Brick-lined well

[1] Inscriptions in Mesopotamia tell of construction of brick-lined wells in the period before the rule of Sargon of Akkad (c. 2334 – 2279 BC).

[3] In the settlement of Lothal a brick-lined building on an elevated mound included a well lined with baked bricks, a bathing facility and a drain.

[9] In West Africa branches were traditionally used to line hand-dug wells, but this requires use of forest resources that are now often scarce.

[12] Pre-cast concrete pipe is also an excellent liner, particularly if it has tongue-in-groove joints and a smooth exterior, since it can be used as a crib as the well is deepened.

Water seeps into a cavity in the open bottom, or comes up from a pipe sunk down from the center of the well into the water-bearing sand.

[13] The brick lining can greatly improve sanitation if it rises above ground level, preventing contamination of the well water by animal feces.

[15][b] By 2007 the U.S. Peace Corps had been promoting use of Dutch bricks to build soak pits and wells for many years.

[18] USAID has supported these efforts, for example providing funds to purchase materials such as cement and rebar for construction of Dutch brick wells in Mali and Mauretania.

[20] Dutch bricks made for well lining have a trapezoidal shape, with sloping sides so that they can be fitted into a ring.