Dug well versus drilled well?

[ultrarunner]

Ditto... Water will continue to be a valued resource... keep posting!

 

[rox]

Just following up. Thank you, everyone, for the helpful suggestions along the way. I had spoken with the guy who could dig a shallow well here and I believe that is always an option for the future. But I wanted to try for a deep well. I had the driller continue where he started. At about 240 feet, he found water in the 16 feet or so above bedrock. Not a ton of water but he imagines three gallons a minute or so, which is still several thousand gallons a day-- more than adequate.

Now I have to have the electric wiring to the old well located, and I will dig it up and hopefully find the water line in the same trench. I'll use my Bobcat to trench between the old line and the new well.

Been struggling with water issues here for two years. A reliable well would be an enormous asset and we appear to be the way!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!! i can't imagine what you bill is going to be for all those dry wells, but at last you got what you were looking for. You forget how important the basics are in life until you don't have them. Good for you! I'm so happy for you that you finally hit water.

 

[Gadgetnut]

Hello ultrarunner, hello rox-- thanks for the good words... today for the first time I saw lots of clear water cascading out of a pipe in my pumphouse and I have to say it is a welcome sight! I had the old water well pump electric wire located, then I trenched 70 feet from the new well to the old line with my Bobcat ToolCat and trencher. Hand dug and found the pump wires and the 1 1/2" schedule 40 PVC water line... made the connections and turned on the pump. Compared to my former water supply, which had poor quality and quantity, this is pumping about 4 gallons a minute of clear water.

I'm clearing out the line this weekend, then I'll draw water samples on Monday for bacteria and for the basic "nuisance test" to get a baseline in regards to fine tuning a fancy water treatment system I already have. After the treatment system, I have a thousand gallon storage tank that feeds the house. I hope to be using the new well water within a few days. You have to appreciate, although I live on a lake, I have been hauling water from the city water supply twice a week for more than a year, so this is a big deal.

Friends have asked me if I am relieved. I would say I am more encouraged than relieved. I may begin to feel relief after the course of several months of reliable well water; and we do live in hope. I have many other aspects of life around the farm I look forward to directing my time and resources towards-- but water is essential. Thanks for the help and "well wishes," everyone! -Gadgetut