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Well drilling

 
pollinator
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Location: northwest Missouri, USA
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Sorry if this seems off topic, but my quick search didn't seem to find anything about drilling wells. I'm looking to drill a well on our 10-acre place to feed a series of ponds, but I don't want to get ripped off by a commercial driller. Anyone out there with advise? I'd love to know if there are any questions to ask or if there are resources I should be looking up first.

Thanks,
Dan
 
gardener
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Location: North Georgia / Appalachian mountains , Zone 7B/8A
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I searched as well, didn't find any well drilling threads or well forums.

I guess one could consider a well as a really tall skinny pond.

 
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I paid for a driller to come out on my property. There was a nearby well that went down 250 some ft...

They ended up drilling 120 ft and put in 40 ft of pipe... $3600.

Sucks to pay that much for water, but I love the stuff. It's so cold and delish. (Im in Northeastern MN so my water isn't polluted with nitrates).
 
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Location: Kansas
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It will be costly to put down a well, then you will need some type of pump and drop pipe which is costly as well.
I grew up drilling domestic wells and doing windmill repair and submersible pumps, and know that there is a lot of overhead costs to operate that type of business.

You can call a couple of drillers in your area and get an estimate on what it would cost, they will be able to tell you about how deep it is to water or if it is not available.
Not all locations have ground water.

you could do some youtube watching there are a lot of videos on how to drill your own well.

Good luck, and if you have any questions that I may be able to help with be sure to ask and if I know I would be happy to give my thoughts
 
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Also consider distance to power supply, etc. Most States have good web sites with information on water wells for domestic/ag use, regulations (like how close to septic and property lines) lists of licensed drillers etc. As stated above get multiple quotes and maybe a reference from someone they have drilled for in your area. You get to pay for a dry well attempt so be sure they know/have success in the area.
 
pollinator
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A well cost 5-10k. you have to dig the well and get a pump, plumbing, maybe a solar panel and then build a water tower incase you need water and lose electric aka a fire/disaster.
If the water table is only 20ft down and you want to go really really cheap for the time being then I guess just $400 could do it.
 
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I found several very helpful people who have posted several video clips on YouTube. Do it yourself wells.
One guy puts down a 25-30 foot sand point and gets enough water. he shows you how to do it yourself. I think the whole thing cost him 300.00.
Now there are also failures in those video clips too. But I plan on at least 3 tries on my Acre of property next summer. I will use their Do it yoursel system too.
Check it out.
 
Clifford Gallington
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Jeremiah wales wrote:I found several very helpful people who have posted several video clips on YouTube. Do it yourself wells.
One guy puts down a 25-30 foot sand point and gets enough water. he shows you how to do it yourself. I think the whole thing cost him 300.00.
Now there are also failures in those video clips too. But I plan on at least 3 tries on my Acre of property next summer. I will use their Do it yoursel system too.
Check it out.



ask around with the neighbors to find out how deep they had to go for water, that will give you an idea how far to push your sand point into the ground
 
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Location: Eastern Washington, 8 acres, h. zone 5b
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I'm in eastern Washington. I plan on drilling 3 wells this coming summer. The depths range from 100'to 250'. There are large cobbles in the ground, so there are some real challenges. The cost for a well, including casing, is around $10k and there's a waiting list. I don't have the capital to make 3 wells happen. I've researched wells for about a year. There are two options for me: the cable method and a rotary option.

I've decided to build a hydraulic, rotary style driller. I have half the parts now and I'll begin construction in March. If anyone is interested, I'll be glad to post progress or lack thereof.
 
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http://www.hydra-jett.com/1445516.html
 
                    
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Location: AR ~ozark mountain range~zone7a
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Not sure if this is true, but I heard typical drilled wells will go past the water table on purpose, maybe to make more money, but really to create a well that also is a 'fresh cut storage tank' the deeper you drill=more capacity...which is probably more reliable and less expensive then an above ground storage tank of similar capacity. Albeit pulling a 200' sump pump is not easy at repair time.

james beam
 
Clifford Gallington
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james beam wrote:Not sure if this is true, but I heard typical drilled wells will go past the water table on purpose, maybe to make more money, but really to create a well that also is a 'fresh cut storage tank' the deeper you drill=more capacity...which is probably more reliable and less expensive then an above ground storage tank of similar capacity. Albeit pulling a 200' sump pump is not easy at repair time.

james beam



This is true, a well is drilled through the water bearing formations and into what ever is below that, usualy shale or bedrock 10 to 20 feet, this is dependant upon several factors the first being if the person paying for the well is willing to pay the additional cost, and if there is a shortage of water in the area, this extra depth gives you room to hold a small resovore of water and to keep your pump from having to sit almost on the bottom where it will pick up sand.

 
gardener
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Another reason to go deeper than first contact is seasonal level, just as an above ground river can drop in level groundwater also rises and lowers. Depending on development density consideration for well depth. Nitrates are generally not found at well depths below 50 feet due to oxic and sub-oxic interface. It is difficult to find a contemporary study that clearly shows some of the dangers that have been atributed to nitrates. The EPA has set levels for public water systems and nitrate levels but they do not govern private wells and nitrate levels.
 
Dan Grubbs
pollinator
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Thanks everyone for their insights. I went out this weekend to a depression at the top of our property and dug a hole six feet deep and about four feet in diameter for the purpose of understanding my soil strata. We have about five inches of topsoil, then 18 inches of clean clay, then the rest was sandy dark soil that wasn't very compact. I hope that means it will be easy to drill a well.

Thanks all,
Dan
 
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Dan Grubbs wrote:Sorry if this seems off topic, but my quick search didn't seem to find anything about drilling wells. I'm looking to drill a well on our 10-acre place to feed a series of ponds, but I don't want to get ripped off by a commercial driller. Anyone out there with advise? I'd love to know if there are any questions to ask or if there are resources I should be looking up first.

Thanks,
Dan



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http://www.drillyourownwell.com/
 
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