Borewell Water Yield Calculator
Measure your borewell's yield in litres per hour from a simple bucket test, and see how many homes it can supply.
Inputs
Formula
- Flow (litres/second) = container volume ÷ fill time
- Yield (litres/hour) = flow × 3600
- Daily output = yield × pumping hours
The simplest field test for a borewell: run the pump, time how long a known container takes to fill and convert to litres per hour. Do the test after the pump has run for 15 minutes so the level has settled — that gives the sustainable yield rather than the initial surge.
Step-by-step calculation
- 1
Flow
volume ÷ time
1.667 L/s
- 2
Yield
flow × 3600
6,000 L/h
- 3
Daily
yield × pumping hours
24,000 L/day
Worked example
- 1A 20 litre bucket fills in 12 seconds → 1.67 litres/second.
- 2Yield = 1.67 × 3600 = 6,000 litres per hour.
- 3Running 4 hours a day gives 24,000 litres — enough for about 44 people.
Tips
- Repeat the test in summer; yields drop sharply when the water table falls.
- Do not run the pump dry — install a dry-run protector to save the motor.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good borewell yield?
Anything above 2,000 litres per hour comfortably supplies a household. Below 500 lph the bore is considered weak.
How do I measure without a flow meter?
The bucket test used here is the standard field method and is accurate within about 5%.
Does yield change over the year?
Yes. Yields are highest after the monsoon and lowest in late summer, sometimes by half.
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