A well is an artificial hole in the ground used to collect liquids. The most sought-after liquid is water: About 97% of the Earth's fresh water is found in underground aquifers and about 15 million homes in the United States are equipped with water wells. These wells can be constructed to monitor water quality, cool or heat water, and provide drinking water reserves. Drilling a well can be done in several ways. Here are some ways to drill a well, as well as things to consider before doing so.
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Method 1 of 2: Planning the Well Construction
Step 1. Compare the costs and benefits of drilling a well with purchasing or piped water
Drilling a well requires a higher initial cost than connecting a water pipe to a public water supply, and carries the risk of producing poor quality or scanty water. You also need to incur the cost of pumping and maintaining the well. However, some areas do have limited access to clean water supplies. This makes well drilling a more reasonable option as long as there are sufficient groundwater reserves at appropriate depths.
Step 2. Find out the specific drilling location of the well
You must know the location of the property, city, reach, and access to the well, as well as documents for drilling the well from the competent authority or from the local Public Works Office.
Step 3. Find out where the wells that have been dug in the area are
Geological survey data or regional well drilling documents usually record how deep the well has been dug and how much water is produced. You can access the data directly, either by phone or online. This data will help you determine the depth of drilling, as well as the location of the soil containing the aquifer.
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Most aquifers are in water sacs; they are called “unconfined aquifers” because the material above them is porous. Confined aquifers are covered by a porous layer that is difficult to drill even though the top is statically compressed by water.
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Step 4. Look at the geological and topographic maps
Although not as accurate as well drilling documents, geological maps are able to show the general location of the aquifer, as well as the rock formations in the area. The topographic map shows the shape of the land surface and its contours so that it can be used to determine the location of the well. Both maps can determine whether an area contains groundwater that can be drilled and turned into a well.
Groundwater levels are uneven, but they usually follow the contours of the soil. The groundwater table is near the valley surface, in an area formed by the river and its tributaries, and is difficult to access from high places
Step 5. Ask people who live near the drilling area
There are many old wells that are not documented, even if records are found, residents around the drilling area may still remember how much water the old wells produced.
Step 6. Ask a consultant for help
Geological surveyors may be able to answer common questions and provide information about resources not listed in this article. If you need more detailed information, you may need to hire the services of a hydrologist.
- Contact your local well drilling company, especially one that has been in operation for a long time.
- A "Dowser" or water shaman is a person who is able to use willow twigs, metal sticks, and other objects to find water sources. If you want, you can hire them to find a good area.
Step 7. Apply for the necessary permits to drill the well
Consult with the relevant authorities and agencies to find out the permits that need to be obtained before drilling, as well as the regulations that apply to drilling.
Method 2 of 2: Drilling a Well
Step 1. Drill the well in an area free from possible contamination
Animal feedlots, old fuel tanks, sewage dumps, and sewage lines can contaminate ground water. The well must be drilled in an easily accessible place for easy maintenance, and located at least 1.5 meters from the nearest building.
Each region has different regulations regarding which locations may and may not be used as well drilling areas. Well drillers should be familiar with this rule
Step 2. Determine the method that will be used to drill the well
Most wells are drilled, but you can also make one by digging or crushing soil. Drilled wells can be drilled with an auger or rotary drill, struck with a percussion cable machine, or formed with a high-pressure water pump.
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Wells can be dug manually when there is not enough water on the surface and there are no rocks in the way. After making a hole with a shovel or a machine, a container is lowered into the aquifer so that the well is not contaminated. Wells that are no deeper than 6 meters are usually referred to as “groundwater”. Since it is shallower than a borehole, this well is more likely to dry out when the groundwater level drops in the dry season. These wells are often contaminated with chloroform and E. Coli bacteria. So, it is very important to test the content of substances in this well water regularly.
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The well can be dug by attaching the end of an iron rod to a hard guard or perforated pipe connected to solid pipe. A hole wider than the pipe is dug and the joint is buried in the ground, then twisted in such a way that it penetrates the surface of the aquifer. Wells can be dug manually to a depth of 9 meters or dug with the help of machines up to 15 meters. Because the pipes used are small in diameter (between 3 and 30 cm), you will need to dig more than one well to get the right amount of water.
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Auger drills can use rotating steel bits or drills that hit the ground repeatedly, and can be used by hand or by machine. This tool works well in wet soil and is not suitable for use in sandy soil or in dense rocky areas. Wells made with an auger drill have a maximum depth of about 4.5 to 6 meters if dug manually and 37 meters if dug with the help of machines. The diameter of the wells ranges from 5 to 75 cm.
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Rotary drills use a water-based drilling fluid such as bentonite mud to keep the drill hole open. These tools usually use additives to reduce heat, clean drill bits, and remove debris. The high pressure water in the rotating drill bit makes drilling easier, even when pumping debris from the ground. Typically, this tool uses two or three large grinding cones to penetrate the softer layers of soil into the hard areas. Small iron will be included at this stage. This method allows you to drill to a depth of 300 meters or more, with a hole diameter of 7.5 to 30 cm. While it can drill much faster than other drills in most areas, it is not suitable for use in large rocky areas. Even if the drill fluid makes it difficult to distinguish between water and the rest of the drilling process, the operator of the tool can use water and air to rinse the well and determine whether the aquifer in the ground has been reached.
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Percussion cable works like a driving machine, by moving the drill bit in the cable up and down to crush the excavated soil. Just like the rotary drill, water is also used to soften and remove interfering material, but this fluid does not flow from the drill bit, but is added manually from above. After a while, the drill bit will be replaced with a "drench" tool. The percussion cable can be used to drill the soil to the same depth as the rotary drill. Although this drill is slower to operate and tends to be more expensive, it can destroy material that is difficult for a rotary drill to handle. Often, when drilling in rocky areas, this machine can find the water source more efficiently than a rotary drill because the rotary drill can actually close the springs due to the high pressure air being blown out.
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The high-pressure water pump uses the same equipment as a rotary drill, but without the drill bit, as there is enough water to drill holes in the soil and remove any debris left over from excavation. This method only takes a few minutes, but the well dug cannot be deeper than 15 meters and the water used for drilling must be sterilized so as not to contaminate the aquifer pocket once the groundwater level is penetrated.
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Step 3. Complete the well construction
After the well is drilled, a protective container will be inserted to prevent the water from drying out and being contaminated by the sides of the well. These shields usually have a smaller diameter than the wellbore. The most commonly used shield size in residential areas is 15 cm. These are often made of iron or type 40 PVC pipe. The well guard can be attached with an adhesive material, such as clay or cement. To prevent contamination of the water, a cover to filter sand and gravel is inserted into the guard, then the well is closed with a safety guard. If your well is not an artesian aquifer and the water is not under pressure, a pump will be installed to pump the water up.
- To use a steel shield, sometimes a perforator must be slowly inserted into the well to determine its depth. Taking advantage of the small amount of water pressure the drill produces, it will push the water up so that it can open a way for water to flow into the protective case.
- On sandy soils, a 1.5 – 3 meter long solid protective container may be required. These usually have a 3 meter long, laser-cut metal slot lining on top. For extreme sandy soils, a 10 cm PVC pipe will be inserted into the iron guard. Small pebbles will then be inserted into the outside of the PVC pipe that borders the iron guard. This will improve the quality of the sand filter.
Tips
- It is likely that you will need to hire the services of a drilling company to drill a well. Ask for information about well drilling services from local contractors, government contractors, or the Public Works Department.
- Most areas require you to do a thorough test of some of the requirements related to insurance coverage. Visit your local Public Works Office if you have any problems with drilling permits.
