How to Know if You Can Drill a Well
Are you gear up to become downwards, dirty, and drill a well by hand?
A well is a human being-made hole that'south dug into the ground to retrieve water.
With about 30% of the world's freshwater found in secret aquifers, it'due south advantageous for both habitation and landowners to consider digging a well.
Near 13 million American homes have water wells that provide usable h2o to the property.
If this sounds similar an appealing option to you, this weblog will discuss the best ways to drill a well by mitt and everything yous must know to do then.
Let'south get started.
ane. You should consider all of your options earlier you lot default to drilling a well
Having a freshwater supply is an appealing choice.
However, there are important considerations you should cistron into your conclusion to drill a well by mitt.
There's quite a chip of research you lot'll need to behave to determine if a DIY project will work for you.
Here'due south a quick checklist to help y'all go started.
What will the well exist used for?
Drilling a well by manus is more appropriate for wells that will exist used exclusively for irrigation or landscaping.
This is because contamination is less of a business concern if the water isn't going to be consumed by humans or animals (although y'all should still ensure your well is properly tested, peculiarly if you will be eating vegetables and fruits grown with the water).
You volition also need professional equipment to drill a well that is big enough to meet all of your household needs.
And so if you are drilling a well to supply your domestic water, you should strongly consider hiring a licensed company or consultant to assist blueprint and install the well.
Keep in listen that many jurisdictions may require a licensed well installer to drill the well anyway.
What is the nature of the soil?
Wells are not easily drilled by hand when the groundwater supplies be under layers of rock.
Although the procedure isn't impossible, it is certainly more difficult than if the h2o is located under softer material, such as sand.
What is the depth of the groundwater supply?
The depth of groundwater supply can vary greatly from region to region, so you lot tin can't rely on what you lot read online to determine this.
Some areas may accept groundwater just a few feet below the surface while others may take water hundreds of anxiety below the surface.
Drilling a well past hand volition be significantly more difficult if you have to become hundreds of anxiety down.
That said, you lot should go on in listen that finding acceptable h2o typically requires going at least 30 feet downwards in gild to avoid contamination.
Where does surface water period naturally on the property?
You will want to install your well away from the expanse where rainwater naturally flows.
This is because rainwater will pick up bacteria and contaminates from the ground and tin can contaminate the well h2o.
Do you live in a marshy or wet area?
This is a no-go for wells.
Is there a seasonal variation in the water levels?
The water table is often non static throughout the year.
Y'all'll desire to make sure that yous check the water table beneath your land over an extended timeframe.
You don't want to find out that you lot are but able to draw water at certain times of the year.
Also, be sure you programme for droughts!
Is your land a candidate for a driven or drilled well?
We'll only discuss how to drill a well by paw in this weblog, only wells can likewise be driven or dug.
However, these other ii methods are more than limited in the depth they can attain.
Generally speaking, paw-drilled wells can become downward to a depth of about 15-20 feet while power-drilled wells can go much deeper.
Practise you need a allow for your local surface area?
This is common because quality drinking h2o is a thing of public health.
Is there a septic system nearby?
Near jurisdictions require a minimum distance betwixt a well and a septic organization leach field.
Earlier planning your project, you will want to know the location of all nearby septic systems (including your neighbors).
You volition besides desire to contact the county to research the minimum required distance from whatsoever septic system to your well.
Practice you have to keep existing utilities in mind?
Depending on how rural your land is, you may need to contact your local utility company to check if there are whatever existing underground service lines that yous would cross while drilling a well past manus.
Practice I demand a burn down-fighting reserve tank?
Fire trucks only behave a limited corporeality of water.
So yous may want to have an extra water reserve on manus in case of an emergency.
If you lot do this, y'all should as well coordinate with your local burn down department to brand sure yous have the necessary hook-ups required for them to access the water.
How much would it cost for y'all to drill the well?
Typically, drilling a well costs (at least initially) more than connecting to a public water supply.
There are also risks of not finding plenty water or water of sufficient quality.
When you calculate the price, you'll need to factor in the cost of pumping the h2o continuously and maintaining the well.
