Practical Information On Groundwater Development

A user-friendly guide to developing groundwater for rural water supplies in developing countries. It provides information on simple, effective techniques for siting wells and boreholes, assessing resource sustainability, constructing and testing the yield of boreholes and wells, and monitoring groundwater quality.

The over-exploitation of groundwater and marked changes in climate over recent decades has led to unacceptable declines in groundwater resources. Under the likely scarcity of available water resources in the near future, it is critical to quantify and manage the available water resources. With increasing demand for potable water for human consumption, agriculture, and industrial uses, the need to evaluate the groundwater development, management, and productivity of aquifers also increases. Laboratory Manual for Groundwater, Wells, and Pumps serves as a valuable resource and provides a multi-disciplinary overview for academics, administrators, scientists, policymakers, and professionals involved in managing sustainable groundwater development programs. It includes practical guidance on the measurement of groundwater flow, soil properties, aquifer properties, wells and their design, as well as the latest state-of-the-art information on pumps and their testing, and groundwater modeling. Features: Covers basics of groundwater engineering, advanced methodologies, and their applications and groundwater modeling Examines groundwater exploration, planning and designing, and methods for formulating strategies for sustainable management and development Serves as a reference for practitioners on practical applications and frequently occurring issues of groundwater investigations, development, and management.

This manual has been prepared as a guide to field personnel in the more practical aspects and commonly encountered problems of ground-water investigations, development, and management. Information is presented concerning such aspects as ground-water occurrence and movement, well-aquifer relationships, ground-water investigations, aquifer test analyses, estimating aquifer yield, data collection, and geophysical investigations. In addition, permeability tests, well design, dewatering systems, well specifications and drilling, well sterilization, pumps, and other aspects have been discussed. An extensive bibliography has also been included. The manual has been developed over a period of years, and its many contributors have diversified technical backgrounds. Contributors include personnel from the Bureau of Reclamation Engineering and Research Center (now Technical Service Center) and field offices, other agencies, foreign governments, and many individual scientists and engineers.

Ground water resources are receiving global attention, as human population growth and development cause significant changes to the earth system. It plays a major role in ensuring livelihood security in many parts of South Asia and its contribution to poverty alleviation is substantial. The complex nature of ground water problems in the Indian Sub-continent requires a precise delineation of the ground water regimes in different hydro geological settings and socio-economic conditions and is a primary necessity for sustainable and equitable management. Strategies to respond to ground water over-exploitation and deteriorating water quality must be based on a new approach. Practical policies and various solution options urgently need to be formulated and implemented to prevent the development problems. There is pressing need to evolve workable methods and approaches based on modern scientific researches on ground water resources, as well as to build a social framework including community participation at all levels for a ground water development system. The community participation in water pumping policies, incentives of efficient use, affordability of low income users and other vulnerable groups, water awareness are prime factors for success of any ground water based water supply project.

This guide will help resource managers, planners, and other decision makers better understand and assess water supplies and to define and manage protection areas for water sources. Developed for those who are interested in water resources, it can easily be used as text material for educational short courses.