Groundwater hydrology Using ...

Groundwater hydrology

Using the existing wells as "test wells", any well creates a down-draw cone near one so the groundwater level of the area is usually higher than where the active wells are.

If you're not pumping your existing wells and they don't regain water over a few days that implies that the groundwater source itself isn't recharging to that depth. If they do recharge then you can ascertain the recharge rate to adjust your pumping volume to it in the meantime.

This can be from other wells drawing it down or a lack of rain for too long, you have to figure this out before doing anything about it.

For this situation I'd suggest using a topo map and try to figure out where the ridges are that confine your entire watershed as this is the area that feeds the groundwater system for your existing wells and any new well location, or, by studying that it seems most likely that the groundwater recharge isn't enough to supply all the wells using it, and if you locate existing wells on the map consider where your wells are in relation to them, this is a common occurrence in many areas now.

Personally I'd recommend using rainwater collection regardless of how the groundwater situation turns out for households, using the groundwater for crops.

In relation to crops, consider putting in water-saving methods of distribution, don't use ponds to store it and don't use open or dirt irrigation ditches except on the rows themselves, if they're open dirt line the ditches with clay/aggregate, concrete doesn't work very well, it cracks from settling & thermal expansion then is hard to fix leaks. Clay liners need to expand after being dry but then hold water well with few leaks, a technique used by the Pueblo Indians in Arizona on their canals for centuries.

Many fields that are in semi-arid lands can get ruined from using surface irrigation due to long-term salt build-up from evaporation so a critical eye is needed to see this, and to then know that investing in water-saving methods is required.