A well typically less than 50 feet deep that draws from near-surface unconfined groundwater.
Shallow wells tap the uppermost saturated zone — usually unconfined alluvial water within 50 feet of the surface. They are cheap to build but vulnerable to drought, surface contamination, and seasonal fluctuation. In most of Utah, the dependable water is hundreds of feet down, so shallow wells are limited to specific river-bottom and valley-floor settings.