Design of High-Capacity, Energy-Eficient Wells
Channel: Livestock & Poultry Environ. Learning Community
Date: 2013-06-14

For more: http://www.extension.org/67625 Agriculture is the largest user of ground water in the United States.  Ground water at dairies is used for cow drinking, milking parlor clean-up and crop irrigation.  Ground water is produced from wells that often are improperly designed and completed. Inefficient well design, including improperly sized pumps, results in increased pumping costs and increases the frequency that wells and/or pumps have to be replaced.  Inefficient wells require significantly more energy to pump lesser amounts of water than properly designed wells.  Sand production from unconsolidated or poorly-consolidated aquifers reduces the effective life of the well and pump.  Sand production is significantly reduced by properly sizing the well screen and filter pack. Pilot holes are drilled so grain size analyses can be conducted and well screen and filter pack can be properly sized.  Geophysical logs may be utilized to identify zones of maximum potential production.  The pilot holes are reamed out to the design diameter and the well is constructed with an optimal screen and filter pack combination.  Efficient wells are designed with maximum open-area and proper filter packs, so well screens are not dewatered and the well does not pump sand or air.  Production tests on the completed well allow the pump motor and bowls to be sized and set to a depth that will maximize pump efficiency and water production while minimizing power costs.  An efficient, sand-free well will save a farmer significant money on energy costs to produce water, and the well and pump lifetime will be extended significantly.  Water wells should be designed carefully to maximize well and pump efficiency in order to conserve energy and not produce sand.