Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know how much water the well will produce?

There is no definite answer to this question. We are estimating the flow based on what we see flowing from the well. Sometimes, the air pressure in the well can “hold back” on the flow, causing us to underestimate the production capacity. To overcome this, we can release the air pressure for a few minutes, and then reapply it after the well has built up a large volume. We then would see the volume of water that the well produced after several minutes. Then with simple math, we can calculate the production capacity. But it is also important to understand that the well production can also vary over time. So the well may produce more or less water in the future than it does today.

How do you know how deep to drill?

We are not only looking for water. We are mainly looking for the sand and gravel that produces water. The depth of each layer of sand and gravel depends greatly on the location and elevation of the drill site. The formations are relatively flat below the surface. However, they may not be level. We use a gps to tell us the elevation of your drill site and we survey the area wells that we have drilled and compare their elevations. From this, we can estimate the depth that your well will need to be. However, we have found out on many occasions, that when God laid the foundations of the earth, He followed no rules. It is not uncommon to see formations rise or fall several hundred feet in a mile. For instance, we drill in one subdivision where the depth to the lower aquifer is 760′ on one side of the road, and 840′ on the other. We can never be sure about the depth of your well until we actually drill.

What are some of the basics of a water well?

A well is a bored hole in the ground. Steel or plastic well casing will be placed in the bore hole to support unstable earth formations. A seal is placed at the bottom of the casing to prevent contamination into the well from surface water. The stable formation beneath the casing is often the water bearing zone. In this zone a liner and gravel pack may be installed depending on the formation. After completion the well is then tested for water yield. This is done by either blowing air into the well or bailing the well. Your contractor may also perform some basic water quality tests at this point. Once construction has been completed your contractor will produce a well log which acts as a blue print for both the earth formation they encountered and a build sheet for the well. With this well log a pump contractor can design your new pump system.

How much does it cost to drill a well?

There is never an exact number until the project is finished. Each well formation can and will be different then another. The best thing to do is when looking over a proposal from a drilling contractor make sure they have specific pricing on the following.

Price of drilling per foot
Price and size of casing per foot
Cost of materials per unit “such as seal, cement, etc.”
Cost of liner per foot
Cost of development and testing.