What Are Water Wells Used For?
Water from wells in South Dakota is used for many purposes, including irrigation, human and livestock consumption, and for commercial, mining, industrial, and geothermal applications. What is discussed in this fact sheet is only a portion of what is a highly technical and complex industry in South Dakota and across the world. Glossary Annular space – the space between the casing or screen in a well and the wall of the borehole. Aquifer – a body of rock or sediment that is sufficiently permeable to conduct ground water and to yield economically significant quantities of water to wells and springs. Artificial filter pack – artificially graded material surrounding the well screen in a water well. Bailing – the repeated lowering, filling, raising, and emptying of a bailer to remove fluid from a well. A bailer is a cylindrical tube fitted with a valve at the bottom. Bentonite – a clay material used in the water well industry as a drilling mud and as a well sealing material to slow or stop w
