If you’re looking to achieve a dependable source of clean and safe water, it’s not ideal to dig a water well just anywhere. Before choosing a site for the water well, you need to considera few factors. For instance, you must check and be sure there’s no possible contamination in the location.
How do you know exactly where to dig a water well?
Choosing a good site to construct your domestic water well is not something you can just rush into doing. To achieve the best results, you need to base the site selection on hydrogeology. This is where the need to contact expert hydrogeologists comes into play.
When it comes to picking a suitable location for the construction of a water well, the first thing that hydrogeologists will do is to locate a good site of water. They often make use of scientific methods to locate where groundwater is on your site.
Hydrogeologists often make use of several techniques to accurately discover where the groundwater is located and understand the depth, quality, and amount of the water available.
These techniques will provide hydrogeologists with clues regarding the likely occurrence of shallow groundwater, something that could affect the wafer well in the nearest feature.
Avoid shallow groundwater
Most likely, a site location will produce shallow groundwater if there are water-loving plants around where you’re planning to construct the water well.
If you reside in an environment that has surface water, such as areas with creeks and streams, the location will most likely supply enough groundwater.
The hydrogeologist also needs to check to see the type of rocks in the area. This is achieved by preparing a geologic map to understand the various rocks in the location. The availability of risks with open spaces means there’s a high chance of getting enough groundwater in the location.
So, when choosing the best site for your water well, ensure to opt for an area with enough groundwater. Of course, this means you can’t just opt for anywhere for the construction of the well. Instead, you’ll need to speak to an expert to check for the availability of groundwater.
Getting information about the depth and quality of the groundwater
One thing is to be sure that there’s enough groundwater in a certain location. Another thing is to be sure the water is of high quality and doesn’t require draining too deep before reaching the water.
According to USGS, to achieve high-quality groundwater and understand the depth of the well, the hydrogeologist needs to get enough information regarding other wells around the area. This is the best way to understand whether or not the water underground isn’t contaminated since it’s not ideal to dig test holes to achieve the necessary information.
The only way the hydrogeologist could settle for various test holes to get the necessary information regarding the quality of the groundwater in the area is if there are no wells around.
The aquifer test is one of the few things that the hydrogeologist will perform. With that, information regarding the water-bearing properties of the aquifers will be acquired.
These properties include the flow rate of aquifer water and how long it takes for the well to refill through the aquifer.
The issue of water contamination is one of the many things that the hydrogeologist needs to address when determining the suitable site for the water well.
This involves taking various samples of water in the test holes and chemically analyzing them to understand how quality and safe they are for human health.
Bottom line: for you to determine exactly where to construct your domestic water well, you need to employ the service of a professional hydrogeologist.
This way, you’ll be able to check and determine the location with enough groundwater. In addition to that, you’ll also get to understand the quality of the groundwater and how fast the well will refill itself.
Can a well be dug anywhere?
Yes, a well can always be dug anywhere in your yard. However, to achieve the best results and avoid experiencing shallow groundwater over time, avoid opting for just anywhere for the construction of your well.
Apart from experiencing shallow groundwater, digging your water well just anywhere could also lead to you having contaminated water. The best way to avoid that is by talking to a hydrogeologist to help you choose the best location and chemically analyze the water in the area.
According to a study, the type of soil on the surface ground of the location you’re looking to construct the water well can also prevent contamination from penetrating.
With sandy soil, a large amount of rainwater can seep in and carry dissolved contaminants to affect the quality of the groundwater.
On the other hand, having clay soil, silt, and fine sand around the location could help to prevent contaminants from percolating through and affecting the quality of the groundwater.
The simple reason for that is that clay and the other soils have extremely small particles, which help to slow down the movement of contaminants into the well.
The bottom line is that a well can always be dug anywhere. However, to achieve the best results, such as getting quality groundwater in large quantities, you need to avoid opting for just anywhere for the water well. Instead, contact a hydrogeologist to help you use various scientific techniques to choose a suitable area for the well.
Where is the best place to drill a well?
When it comes to the construction of a water well in your yard, you need to put several factors into consideration. For instance, the topography and soil type of your yard are important factors to consider.
As earlier mentioned, it’s not ideal to construct your domestic water well in an area where the soil type is sandy. The reason for that is simple; sandy soils have large pore spaces between individual particles. These spaces make it possible for water and contaminants to percolate through the soil and affect the water underground.
That said, to avoid getting contaminated groundwater, the best place to dig your water well is on the land area with clay soil, silt, or fine sand.
That’s not all; having your water well located in an area with water-loving plants, such as willows is not ideal. This is an indication that you’ll only get shallow groundwater.
Instead, you can consider locating your water well in areas where water is at the surface. For example, you may consider opting for a location with seeps, springs, lakes, streams, and rivers.
How much does it cost to have a water well dug?
How much it cost to dig a water well depends on the depth of the well and a couple of factors. According to HomeGuide, the cost of digging a well is usually between $15 to $25+ per foot.
A properly drilled water well should be about 60 feet and above. Let’s assume you’re going for 60-foot water well, it means you will have to pay about $900 to $1500 or more to have your water well dug.
Of course, this estimation doesn’t include the cost of installing the pump and adding other features.