New Well

[WVBill]

My well was drilled in the summer of 1998 so it's relatively new. But with the low rain/snowfall for the last few years, I've started hearing of a number of wells going dry. Nothing drilled as recently as mine - but it sits in the back of my mind...

Is there any way for a well owner to tell in advance of when a well is about to go dry - short of that "giant sucking sound" (remember Ross Perot?)?

If one's drilled well does go dry, do they have to drill a whole new well or can the pump and casing be pulled and the driller just go deeper through the same hole?

 

[MarkV]

Bill,
When we drilled our well the driller hit water at about 250’ and felt like we were good to go. As it turned out it was a pocket of water that did not regenerate enough to do the job. I was a little upset, to say the least./w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif They came in and went down the same hole, quite an alignment feat, and we are now at 550’ and so far, so good. They did pull the pump, but left the casing in place. So yes, they can go down the same hole, but in my area they said that 500 – 600’ is as far as they will go. I don’t know if it is an equipment issue or local knowledge of aquifer depth.

MarkV

 

[TerryinMD]

WVBill,

Just as MarkV said, they can reuse the same hole. In our area near the Potomac River, wells are drilled anywhere from 150' to over 700'. Several wells in our subdivision sit around 500'. One in particular was drilled down that deep to act as a reservior during dry periods.

Terry

 

[gerard]

Guess it matters on what you mean by "going dry". We're at 480 feet and never had a problem until my wife decided to water the indoor arena during the summer dry spell. Called me up to tell me the well had run dry and the water was brown!! After a little angina, telling her "I told you so" re: running water continuously, and waiting overnight, everything filled back up and was fine. She just pumped out quicker than the water was coming in. (Prompted me to buy a 330 gal water tank for the pickup. We have a spring down the road where the pipe just runs out of the ground. I can pull up and fill the tank and that's how we water the arena now!!) I'd heard of people getting water deliveries and dumping water down into a drilled well. My plumber told me when you do that you knock rust and dirt loose which then clogs the intake screen on the pump, then you call him to replce the pump!! Makes sense and something I don't think I'll ever try!

 

[skent]

I wanted to keep it for garden use, but Health Dept here in the county is trying to do away with hand dug wells totally. In fact, I found out that the permit fee ($80) is waved if you are replacing a hand dug well. Seems the problem with surface water having a path to the aquifer and the danger to children falling in is the major drive.

 

[skent]

The well at the house was put in 7 years ago during a dry summer. Cost 2800 and went 280'. Pumps 6.8 GPM. Filled a 24' above ground pool 5 years ago (12000 gallons)

Farm well will be 900' to the east and am figuring on at least that depth.

 

[Hillbilly]

I have a well that was drilled in 1988,509 ft deep,hit water at 435',it is imperative to get a good pocket in the well when drilling for a resevoir. The water was in a 70' thick vein of white sand.

 

[skent]

Update on New Well:

It's been a long wait, With the severe drought I've had to wait and wait 10 weeks for the well driller. Tried calling three others in the area, two were not taking on any new work and the third said maybe sometime in June.

First driller showed up Friday. We had a local douser find us three sites. First site driller went 405 feet, hitting rock at 52' and nothing but dust the rest of the way down. Second site found 4 gallons per minute at 130' , but it is full of small gravel and if it ends up being usable, we may need a sediment casing (more money) put in. He is going to try flushing again this morning. Picture posted of the rig at the second site.

 

[skent]

Different view of same site

 

[skent]

View of my $3500.00 405' dry hole.