What Exactly Are Shallow Wells?
are holes which are either dug, bored, driven or drilled in order to extract water. A well is said to be shallow only when it is under 50 feet deep. The source of a well will be an aquifer. This is an underground layer of permeable soil, like gravel and sand, which houses water and allows the passage of the water.
Aquifers will usually be replenished as rain starts to seep down through the soil. Groundwater will travel through permeable soil that is on top of either hard or impermeable layers. Shallow wells are often only deep enough to intercept the uppermost, or the more easily reached water table.
Water table wells
These penetrate into aquifers in which the water will not be confined by any overlying impermeable layer. The level the soil is saturated will be the water table. Pumping the well will reduce the water table close to it. These wells are especially sensitive to seasonal changes and could dry out in drought periods.
Artesian wells
These penetrate into groundwater and have confining layers above and below the aquifer. Rainfall will enter the aquifer through these permeable layers at higher elevations, resulting in the
groundwater
being placed under pressure at lower elevations. Because of this, the water level in the well will be much higher than the actual aquifer. A well which offers water by artesian pressure at the ground surface is known as a “flowing” artesian well.
Storage facilities commonly used are:
A pressurized storage tank – protects the pump, so it does not have to come on every time someone switches on a faucet. Compressed air maintains water pressure throughout its distribution system. Pressure is usually kept between desired limits by electrical switches. Usually, only 10 to 40% of the pressure tank volume is used for storage. For this reason, pressure tanks are usually only designed to use in peak water demands periods.
An elevated storage tank – this uses gravity to maintain its pressure. These tanks will have a capacity of at least 2 days of standard consumption.
For information on our
services in the Winter Park, FL area, call Oasis Well Drilling Irrigation today at (407) 205-0167.