Is it better to have a deep well or shallow well?
shallow wells will vary depending on the needs of your property and the size of your budget. While deep wells are more protected against drought and contaminants, they also carry a higher price tag. You may have excellent resources for many shallow wells on your property that would cost you less to have placed.
Are shallow wells any good?
Shallow wells are less likely to experience naturally occurring contamination from radon or arsenic, but they are more susceptible to bacteria contamination. Shallow wells can also experience iron, manganese and taste and odor problems. If you suspect any of these problems, get your water tested immediately.
How deep can you go with a shallow well?
A shallow well pump can only draw water from a maximum depth of about 20', and for these shallow water table depths, 1-1/4” diameter well pipe is sufficient. A deep-well pump installation is necessary if the water table is deeper than about 20'.
How long does a shallow well last?
How long do shallow well (centrifugal pumps) last? A shallow well pump is also called a centrifugal pump and is used above ground on wells with a high water table. These pumps generally last for 8 to 10 years as they don't have much pressure put on them to perform.
How do they keep shallow wells from collapsing?
They are lined (cased) with stones, brick, tile, or other material to prevent collapse. Dug wells have a large diameter, are shallow (approximately 10 to 30 feet deep) and are not cased continuously. Driven wells are constructed by driving pipe into the ground.
Do shallow wells dry up?
As a result, shallow wells are usually more susceptible to drought than deeper wells. Shallow, hand-dug wells, for example, are often the first wells to dry up during drought. Although deeper wells may be slower to suffer from drought conditions, they may also take longer to recover after a drought has occurred.
Can a shallow well be dug anywhere?
The simple answer to Connie's question is yes. You probably can drill your own well on your property. You, of course, would have to contact your local building department to see if there are any regulations that must be followed.
Whats considered a shallow well?
A shallow well is a hole which has been dug, bored, driven, or drilled into the ground for the purpose of extracting water from aquifers near the ground surface. • A well is considered to be shallow if it is less than 50 feet deep.
How do well drillers know when they hit water?
How do you know when you hit water? We have a huge air compressor on the rig that blows air down the drill stem. The air comes back up the hole with enough force to move all cuttings up and out of the hole. If the well is producing water, the water will come too.
What is the average cost of a shallow well?
between $1,800 and $3,000The average cost to dig a shallow well is between $1,800 and $3,000, or $5 to $10 per cubic yard depending on the depth of the water table. Shallow wells are typically 25' to 50' deep, 3 to 10 feet in diameter, and are best in areas without rocks or any bedrock.
Do wells ever dry up?
Groundwater depletion can also cause wells to run dry when the top surface of the groundwater – known as the water table – drops so far that the well isn't deep enough to reach it, leaving the well literally high and dry.
How long does it take for a shallow well to fill back up?
Well water can replenish at a rate of 5 gallons per minute on average, but it will vary. It depends on the age of your well, how long you've been using it, the well's location or geology, and the aquifer the well taps into to replenish its water level.
Can you use a shallow well for drinking water?
Shallow and older wells may have a higher risk of contamination. Wells less than 100 ft deep lack the soil thickness to adsorb contaminants seeping into the ground, while older wells may not have a good seal around the well casing, a watertight cap, or may not have a well casing that extends above ground.
How long does it take for a shallow well to replenish?
A shallow well, which is covered in a sand and gravel geological formation, will have one or more recharges within 24 hours. Some shallow wells can also be recharged quickly by a stream.
What is the average cost of a shallow well?
between $1,800 and $3,000The average cost to dig a shallow well is between $1,800 and $3,000, or $5 to $10 per cubic yard depending on the depth of the water table. Shallow wells are typically 25' to 50' deep, 3 to 10 feet in diameter, and are best in areas without rocks or any bedrock.
What is a shallow well used for?
A shallow well is a hole which has been dug, bored, driven, or drilled into the ground for the purpose of extracting water from aquifers near the ground surface.
Why are shallow wells bad?
One of the downsides of shallow wells is that they tend to carry a higher risk of running dry, especially in arid climates. Drought-prone areas can experience a sustained lowering of the water table over the course of years, which means a shallow well may eventually be too shallow to reach the water.