Am I even allowed to drill my own well?
Each county and country will have its ain regulations on well drilling and, in some jurisdictions, you may be required to have a licensed well-driller drill and install your well.
Be sure to check your county'due south local regulations before starting a DIY projection.
2. You lot'll demand specific information on the land
Earlier you tin drill a well by mitt, you'll need to know the specific location of the property where the well volition be drilled to obtain well records through your land's geological survey.
Information technology's too possible to obtain these records through your state watermaster.
Hither is the information you're seeking:
Section
Township
Range
Quarters
This data is important to take because it volition tell you if previous wells have been drilled on the property besides equally the depth and if water was establish.
This is crucial information for you considering information technology tin can help make up one's mind if the water table can withstand another well beingness drilled.
Yous tin also look at geologic and topographic maps to find the general location of aquifers and the rock formations in the area.
Surface features and elevations can be used to plot well locations and determine if an area will have plenty groundwater to brand drilling a well viable.
Having all the information ahead of fourth dimension will ultimately brand your well drilling projection more successful.
One of import note is that well-nigh manus drilled wells tap into aquifers that are at the depth of the water table.
This means that they are "unconfined aquifers" because all of the material above them are porous.
Bars aquifers are more difficult to drill into.
3. You'll want to talk to a well drilling consultant or company
You've done your ain independent enquiry, merely don't hesitate to reach out to a professional.
A consultant or a professional hydrologist tin help you get more detailed information on how to drill a well past hand on your particular property.
If you lot decide to hire a company instead of drilling the well by hand yourself, so you should consider asking the following questions offset.
Are they licensed and insured? Do they have adequate liability and worker'south comp insurance to protect you?
Are they reputable? Tin they provide you with references and reviews from previous clients?
What's in the contract? What will they provide you in writing and what do their services include?
Is their equipment in good condition?
Will they submit well logs?
What kind of guarantee do they provide?
Do they disinfect the well? If so, how will they do it?
You should as well discuss the following questions together…
Where can you lot drill? Y'all've spent quite a flake of time researching this, and your well drilling visitor should support your findings and provide additional expertise.
How can yous prepare your land in advance?
What type of well exercise you lot need?
How much water practice you need?
Fifty-fifty if you're planning on keeping this a DIY project, it is helpful to talk to a consultant just to reinforce what y'all've already learned while researching.
4. You'll demand to utilise for permits
Call back the permits mentioned above?
Chances are both your local municipality and your land volition require that you obtain permits before you drill a well by hand.
Go the required paperwork taken ahead of time, so you're in the clear legally.
You lot don't want to be lagging backside in this respect.
5. You'll want to purchase a DIY well-drilling kit
Alright, later on all of the research and paperwork, you lot're ready to become started drilling.
Drilling a well by paw can be a chip boring, and as a result, virtually people will pay a professional to exercise it.
However, if you're prepared for the claiming of this DIY project, then go ahead and purchase a well-drilling kit. Hither'southward one example.
This kit includes most of the tools and materials except for the PVC piping that yous'll use to form the permanent well tube.
The tool in this kit uses an air-powered motor to bulldoze a rotating bit that loosens upwards the soil.
When this is mixed with water, information technology is sucked upward through the hollow tubing equally a slurry as the bit burrows further downward into the Globe.
In addition to the PVC piping, you lot'll need to buy a permanent well pump.
Yous may likewise need a submersible, in-ground pump that moves the water to the surface if you go deeper than fifty feet.
half-dozen. You'll desire to drill the well away from any potential contaminants
Drilling your well away from whatever potential contaminants is an important step in this process.
You lot've already determined the all-time location on your property for your well.
However, you should besides keep in mind other factors like animal feedlots, buried fuel tanks, waste disposal, and septic systems.
All of these elements can pollute groundwater, and you definitely don't want that if y'all may exist consuming it.
Wells should be drilled in locations where you lot tin easily reach them for maintenance.
They should likewise exist located at least 5 feet from building sites.
Check your local and country regulations nigh how far your well must be setback from the road and from the buildings.
