Comment on ‘Minimizing costs in well field design in relation to aquifer models’ by C. A. Bostock, E. S. Simpson, and T. G. Roefs

Abstract

of turbine pumps is feasible and is clearly an alternative which should be considered in well design. Appropriate technology is not mentioned by Bostock et al., but in parts of Bangladesh and india this factor overshadows well design of the type considered in their paper. The very small parcels which are owned by the farmers plus the fact that in some of these areas the farmers have not previously had to organize for irrigation has meant that most large wells of the 2-ft3/s variety have not been used efficiently and will not be used efficiently fbr a long period to come. On the Other hand, very small wells of 0.1-0.5 ft3/s with small centrifugal pumps are physically feasible alternatives which are socially more acceptable. These small Wells are installed by using local labor, few tools, and no motors or fuel for drilling and are therefore less