Why are shallow wells better than submersible wells?
The benefits of shallow wells is that they are less expensive due to lower labor and material costs. Your well pump for this setup is not submersible, which means it must be placed above ground in well housing. Fortunately, this means it is easier to access and service should any maintenance be needed. Also, shallow wells can have lower levels of ...
Why are deep wells important?
In fact, properly constructed deep wells typically offer a much higher level of protection from bacterial contaminants near the surface. This is because there is a longer path to the surface. The longer water is subsurface, the better chance any bacteria will get trapped by ...
What happens if you don't drill a well?
However, if your well is not drilled deep enough, you can run into much more expensive problems later on, making them more cost-effective in the long run. Deeper wells usually mean more minerals in your water. This can be annoying, but you can easily fix the problem with the installation of a water softener.
How deep should a well be dug?
A professional driller can check your water table to figure out the depth to which the well should be dug, from 25-50 feet.
What does it mean when a well is deep?
Deeper wells usually mean more minerals in your water. This can be annoying, but you can easily fix the problem with the installation of a water softener.
Why is there a longer path to the surface?
The longer water is subsurface, the better chance any bacteria will get trapped by rock and sediment or die off before reaching the surface. Deep Wells Vs.
How deep are wells?
Dug wells have a large diameter, are shallow (approximately 10 to 30 feet deep) and are not cased continuously. Driven wells are constructed by driving pipe into the ground. Driven wells are cased continuously and shallow (approximately 30 to 50 feet deep). Though driven wells are cased, they can be contaminated easily because they draw water ...
What is the best pump for a deep well?
Jet Pumps are the most commonly used pumps for shallow wells (depth of 25 feet or less). Jet pumps are mounted above ground and use suction to draw water from the well. Submersible Pumps are the most commonly used pumps for deep private wells. The pumping unit is placed inside the well casing and connected to a power source on the surface.
What are the different types of wells?
Types of wells 1 1 Dug/Bored wells are holes in the ground dug by shovel or backhoe. They are lined (cased) with stones, brick, tile, or other material to prevent collapse. Dug wells have a large diameter, are shallow (approximately 10 to 30 feet deep) and are not cased continuously. 2 Driven wells are constructed by driving pipe into the ground. Driven wells are cased continuously and shallow (approximately 30 to 50 feet deep). Though driven wells are cased, they can be contaminated easily because they draw water from aquifers near the surface. These wells draw water from aquifers near the surface. 3 Drilled wells are constructed by percussion or rotary-drilling machines. Drilled wells can be thousands of feet deep and require the installation of casing. Drilled wells have a lower risk of contamination due to their depth and use of continuous casing.
Why are driven wells contaminated?
Though driven wells are cased, they can be contaminated easily because they draw water from aquifers near the surface. These wells draw water from aquifers near the surface. Drilled wells are constructed by percussion or rotary-drilling machines. Drilled wells can be thousands of feet deep and require the installation of casing.
What is the best material for a well casing?
The most common materials for well casing are carbon steel, plastic, and stainless steel.
What is the purpose of a well casing?
Well Casing is the tube-shaped structure placed in the well to maintain the well opening from the target ground water to the surface. Along with grout, the casing keeps dirt and excess water out of the well. This helps prevent contaminants from less desirable groundwater ...
What is a well cap?
Well caps are usually made of aluminum or plastic. They include a vent to control pressure during well pumping. Well Screens are attached to the bottom of the casing to prevent too much sediment from entering the well. The most common well screens are continuous slot, slotted pipe, and perforated pipe.
Why is shallow water more vulnerable to contaminant exposure?
The shallower the water source is, the more vulnerable it is to contaminant exposure. This is because they won’t have to travel much into the ground to seep in.
How far away from livestock yards should a well be?
It is recommended for wells to be constructed at least 50 feet away from livestock yards and septic tanks.
Where Does Well Water Come From?
Private wells are installations that allow people to tap into aquifers.
Why is groundwater contaminated?
