehole too?
Wiki has a nice bit on this…
Instead of pumping water into holding towers and piping it around a village, a central bore hole is created. Instead of the water coming to the villagers, they must come to the water. The peak demands of a piped system would necessitate the futher expense of a large holding tank in addition to the piping infrastructure. Think of it as the community well with a pump instead of a bucket.
Boreholes are pretty straightforward. Drill a narrow and deep hole, fill with a casing with inlet holes at the level from which you want to pull the fluid, and for fairly shallow wells (20′ or less), a pump is used to supply suction to draw the water.
Here’s the Wiki info:
Boreholes consist of a drilled hole descending below ground level to a geologic layer containing water or other fluids to be extracted. A casing is inserted into this hole, with inlets in the section in the water (or other fluid) bearing layer to allow water to flow into the pipe. The section of the casing above the fluid-bearing layer is sealed to prevent loss of fluid and contamination from other strata.
At ground level, the borehole consists of the pump head, set in a permanent installation. The borehole around the water-tight casing is packed and sealed to prevent the ingress of surface pollutants. A capped access point enables the water level in the bore to be inspected. A fixed spigot delivers pumped water with enough clearance to enable a variety of containers to be placed beneath it.
Concrete surrounds the borehole, to channel spillages away from the head of the bore. This prevents ’seepage’ - surface water trickling back into the borehole, carrying pollutants or bacteria into the well and contaminating it. It also safeguards easy and hygienic access to the pump, however heavily used.
At depths up to 6 m, simple suction pumps at ground level can pull the water column up the main. Also known as pitcher pumps, these are a low cost solution, with ease of access to all moving parts for maintenance and service.
Beyond 7 m depth, constraints of atmospheric pressure prevent this type of pump from functioning. Instead, the water column must be pushed from beneath, using a valve and cylinder device resting inside the casing, at the bottom of the borehole. A series of interlocking pump rods connects this device to the surface, where energy is usually imparted to the pump by hand, via a lever. The ‘downhole’ equipment requires special skills to maintain.
For depths greater than 50 m, hand power becomes less viable, and wear increases. Some of the stress of lifting the heavier water column can be offset by buoyancy aids on the pump rods.
Wiki has a nice bit on this…
Instead of pumping water into holding towers and piping it around a village, a central bore hole is created. Instead of the water coming to the villagers, they must come to the water. The peak demands of a piped system would necessitate the futher expense of a large holding tank in addition to the piping infrastructure. Think of it as the community well with a pump instead of a bucket.
Boreholes are pretty straightforward. Drill a narrow and deep hole, fill with a casing with inlet holes at the level from which you want to pull the fluid, and for fairly shallow wells (20′ or less), a pump is used to supply suction to draw the water.
Here’s the Wiki info:
Boreholes consist of a drilled hole descending below ground level to a geologic layer containing water or other fluids to be extracted. A casing is inserted into this hole, with inlets in the section in the water (or other fluid) bearing layer to allow water to flow into the pipe. The section of the casing above the fluid-bearing layer is sealed to prevent loss of fluid and contamination from other strata.
At ground level, the borehole consists of the pump head, set in a permanent installation. The borehole around the water-tight casing is packed and sealed to prevent the ingress of surface pollutants. A capped access point enables the water level in the bore to be inspected. A fixed spigot delivers pumped water with enough clearance to enable a variety of containers to be placed beneath it.
Concrete surrounds the borehole, to channel spillages away from the head of the bore. This prevents ’seepage’ - surface water trickling back into the borehole, carrying pollutants or bacteria into the well and contaminating it. It also safeguards easy and hygienic access to the pump, however heavily used.
At depths up to 6 m, simple suction pumps at ground level can pull the water column up the main. Also known as pitcher pumps, these are a low cost solution, with ease of access to all moving parts for maintenance and service.
Beyond 7 m depth, constraints of atmospheric pressure prevent this type of pump from functioning. Instead, the water column must be pushed from beneath, using a valve and cylinder device resting inside the casing, at the bottom of the borehole. A series of interlocking pump rods connects this device to the surface, where energy is usually imparted to the pump by hand, via a lever. The ‘downhole’ equipment requires special skills to maintain.
For depths greater than 50 m, hand power becomes less viable, and wear increases. Some of the stress of lifting the heavier water column can be offset by buoyancy aids on the pump rods.
References :