Groundwater Training Course

SOPAC, April 2005

Groundwater Development Methods

Groundwater Development Methods

• Dug wells
• Boreholes
• Infiltration Galleries
• Tunnels
• Spring cappings
(Note: springs are groundwater outflows but are generally
developed at the surface)
 Groundwater Development (Pumping)
(on small coral islands and coastal zones of high islands)

•Dug wells
•Boreholes
•Infiltration
galleries
Groundwater Development Methods

Dug wells:
• Relatively easy to construct in sand
• Harder in limestone and volcanic rock (some up
to 50m deep)
• Generally used for small demands (e.g. domestic
and other small users)
 Dug wells

Open well

Sealed well with

hand pump and
small tank
Groundwater Development Methods

Boreholes:
• For larger aquifers
• Where water depth is large (greater than about 4-5 m)
• Caution is required with pumping rates in freshwater
lenses
Boreholes - production

Examples
Groundwater Development Methods

Infiltration Galleries:
• Useful where water table is shallow (less than
about 4m deep)
• Good control on seawater intrusion
• Preferred method on small coral islands or
coastal zone of medium size islands where large
quantities of water are needed
Infiltration galleries for pumping fresh
groundwater
Bonriki island, Tarawa atoll, Kiribati

17 galleries each
300m long in this
area
Infiltration galleries layout
Bonriki, Tarawa
Infiltration galleries – typical cross section
Infiltration galleries – plan view of one
example from Bonriki
Bonriki galleries photos
Bonriki galleries photos
 Infiltration galleries

Ideal locations: central areas of small coral

islands
 Groundwater pumping strategy for
Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands
• Coral atoll in Indian Ocean (territory of Australia)
• Groundwater supplied to 500 people on Home Is
Groundwater pumping strategy for Home Island

Fresh groundwater occurs in

the form of a freshwater
lens (approx 5-10m deep
in centre)
Groundwater pumping strategy for Home Island

Typical infiltration gallery details

Groundwater pumping strategy for Home Island
Sustainable yield (safe
pumping rate) of the
freshwater lens:
– 150 kilolitres per day
(kL/day)
– Groundwater is regularly
monitored

Layout of Galleries and Boreholes

(Main Lens)
Groundwater pumping strategy for Home Island
Regular monitoring of groundwater salinity and rainfall:
• Daily: Rainfall and volumes of water pumped from each gallery
• Monthly: Groundwater salinity data from 9 galleries every month
(7 in main lens and 2 in northern lens)
• Quarterly: Groundwater salinity v depth data from 18 boreholes

Daily-read raingauge Borehole monitoring

Typical slotting pattern for gallery pipes
Groundwater Development Methods

Tunnels:

• Special example of galleries where they are

excavated well below ground level

• More expensive than boreholes but much larger

yields

• Could have application in some situations (e.g.

horizontal drilling from base of quarries on
limestone island
Tunnels

Tunnel in volcanic rock with

incline access, Hawaii

Tunnel in limestone rock with

vertical access, Barbados