For one, it can pick up elements such as heavy metals from the rocks that it passes through. Pollutants, such as household and factory waste, can seep into the ground and compromise it.
How to minimize contaminants in groundwater?
In addition, observe the direction of rainwater flow. You’d want it to be flowing away from your well. This will minimize the contaminants that can potentially seep into your groundwater.
What are the kits for well water?
As for well water, they are currently offering three kits: Essential, Advanced, and Extended Well Water Test.
How many people get their water from a private well?
There are 13 million households that get their drinking water through the private wells installed in their property. The question is, is it safe to drink well water?
How to keep well water safe?
Proper maintenance of your well will help keep your drinking water safe. The EPA recommends regularly inspecting your well for cracked or corroded well casings, a broken or missing well cap, and settling and cracking of surface seals. Periodically check any underground storage tanks that hold home-heating oil, diesel or gasoline for leaks. Make sure your well is well protected from the wastes of pets, wildlife and farm animals. Minimize use of fertilizers and pesticides, which can leach into ground water.
How to prevent a well from leaking?
Make sure your well is well protected from the wastes of pets, wildlife and farm animals. Minimize use of fertilizers and pesticides, which can leach into ground water.
How far away should a well be from a septic tank?
Location of Well. The EPA recommends that wells be 50 feet away from septic tanks and livestock yards, 100 feet from petroleum tanks and liquid-tight manure storage and 250 feet from manure stacks. Your well should also be located so that rainwater flows away from it.
What is the best way to remove contaminants from well water?
Water Filters. Filters and other private purification systems can help remove contaminants in well water. Those that use carbon filters remove lead and some heavy metals. Others, such as reverse-osmosis systems, strip out contaminants not necessarily caught by carbon filters.
Why are wells susceptible to nitrates?
Wells near septic systems and livestock are susceptible to nitrates because they derive from human and animal waste. As of 2010, private labs charge $10 to $20 to test for these contaminants, but your local health department may test for free, according to the EPA.
Is it safe to drink well water?
Most well water is safe to drink, but there can be health risks associated with well water used for drinking. Well water may contain microorganisms and chemicals that could make you sick.
Why do wells need to be deep?
Deeper wells that are properly constructed (including grout, casing, well cap, and pitless adaptor [in freezing climates]) usually provide guaranteed protection from bacterial contamination sources originating at the surface. Increasing the well depth and the length of well casing will result in a longer flow path of water from recharge at the surface to pumping from the well. The longer the length of time water is in the subsurface, the more opportunity there is for bacteria to die-off or be trapped by soil and rock.
How to determine how much water is stored in a well?
Once a well is drilled, the total depth, depth to the top of the ground water table (static level) and diameter of the well determine how much water will be stored within the well cavity. The larger the well diameter the more water will be stored for a given well depth and water table elevation. To find the “thickness” of the water stored in ...
What is grouting in a well?
Proper grouting (sealing) around the outside of the well casing in combination with a vermin-proof well cap , prevents surface water and bacteria from using the well hole itself as a pathway directly to the water table. Well depth plays a role in pump placement. Pumps should never be set directly at the bottom of a well.
How far up should a well pump be from the bottom?
Well depth plays a role in pump placement. Pumps should never be set directly at the bottom of a well. It is usually best to place the pump 10 to 20 feet up from the bottom of the well.
When was the American Ground Water Trust article published?
This article, written by the American Ground Water Trust was originally published in THE AMERICAN WELL OWNER, 2002 , Number 2]
Can you determine the depth of a well before drilling?
Most of the time, however, the depth needed to find the required well yield cannot be determined accurately prior to drilling. A well is an engineered hole in the ground via which ground water can be brought to the surface. Drilling machines can drill to great depths. Deeper wells usually cost more than a shallow well to construct in the short-run.
Is it cheaper to drill a deep well or a shallow well?
Deeper wells usually cost more than a shallow well to construct in the short-run. However, not drilling deep enough can result in later problems that will be much more expensive to fix. Listed below are some of the factors that may influence decisions about the depth of a water well.
