How Much It Cost To Build A Water Well In Uganda
Water Well ins a deep, narrow hole made in the ground, especially to locate water or oil.
Borehole water can be used for;
- Irrigation
- Home use
- Poultry, livestock and aquaculture
- Industrial and municipal use
Cost of borehole survey in Uganda
| Borehole type | Estimated costs in Ugx | Estimated costs in USD |
| Hand pump | 1,100,000 – 1,650,000 | 290 – 435 |
| Production well | 1,300,000 – 1,800,000 | 343 – 475 |
| Community/village | 1,400,000 – 3,500,000 | 370 – 924 |
| Others (Irrigation for large fields) |
Steps involved in Borehole water drilling
Below are the major steps in having a borehole water well
Step 1: Hydro-geologists site the borehole
This involves a hydro-geologist visiting the site to establish the most suitable drilling site, from our site visit an initial idea of whether the water-bearing aquifer will yield the quantity of water required will be established. Our visiting engineer will be happy to explain all the options to ensure that you get the correct system for your needs.
Step 2 – Drilling and Construction
The next step is to commence with the drilling. Special machinery is used to drill deep into the earth’s surface. While the depth of an average borehole ranges between 60m – 90m, it can vary greatly from one borehole to another. Deepest observed borehole is 170 meters.
Once the borehole has been drilled the necessary unstable lengths of the borehole are cased in an effort to reinforce the ‘tube’.
Factors that dictate the cost of drilling in Uganda
Cost of drilling a water borehole depend on the following factors
- Expected soil formations
- Estimated drilling depth
- Casing pipe diameter for example 4” , 5”, 6”, 7” ,8”, to mention
- Site location, to mention
Estimated costs for borehole drilling in Uganda
| Drilling method | Estimated costs in Ugx | Estimated costs in USD |
| Air Rotary(Open hole) – Hand pump(5 inches) | 13,000,000 – 17,000,000 | 3,432 – 4,488 |
| Air Rotary(Open hole) – Production(5 inches) | 15,000,000 – 21,000,000 | 3,960 – 5,565 |
| Air Rotary(Closed hole) – Production(5 inches) | 18,000,000 – 27,000,000 | 4,752 – 7,128 |
| Mud drilling (5 inches) | 27,000,000 – 35,00,000 | 7,128 – 9,240 |
Costs for five inches(5”) casing, six inches(6”) may be required for flows more than 20,000 litres per hour and heads more than 85 meters
Step 3 – Determining the yield of the borehole
Once the borehole has been drilled, the borehole may require a pump test. The borehole is pumped over a period of time to assess both the volume of water it will produce and the speed at which the surrounding rocks will release the water.
The scope and length of the test pump will be dependent on a number of factors, such as anticipated flow rate, pumping hours, volume and/or legal requirements
Step 4 – Pumping and piping the borehole
The kind of pumping system and piping installed in your new water borehole will largely depend on the intended use of the borehole water and borehole specifications.