About Afrika Drillers

Types of Boreholes, Cost of Boreholes and Steps of Constructing a Borehole in Uganda

In a bid to find permanent water solutions, there are various types of underground water boreholes constructed in Uganda. These also come with different steps, as presented below;-

• Types of Boreholes in Uganda
• Cost of Boreholes in Uganda
• Steps of Constructing a Borehole in Uganda

TYPES & COST OF CONSTRUCTING A BOREHOLE IN UGANDA

1. Handdpump Borehole – Machined Drilled in Uganda

A Handpump Borehole which machine drilled, is one which drilled with a drilling rig, professionally cased with PVC or Steel casings depending on the supervisor’s specifications. This type of borehole can go between 50metres to 100metres (150feet – 300feet) of depth in Uganda. This handpump borehole – machine drilled, is also filled with gravel pack (stones) in the sides, for filtering water that goes through the screen casing pipes in the well. The casing pipes of such a borehole can be of diameter; 5inch, 6inch or 7inch according to the Uganda standards. Upon drilling and casing, this borehole is installed with a handpump pumping system (India mark II for Uganda / U2 for the case of Uganda), and with riser pipes normally being of stainless steel S.S. material which is the best quality material on market in Uganda. The use of galvanized iron G.i material is greatly discouraged. This borehole is always fit for; schools, factories, communities, hospitals, farms, etc.

Price/Cost of this Borehole: The cost / price of such handpump/machine drilled boreholes in Uganda ranges between 5000USD to 8000 USD depending on the location of the sites, number of sites confirmed by the client and also depending on the geologists’ report about that particular site.



2. Handpump – Handdug Borehole (Shallow Well) in Uganda

A Handpump – handdug Borehole is also known as a shallow well, normally drilled using local methods. This is always for low budget clients, characterized with a depth of between 30feet to 100feet in Uganda. The diameter for such a borehole is 1000mm.

The process of this borehole involves a human worker, digging manually below surface, until they find water normally before the bedrock. This is a recommended borehole for small families in Uganda which lack access to clean and safe water, as it’s a cheaper method as compared to the machine drilling.

The casing of such a borehole normally involves building with local materials inclusive; clay burnt bricks, sand, cement and aggregate stones. The top is covered by a slab casted with rebars. Our company has done several of such for Muslim / Arab donors within Uganda for a number of Muslim villages. This borehole is always fit for; schools, factories, communities, hospitals, mosques, farms, etc.

Price/Cost of this Borehole: The cost / price of such handpump/handdug shallow boreholes in Uganda ranges between 2000USD to 4000 USD depending on the location of the sites, number of sites confirmed by the client and also depending on the contractor’s assessment about that particular site.



3. Electric Borehole - Machine Drilled in UGANDA

4. An electric borehole – machine drilled is a Borehole which machine drilled, is one which drilled with a drilling rig, professionally cased with PVC or Steel casings depending on the supervisor’s specifications. This type of borehole can go between 50metres to 100metres (150feet – 300feet) of depth in Uganda.

   This handpump borehole – machine drilled, is also filled with gravel pack (stones) in the sides, for filtering water that goes through the screen casing pipes in the well. The casing pipes of such a borehole can be of diameter; 5inch, 6inch or 7inch according to the Uganda standards.

   After the drilling, the borehole is installed with an electric submersible pump, which is put down below, as the bottom of the well, which pumps water into the client’s storage-tank once connected with electricity power.

   Our company electricians normally connect this system with an AVS and timer all aimed at controlling the pump against getting spoilt by the unreliable electricity. This borehole is always fit for; schools, factories, communities, hospitals, farms, etc.

   Price/Cost of this Borehole: The cost / price of such electric/machine drilled boreholes in Uganda ranges between 5000USD to 9000 USD depending on the location of the sites, number of sites confirmed by the client and also depending on the geologists’ report about that particular site.

   

5. Electric Borehole - Hand Drilled in UGANDA

An electric pump – handdug Borehole is also known as a shallow well, normally drilled using local methods, but installed with an electric submersible pump upon finishing the digging. This is always for low budget clients, characterized with a depth of between 30feet to 100feet in Uganda.

The diameter for such a borehole is 1000mm. The process of this borehole involves a human worker, digging manually below surface, until they find water normally before the bedrock. This is a recommended borehole for small families in Uganda which lack access to clean and safe water, as it’s a cheaper method as compared to the machine drilling.

