how did they dig a well long ago ?

[Zoot Allures]

Saw a hand dug well at Pioneer Village and it made me wonder.



How did they do it? Putting well dirt into a bucket that gets raised makes the well but what happens when they reach water table? How would they continue digging?


I suspect the water table will rise up into the well as there is no ground pressure holding the water down solving the problem.

 

[james t kirk]

I wasn't there, but I suspect you would shore the walls with timber and start digging.. Dig, shore, Dig. Shore, Dig, shore.

Once you hit water (assuming you actually do hit water) it all becomes about the flow in ft3 / second, or m3 per second. If you have low flow, you need to dig deeper, bail the water out and keep digging and shoring so you can have a sufficient quantity of water in storage. If you have high flow, then you're good to go.

It's all about flow.

Either that or build beside a creek or stream and then boil your drinking water.

 

[Aardvark154]

Google is your friend, here is some information:

https://inspectapedia.com/water/Hand_Dug_Well_Construction.php


https://www.pseau.org/outils/ouvrages/iahs_hand_dug_water_wells_a_vanishing_technology_2001.pdf

 

[Smallcock]

Great question. I recently watched the following video and learned that the deepest hand-dug well is 392 meters deep (!!!) and was dug in 1858 and completed 4 years after.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodingdean_Water_Well

 

[Ceiling Cat]

How about digging in the dry season and getting a deeper well with more water capacity.