A large diameter well dug by hand or by an auguring machine, usually old and often cased by concrete or hand-laid bricks.

a large diameter well dug by hand, usually old and often cased by concrete or hand-laid bricks. Such wells typically reach less than 50 feet in depth and are easily and frequently contaminated. List of Glossary Terms

A water supply well that is simply a hole in the ground lined with stone, brick, concrete, plastic or steel to hold its shape. The lower portion of the lining is perforated, or pierced, to let in water from the Aquifer or ground water table. The upper portion of the lining is water tight to keep surface water from entering and contaminating the well. Dug wells are often called shallow wells to differentiate them from drilled or driven wells that extend much deeper into the ground. Dug wells in our area are often a minimum of ten feet or so into the ground and a maximum of 20 to 25 feet, a practical and safe limit for machines to dig. Shallow wells for water supply are very similar in concept to dry wells which return wastewater or rain water back to the ground. Both are designed to exchange water between the structure and the soil. The major difference is that water wells are purposely built into the ground water table and dry wells are built above the water table to keep wastewater from entering untreated.

A shallow, large diameter well constructed by excavating with power machinery or hand tools instead of drilling or driving.