Tube Wells, Open Wells, and Optimum Ground‐Water Resource Developmenta

Abstract

ABSTRACTMany tube wells drilled for irrigation use fail prematurely because of poor well design, improper sized and placed gravel‐pack material, and ineffective slotted‐pipe screens. Well and gravel‐pack design criteria and an improved slotted‐pipe screen described in this paper offer promise of drastically reducing such failures. Properly designed tube wells equipped with this type of screen should have more than double the safe‐yield and service‐life capability of most irrigation tube wells now in use.In some countries large‐diameter, low‐capacity open wells always have been used to obtain irrigation water. Now, small‐diameter, high‐capacity tube wells are being constructed in the same aquifers. As extensive tube‐well development occurs, the water table will drop, drying up many shallow open wells. In such instances, those who can afford the deeper, more expensive tube wells could gain almost exclusive use of the aquifer.Optimum development of surficial aquifers using both tube and open wells may have to be rigidly controlled to assure every farmer a fair share of available water. Such controls should be based on the potential safe yield capability of aquifers. A graphical procedure used in Illinois to obtain an estimate of this value for planning and initial development purposes is presented in this paper.