How to drilling a well

The process of designing and constructing a water well begins when you make arrangements with a licensed driller or with a professional consultant who designs the well and

oversees the work of the licensed driller. We strongly recommended against any reliance on dowsers or well witchers to locate a well site. Research shows no scientific or other

reliable basis to substantiate the use of water dowsing as a means to locate a well site. The driller or consultant finds a suitable location to meet the specified purpose of the

well and a preliminary design is established. Once the drilling rig is set up, the drillingprocess itself may last from a few hours (for a shallow, small-diameter well) to several weeks

(for a deep, large-diameter well). Sometimes, particularly for large production wells and where water quality is particularly important,

the driller will drill a small-diameter pilot hole before drilling the well bore. From information obtained from the pilot hole, a driller or consultant can determine aquifer formations

and groundwater quality at various depths and then optimize the final well design for the specific hydrogeological conditions at the site. Appropriate materials

(screen, casing, gravel) can then be ordered in a timely fashion prior to the final drilling. Once the well bore is drilled, the driller installs well casing and well screens and fills

the annulus around the casing with a gravel (filter) pack and the appropriate cement and bentonite seal to prevent water from leaking between uncontaminated and contaminated

aquifers or from the land surface into the well (bentonite is a special type of clay used to seal against water leaks). Then the driller develops the well (see Well Development),

implements an aquifer test, completes the sanitary seal of the well head, and installs a pump and power source. Proper design, construction, development, and completion of

the well will result in a long life for the well (as long as half a century or more) and efficient well operation.