Scribd
Upload
5 views1 page

Borehole Siting for Groundwater Safety

Borehole siting is important for a reliable water supply. Locations that maximize catchment from surface water and groundwater, such as river valleys and lake basins, tend to be best. Fracture zones can also be good sources if identified by observation or imaging. When siting near populations, potential contamination from latrines, livestock, or waste must be considered carefully, and boreholes should be uphill and far from pollution sources if possible. Deeper aquifers between impermeable layers have less contamination risk than shallow sources. The type of shallow aquifer also matters, as sandy soils can filter pollution better than fissured limestone.

Uploaded by

Mongiwa Shammah Gotami Gogodo
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
5 views1 page

Borehole Siting for Groundwater Safety

Borehole siting is important for a reliable water supply. Locations that maximize catchment from surface water and groundwater, such as river valleys and lake basins, tend to be best. Fracture zones can also be good sources if identified by observation or imaging. When siting near populations, potential contamination from latrines, livestock, or waste must be considered carefully, and boreholes should be uphill and far from pollution sources if possible. Deeper aquifers between impermeable layers have less contamination risk than shallow sources. The type of shallow aquifer also matters, as sandy soils can filter pollution better than fissured limestone.

Uploaded by

Mongiwa Shammah Gotami Gogodo
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

2.1.2 BoreholesitingChoosing a borehole site is a critical part of the process of providing a safe and reliable supply of groundwater.

The best
sites are those in which catchment (natural water input) may be maximized. Such locations are not necessarily those that receive the highest
rainfall (which may occur in upland watersheds). ‘Bottomlands’ – such as river valleys and lake basins – tend to be areas of maximum catchment
as both surface water and groundwater migrate towards them under gravity. Fracture zones, although not always directly related to bottomland,
can also be good reservoirs for groundwater, and may be located by ground observation or satellite images/aerial photographs, and by
geophysical methods. Another aspect of borehole siting that demands careful consideration in populated areas is the potential for contamination
by cattle and pit latrines or other waste disposal facilities. Because near-surface groundwater migrates downslope, a shallow dug well or a
borehole tapping shallow groundwater should be sited as far away as possible (while bearing in mind the human need for proximity to a source of
water) and upslope of potential sources of pollution (latrines or sewage pipes, for instance). Deeper aquifers confined by impermeable layers are
at less risk of contamination from surface pollutants. One final consideration is the nature of the shallow aquifer. If the host formation is made of
fine or medium-grain-sized sand, it will act as a natural filter for particulate pollutants, whereas fissured limestone, with a high rate of water
transmission (transmissivity) will carry away pollutants faster and to greater distances from the source. It is estimated as a rule of thumb that most
microorganisms do not survive more than 10 days of transportation by underground water

You might also like