AbstractThe complete solution is presented for the transient effects of pumping fluid from a point sink embedded in a saturated, porous elastic half‐space. It is assumed that the medium is homogeneous and isotropic with respect to its elastic properties and homogeneous but anisotropic with respect to the flow of pore fluid. The soil skeleton is modelled as a linear elastic material obeying Hooke's law, while the pore fluid is assumed to be incompressible with its flow governed by Darcy's law. The solution has been evaluated for a particular value of Poisson's ratio of the solid skeleton, i.e. 0.25, and the results have been presented graphically in the form of isochrones of excess pore pressure and surface profile for the half‐space. The solutions presented may have application in practical problems such as dewatering operations in compressible soil and rock mas