IRRIGATION FROM

GROUNDWATER
BY
TSUMA MOSES M.
MSC. HYDROLOGY & WATER RESOURCES
GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT
KENYATTA UNIVERSITY
COURSE: AGRICULTURAL HYDROLOGY
INSTRUCTOR: PROF. JOY A. OBANDO
UNIT CODE: AGE 851
MARCH 2016
Irrigation from Groundwater by
Tsuma_Moses

IRRIGATION FROM
GROUNDWATER
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Introduction
Irrigation statistics
Irrigation from shallow wells
Irrigation from deep wells
Aspects of groundwater irrigation
Conclusion
References
Irrigation from Groundwater by
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Introduction
Groundwater is a significant source
of water supply
Globally the largest groundwater
abstraction purpose is irrigation
(Llama, 2005)
However, ground water can be used
for drinking, cooking, bathing, mining
and thermoelectric power.
Irrigation from Groundwater by
Tsuma_Moses

IRRIGATION DATA (Global)

Irrigation from Groundwater by

Source: Siebert et al, 2013

Tsuma_Moses

IRRIGATION DATA (Global)

Source: FAO. 2013. AQUASTAT World profile

Irrigation from Groundwater by
Tsuma_Moses

IRRIGATION DATA Global

(Cont.)

India is the
worlds
largest user
of
groundwater
in agriculture
in the world.
Source:
International
Water
management
institute
(IWMI)

Shah, T. (2003)

Irrigation from Groundwater by

Tsuma_Moses

IRRIGATION DATA (EA)

Irrigation
from
Groundwater
by
Source: Modified from
FAO.
2005.
AQUASTAT
country
Tsuma_Moses
profile

IRRIGATION DATA- KENYA

Irrigation
from
Groundwater
by
Source: Modified from
FAO.
2005.
AQUASTAT
country
Tsuma_Moses
profile

IRRIGATION DATA (Cont.)

from Groundwater
Source: FAO. 2005.Irrigation
AQUASTAT
countryby
Tsuma_Moses
profile

Irrigation from Shallow wells

Shallow wells may be hand-dug or
machine-drilled
They have diameters ranging fro 1m to
2m and depth from 6m to 40m
They may be lined partially with concrete
especially on the top layers of loose soil to
avoid collapsing
Abstraction is by vacuum pumps or
manual pulley
Are suitable for small scale irrigation
Are cheap to dig and maintain
Water source Irrigation
is mainly
infiltrated
rainfall 10
from Groundwater
by
Tsuma_Moses

Shallow well commissioned

at Shimba hills
17/03/2015
(source: Hallmark Pumps and
Drilling Co. Ltd)
Irrigation from Groundwater by
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11

Irrigation from Deep wells

Deep wells machine-drilled (known
as Boreholes)
Diameter range from 4-10 inches
Depth range from 40m to 300m
Expensive but very reliable source of
water for irrigation
The groundwater resource is deep
confined aquifers
Irrigation from Groundwater by
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Drilling a deep well in

kithiani Kitui County
23/09/2014
(source: Hallmark
Pumps and Irrigation
co. ltd)
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ASPECTS OF GROUNDWATER
IRRIGATION

