22 Water for Life
How to protect groundwater sources
Many people rely on water from rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds (surface water) as
their only source of drinking water. Because surface water is often contaminated, it
should not be used for drinking unless it is treated first (see pages 37 to 43 for water
treatment methods.) The best alternatives to surface water are to use groundwater or
to collect and store rainwater (see page 30.)
Groundwater may be collected from many kinds of wells and boreholes.
Groundwater is usually free of germs because it is filtered when it seeps through
sand and soil. However, groundwater can be contaminated by natural minerals such
as arsenic, by leaking sewer pipes, septic tanks or latrines, by waste dumps, or by
industrial chemicals.
The most serious threats to groundwater are poorly built sanitation systems, waste
disposal, deforestation, overgrazing, industrial pollution, and overuse.
The best way to protect groundwater or surface water is to protect the entire area
where water collects, called the catchment area. After a water source is developed,
more people tend to gather in the area, making it harder to protect the catchment
area. In places with industrial activity, water may be overused or polluted and the
people who need it most may not have the power to prevent the problem. Both of
these problems can only be solved through community organizing and community
partnerships with government or private agencies (see pages 4 to 6 and page 44).
Different kinds of wells
There are many different kinds of wells for raising groundwater. The simplest is a
hand‑dug water hole, sometimes called a scoophole. The most costly kind of well,
called a tubewell, is a narrow pipe going deep into the ground with a pump at the top.
The best well for any community depends on the depth of the groundwater and the
resources available for digging, drilling, and building a well. But a well is only useful
if people can get water out of it. For this reason, simple, shallow wells where people
draw water in buckets may often be better than costly deep wells that require pumps.
Before digging a well make sure that the kind of well you dig is the best for everyone’s
needs.
To determine if the water in any kind of well is unsafe, look for:
• pit toilets, sewer pipes, garbage dumping pits or livestock within
30 meters of the well.
• industrial activity such as mining,
oil drilling, or waste dumping
nearby that may affect the
groundwater.
• wastewater or surface
runoff getting into the well.
• Do people stand on the lip
of the well or use unclean
buckets when they draw
water?