How much water can a well produce (how many gallons per minute)?
The water production of a well depends on the volume and flow rate of the water table. This will vary from well to well, and typically increases with the diameter of the well casing (the tube that goes down the hole). The rate will also depend upon the person using the pump. At its greatest rate (for example, a healthy adult male pumping the well as fast as he can), a hand pump will pump about 5 gallons of water per minute. This rate is typical for all hand pumps. As long as the water can keep up with the pace of the pump, you’ve established a good well. If you run into a slow recharge rate, and you do not have enough water to pump, you may want to consider the lowest-tech approach, the Hydromissions BB-01 “Bailer Bucket”.