1.Water Quality
2.Cost
3.Reliability
4.Policy
5.Competition
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Cost
The main elements of the investment costs of shallow groundwater
development are well drilling and well lining (both functions of well
depth), and procurement of water-lifting devices. Water is lifted using a
variety of technologies including motorized pumps, rope and bucket,
hand pumps and treadle pumps (Namara, 2011).
Groundwater for irrigation is expensive compared to surface water.
Surface water is readily available unlike groundwater
Initial cost of drilling and pump installation ranges from hundreds of
thousand Kenya shillings to millions depending on depth of drilling and
pump discharge capacity
The advantage is that groundwater can be owned by drilling a private
well hence worth the cost.
Since 2013, most Kenyan counties have invested on groundwater and
installed overhead tanks for communities to use but a small percentage
of it is used for irrigation. (Ministry of water and Irrigation Kenya report,
2015)
Irrigation from Groundwater by
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Water Quality
Groundwater contamination is less compared to
most surface waters.
This is because groundwater sources are covered
preventing waste dumping. Most boreholes are lined
with casings which prevent percolation of
wastewater that may leak from septic tanks and
other leaking wastes such as oil.
However, some groundwater resources may be
saline making them unsuitable for irrigation.
Other contamination sources include infiltration of
farm chemicals used as fertilizer and oils spils from
farm machinary
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Reliability
Deep wells provide reliable sources for irrigation.
They tap water from deep aquifers which recharge
from reliable resources such as forests, big reservoirs
or mountains.
Most wells are privately owned hence they are free
from regulation of water bodies except in places where
pumping is controlled due to salt water intrusion
Pumping equipments for wells are secure because
they are close to the well and are mostly privately
protected by fences unlike surface pumps which may
be installed several meters away where the reservoir
is.
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Policy
groundwater (a common-pool, open access
resource) is also prone to the tragedy of the
commons, with individual short-term interests
prevailing over longer-term communal concerns
and its effective management requires collective
action (Ostrom, 1990).
In most countries, groundwater abstraction
requires permission from water regulating bodies.
In Kenya, groundwater abstraction permits are
issued by the Water Resources Management
Authority (WRMA)
One of WRMAs regulation of groundwater
resources is the installation of a water-meter for
deep wells so as to monitor the abstraction
capacity with time.

Water flow meter (Hallmark P & D Co. Ltd,

2016)

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Sample Water Use Permit (Hallmark pumps & Drilling Co. ltd,
2015)
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Competition
Each well creates a cone of
depression
The irrigation wells cone of
depression may interfere with other
wells
Investigate neighboring wells:
- depths - deeper less potential
problem
- distance - further away the better
- groundwater flow, up hill is better
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PROACTIVE GROUNDWATER DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Identify the neighbor your

Well may effect

Circuit court avoided

Farmer is a
neighborhood
hero

Shah, T. (2003)

Devise a plan for them to contact

you if Well problems arise

If a
well
proble
m
arises

Contact
well driller
for assessment

of well
Well driller
proposes remedy

Formal complaint
filing avoided
Irrigation from Groundwater by
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Large well user pays

RESOLUTION
21

CONCLUSION
Sustainable groundwater management is required in order to
sustain irrigation needs for Agriculture.
Strategies fro sustainable management of groundwater are
summarised by the chart below

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AGRICULTURAL BENEFITS FROM

GROUNDWATER IRRIGATION
1.Food security due to reliability
of water resource because
groundwater is available
directly on-demand for crop
needs
2.Source of employment for farm
managers and workers
3.Source of income from selling
farm produce
4.Household dietary diversity
5.Economic stability
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REFERENCES
Boehmer, W.K. and J.Boonstra (1994). Tubewell Drainage systems. In:
H.P.Ritzema (Ed), Drainage Principles and Application, p. 931-964, ILRI Publ
16., Wageningen, The Netherlands.
[KE01]: FAO. 2006. AQUASTAT country profile Kenya. FAO, Rome,
http://www.fao.org/nr/ water/aquastat/countries_regions/kenya/index.stm,
06/10/2010.
[KE02]: FAO. 1987 (updated in 2005). Irrigated areas in Africa. FAO, Rome,
Italy.
[KE03]: Unknown. Irrigation schemes in Kenya. Map available in the
AQUASTAT-library.
Namara, R. E.; Awuni, J. A.; Barry, B.; Giordano, M.; Hope, L.; Owusu, E. S.;
Forkuor, G. 2011. Smallholder shallow groundwater irrigation development
in the upper east region of Ghana. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water
Management Institute. 35p. (IWMI Research Report 143). doi:
10.5337/2011.214
Ostrom E 1990 Governing the commons: the evolution of institutions for
collective action. Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, UK).
Shah, T. (2003). Groundwater Management: Synthesis of IWMI Research
1999-2003, Anand, India: International Water Management Institute (Draft).