What to Do When There's a Water Shortage in a Well or Borehole

Water scarcity is a pressing global issue, and its impacts affect each of us. The cause of drought is changing climate, which is exacerbated by inappropriate management. Although the amount of rainfall has remained roughly the same over the long term, its intensity is changing: there is an increase in torrential, heavy rains and extended periods without precipitation. As a result of rising average temperatures, mild winters, and earlier starts to spring and summer, there is greater evaporation of water, which gradually disappears from the landscape. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly common for wells and boreholes that have supplied water for decades to suddenly be empty.

Causes of Drying Wells and Boreholes

Although drought undoubtedly affects the water supply in the landscape, there can be several causes of water shortage in wells and boreholes. The assumption that you have little water in your well because your neighbours have depleted it is, in most cases, unfounded. Since 1955, a building permit is required for the construction of boreholes and wells to prevent excessive depletion of water resources and to avoid drawing water from a single source, so this phenomenon should not occur. However, there are other factors that affect the amount of water in a well/borehole.

Clogged Well or Borehole

A lack of water in a well or borehole can be caused by clogging. Impurities that water naturally carries with it gradually clog the spring's inflow and the water source itself. If the well and borehole are not cleaned, the water has no way to flow in, and it may happen that the spring finds another path and does not return to the well or borehole.

In the case of reduced yield due to clogging of a borehole or well, there is a simple solution to facilitate the flow of water into the water source, which is to clean the well or borehole.

Drought

Drought can have a significant impact on the insufficient yield of a spring. As water disappears from the landscape, river flows decrease and reservoir water supplies as well as groundwater levels drop, which is reflected in the amount of water in boreholes and wells. The solution is to deepen the borehole or well, or establish a new water source.

Excessive Local Water Pumping

This is a short-term local phenomenon caused by excessive water pumping in the same period and location. It most commonly occurs at the beginning of summer when gardens are watered, pools are filled, and water is drawn faster than it flows in, which can result in a drop in the water level in the area.

Shallow Well Combined with Lower Rainfall

If you have a shallow well, during periods without rainfall, it can easily happen that water from such a source quickly runs out. As a result of climate change, periods with low or no rainfall are lengthening, the average temperature is rising, leading to faster evaporation of water from the soil, and due to warm winter months and little snow, the groundwater level is constantly dropping, so the only solution is to acquire a deeper water source.

How to Increase the Yield of a Well and Borehole

In the case of lower yield due to a clogged borehole or well, the solution is simple: clean the well or borehole. However, if the cause is a low groundwater level or a small amount of rainfall, you have two options to proceed: either deepen the existing well or borehole, or establish a new water source. A hydrogeologist can help find a suitable solution, but both options require a building permit and approval of the well or borehole.

The problem of water shortage in a borehole also affects the lifespan of a submersible pump, where the flow of surrounding water ensures its cooling. To prevent damage or complete destruction of the borehole pump due to dry running, it is possible to install a cooling jacket around the submersible pump and a switch with probes for level monitoring.