All About Wells
Well Drilling
Well Drilling is the process of drilling an engineered hole into the ground with the purpose of extracting ground water out to the surface for our use. A large drill rig is driven on top of the desired well location, and then drills with a rotary drill until a satisfactory amount of water is coming from the well. Once the drilling is complete, a steel casing the diameter of the well is driven into the ground usually until it hits bedrock. Then the casing is sealed in place with a grout to keep surface water from intruding into the ground water.
How Deep will it need to be?
The exact depth to drill is unknown, but often you will be able to find the expected depth based on neighboring wells and well reports filed with the local municipalities. A deeper well will not necessarily produce more water, but often you will need to get to that depth to find the water.
Shallow wells are subject to more bacterial contamination from surface water, and deeper wells allow for more time bacteria to die off in sub-surface rock and ground often providing safer water quality. Don't forget to consider fluctuations in the water table. Seasonal rise and fall of the water table as well as short and long term drought will affect the amount of water in your well. Plan for the worst case scenario.
New Construction
Building a new home? Schedule after the lot is cleared and before the foundation is poured for no impact to the area.
Trench Work
If the well is to be connected to a home, a trench will be dug to below the frost line for connecting the well water line and pump wire to the source.
How much will this cost?
The depth of the well is directly related to the cost. The deeper you drill, the more time and material used, the more it will cost. In our area, the depth varies greatly based on where you're located and the physical geology of the location. Often you will be able to find the expected depth based on neighboring wells and well reports filed with the local municipalities.
Well Hydro Fracking
Well Hydro Fracking (or hydrofracturing, fracking) is a process used to gain more water production in low yielding wells or in situations where you need more water than your well produces. Hydro Fracking, can be used on newly drilled wells or existing wells that have a demand for more water.
How does it work?
High pressure water between 500 psi and 2000 psi is forced into a section of the well. The section is blocked off by packers (think of a balloon at the top and bottom) so pressure is only applied in a specific region. This high pressure water presses against the rock to increase the size of fissures or even create new ones to allow more water to flow into the well.
Is it always successful?
Not always. It is possible that the amount of pressure applied is not enough to yield anymore water, and an alternate well may need to be drilled to get more water. To assess the effectiveness, a 'before and after' flow test is completed.
Well Flow & Recovery Testing
It can be important to understand and know your wells production capability. Residential homes require a minimum of 1.5?? gallons per minute, but often require more. Businesses will demand significant amounts of water and it's critical to know if your well can support it.
Will it be enough? Test the volume and flow capacity of your well to help you determine that.
Are you considering purchasing a piece of property, but don't know the condition of the well? Have it tested to see if it will satify your needs. You can have the best lot in the world be useless without water.
Well Camera and Video
Are you getting intrusion into your well from contaminants? A well driller will have the ability to go down your hole and find the source and location with a Down Hole Camera System. It can provide you with a digital video file for your viewing pleasure.
Well Abandonment
Do you have a well that's no longer in use? It should be filled in for a number of safety reasons. Please call a well driller or home inspector may be able to help.
Please note we do not drill or hydro frack wells. Please call a well drilling company for their specific details and availability.