Your area may have boosted locations or restrictions that y'all may need to adhere to.
If you've hired a well drilling company, they should be familiar with these regulations.
However, if you're going to drill a well by paw, then you lot'll demand to know these regulations yourself.
1 potential contaminant that you may forget nigh if you're drilling your ain well is soil.
A bully tip is to have a tarp that y'all put your soil on.
You can dig out the soil, keeping the first soil that comes out on the bottom and the last soil to come up out at the top.
This way, when you put it dorsum, you're not putting whatsoever new contaminants near the h2o.
Finally, when drilling your well, information technology's of import to retrieve that your first 100 gallons of water will be muddied.
Nonetheless, once you pass this marking, you should obtain articulate water.
It's also important to disinfect the well afterwards drilling it (this is a requirement if the water is going to be consumed).
Afterward that, y'all must examination your well water for chemicals, bacteria, heavy metals (such as pb and arsenic) and other strange substances to ensure it is condom for consumption.
Also, go along in mind that you lot should test your well water at least once a twelvemonth moving forrard.
And finally, exist sure to pest proof your well.
You don't want critters to sneak into your water source!
7. You'll need to decide how yous desire to dig your well
This is where information technology gets highly dependent on your land, inquiry, and expertise.
Wells can be drilled, dug, or driven out, so there are a lot of different means to go about well building.
Every bit we mentioned, this commodity focuses on mitt-drilling a well with an auger.
Footstep ane: Start digging
Use a manus auger to become the hole started
Put the soil aside on a tarp to reduce contamination
Step two: Insert the piping into the hole
1. Drill tiny holes in PVC piping
2. Put a cap on the lesser of the PVC pipe to reduce sediment
iii. Add a human foot valve so h2o can come up simply not get back down
4. Put PVC pipe in the hole
five. Use pea gravel to fill in some of the holes
6. Pack dirt in around the pipage (in the same social club you took information technology out)
Step 3: Connect the piping and the pump
1. Add together an adaptor to connect the pipe and the pump
ii. Start pumping (remember – it volition be muddy!)
Footstep 4: Create a base for your well
Don't leave your well as a pipe sticking out of the ground! Requite it some stability past pouring physical around it.
See this process live with this swell YouTube video:
Final thoughts
Drilling a well by hand is a complicated process when it's your first fourth dimension.
You'll take to go to know your land well and empathise whether or not the process has been attempted on your country or in your area previously.
Fortunately, your state's geological survey and watermaster should be able to provide this information.
When in doubt, yous tin always discuss your options with a local well-drilling consultant, or you can hire a well drilling company to practise information technology on your behalf (specially if the soil conditions are difficult or the h2o table is deep).
Go on in mind that many jurisdictions volition require a licensed well-driller to drill the well for you lot.
Additional Resources
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And before you buy state, make certain you lot cheque out Gokce Land Due Diligence Plan. 
If you are looking to sell state, visit our folio on how to Sell Your Land.
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Disclaimer: nosotros are not lawyers, accountants or financial advisors and the information in this article is for informational purposes simply. This article is based on our own inquiry and experience and nosotros do our best to continue it accurate and upward-to-date, but it may contain errors. Please be sure to consult a legal or financial professional before making whatever investment decisions.
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Erika is a former Affordable Housing Managing director for the City of New York turned full-time State Investor. She used to help New Yorkers find affordable housing, now she helps people observe affordable land around the US.
Prior to starting Gokce Capital, Erika received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Southern California and a graduate degree in Urban Policy from Columbia Academy. She worked as both an architectural designer and engineer in New York before joining the New York Metropolis Section of Housing Preservation and Development.
Erika currently lives in the New York Metropolitan expanse with her spouse, daughter and cat. She is originally from Chicago and notwithstanding considers herself a midwesterner at heart.
Erika likewise loves to read, write and travel (fun fact, she has visited all 50 states and more than than 30 countries!). Her new volume, Country Investing Mistakes: 11 Truthful Stories Yous Need To Know Earlier Buying Land, is now available on Amazon.
Source: https://gokcecapital.com/how-to-drill-a-well-by-hand/
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