The casing of such a borehole normally involves building with local materials inclusive; clay burnt bricks, sand, cement and aggregate stones. The top is covered by a slab casted with rebars. Our company has done several of such for; small factories, farms and families within Uganda. This borehole is always fit for; schools, factories, families, communities, hospitals, mosques, farms, etc.

Price/Cost of this Borehole: The cost / price of such electric submersible pump / handdug shallow boreholes in Uganda ranges between 2000USD to 4000 USD depending on the location of the sites, number of sites confirmed by the client and also depending on the contractor’s assessment about that particular site.



SOLAR PUMPING – BOREHOLE SYSTEMS IN UGANDA

A solar pumping borehole system is one, which after drilling is installed with a submersible pump, which pump is being powered by solar power. These boreholes are also drilled or dug like other types, but difference is the source of pumping power.

In our company, we normally construct a pump house to store the control system, erect the stands for the solar panels, connect maintenance free powder batteries and inverter, and we are able to connect the pump to work on solar power. This borehole is always fit for; schools, factories, communities, hospitals, farms, etc.

Price/Cost of this Borehole: The cost / price of such solar powered/machine drilled boreholes in Uganda ranges between 15000USD to 20000 USD depending on the location of the sites, number of sites confirmed by the client and also depending on the geologists’ report about that particular site.



Steps of Borehole Construction

Step 1 – Hydro-geologists site the borehole in Uganda

The very first thing that needs to be determined is where the water is, and how we’re going to get to it.

That’s why we employ hydro-geologists who make use of a variety of borehole siting methods to assess the geophysical properties of the underlying area.

These are the guys that help us ensure we’re not drilling into natural hazards or man-made infrastructure (pipelines, cables, phone lines, e.t.c).

Our hydro-geologists are also able to identify the depth to be drilled and also water bearing zones as well report to us the likely geological formation – so the drilling team is able to know what drilling equipment and tools to use to handle the particular soil formations detected.



Step 2 – Drilling and Construction in UGANDA

Once the hydro-geologists have helped us prep a path for borehole drilling, we mobilize drilling machine and team and we are able to embark on the drilling. In the case of Uganda, this process can either be handled by using mud-drilling in case of very collapsing formation (with no rock) or with air drilling (DTH hammer) where there is a bed rock. It’s always advisable that the drilling team be equipped with capacity to handle the two methods.

This process involves using a drilling rig with a mast bearing drilling rods and bits as well as DTH hammers for cutting and penetrating through deep rocks through to the water bearing zones.

In Uganda, drilling normally upto between 50metres to 100metres. This borehole – machine drilled, is also filled with gravel pack (stones) in the sides, for filtering water that goes through the screen casing pipes in the well. The casing pipes of such a borehole can be of diameter; 5inch, 6inch or 7inch according to the Uganda standards. The borehole is then developed (watched) until the water colour clears to clean.

The borehole will therefore be ready for pump installation.



Step 3 – Determining the yield of the borehole in UGANDA

In order to most accurately gauge the yield and recovery rate of a water borehole an aquifer test (pump-test) is performed.

This involves installing a test pump and pumping borehole water for a fixed set of variables; a given time at a given rate and then assessing the test’s impact on the water level in the borehole.

Maximum yield is achieved by increasing the abstraction rate, ensuring optimum drawdown of water in the borehole. The items required for this activity include; a submersible borehole pump, a piezometer, a timer and a generator, a water pipe, an electric cable as well as a drop-rope for supporting the pump.

This process guides on the capacity of pump to install, how to set the pump as well as tells how much water to yield from that particular borehole.



Step 4 – Pump Installation and piping the borehole in UGANDA

The borehole can be installed with either an electric submersible pump system, or a handpump (village borehole system), or a solar pumping system. The kind of pumping system and piping installed in your new domestic water borehole will largely depend on the intended use of the borehole water.

When installing an electric borehole, the pump to be installed is determined by the depth and water in the borehole. I.e, If the borehole is yielding 4000Litres/hour – drilled at 80metres depth, it’s advisable to install a pump with the same pump specifications – considering the pump-head (height pumping capacity) and pump pumping capacity in terms of litres per 1hour.

The same applies in handpumps, whereby if the water level of a borehole drilled very deep is low, i.e. a borehole drilled 90metres and the water level being low, it’s advisable to install an extra deep borehole system as opposed to when the depth is normal and water level is normal which would allow for installation of a normal handpump borehole system.

For more information, or to make an appointment to start the process, feel free to contact us via the particulars provided on our Contact page.