A well is an artificial hole dug in the ground to reach liquid resources present under it; the most sought after is water: about 97% of global fresh water is found in underground aquifers (or aquifers) and, for example, in the United States some 15 million homes have wells. Water wells could be dug simply to monitor water quality, or as a source of heating or cooling, as well as to supply drinking water, when treated. Drilling a well could be done in one of several ways described below, but first there are several things to consider.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Design a Well
Step 1. Consider the costs and benefits of drilling a well, versus a piping system or an external supply
Digging a well involves an initial cost greater than that required to connect to a public water supply, together with the risk of not finding enough water, or of sufficiently good quality, and the constant expense of pumping the water and maintaining the well. However, sometimes groundwater management offices may make citizens wait for years before allowing connection to a public reservoir, thus making well digging a viable option if an aquifer is available. fairly rich aquifer and at a reasonable depth.
Step 2. Collect information on the specific location on the property where the well will be dug
You will need to know the region, the district, the extension and the neighborhoods to access the cadastral and geological archives.
Step 3. Find out about the wells that were dug on the property in the past
The depth of the wells previously dug in the area and whether or not water was found will be reported in the geological records. The documentation can be accessed by going to the appropriate provincial offices. This can help you determine the depth of the water table, as well as the location of any neighboring aquifers.
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Most of the aquifers are at the same depth as the water table; these are called "unconfined aquifers", since all the matter above them is porous. Confined aquifers are covered by non-porous layers which, although they push the water level above the upper end of the aquifer, are more difficult to drill.
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Step 4. Consult the geological and topographic maps
Although less useful than drilling records, geological maps can show the generic location of aquifers, as well as rock formations in the area. The topographic maps show the characteristics of the surface and their altitude; these surveys can be used to plan the position of the wells. Together, they can determine whether an area has sufficient groundwater to make drilling a well feasible.
The phreatic level is not uniform, but partly follows that of the ground. It is closer to the surface in valleys, particularly in those carved by rivers or streams, while it is more difficult to reach at higher altitudes
Step 5. Ask questions of those who live near the property
Many of the oldest wells are undocumented, and even if they are recorded in the archives, someone who lived nearby already at that time may remember how much water those wells produced.
Step 6. Get help from a consultant
The staff of the relevant offices may be able to answer general questions and direct you to additional resources, in addition to those mentioned therein. If you need more detailed information, you may need a professional hydrologist.
- Start by contacting local companies, especially the most recognized ones.
- You may want to consider consulting a diviner to help you choose the best seat. A diviner is a person who is able to detect the presence of an underground stream through the use of a forked wooden rod.
Step 7. Obtain all necessary permits for drilling
Consult the appropriate municipal and regional bodies to understand which permits you need before starting the drilling of a well, and find out about the rules that regulate it.
Method 2 of 2: Dig the Well
Step 1. Auger away from potential contaminants
Livestock farms, underground fuel tanks, waste disposal systems and septic tanks can contaminate groundwater. The well should be drilled in an easily accessible place for its maintenance and located at least one and a half meters from the construction site.
Each state has specific regulations to follow and respect. Make sure you have everything in compliance
Step 2. Choose the most appropriate construction method
Most wells are drilled, but these can also be dug or made by driving a special pointed tool into the ground, if the conditions are right. Drilled wells can be drilled with an auger or a rotating cable, dug with a percussion cable or eroded by means of high pressure water jets.
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The wells are dug when there is sufficient water near the surface and there are no dense rocks that interfere. After having dug a hole, with shovels or motorized equipment, a cavity is lowered into the aquifer and the well is then sealed to avoid contamination. Because these are shallower than wells drilled or made by sticking, they are more likely to dry up when a period of drought lowers the water table.
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The wells are obtained by connecting a steel tip to a rigid cover or to a perforated pipe, which is in turn connected to solid pipes. An initial hole is dug, wider than the pipe; then the whole is planted in the ground, twisting it sporadically in order to keep the connections firmly, until the tip penetrates the aquifer. The wells can be conducted manually up to 9 meters deep and artificially up to 15. Since the pipes used are of reduced diameter (from 3 to 30 centimeters), multiple wells are obtained in this way, to supply a sufficient quantity of water.
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Drills can consist of rotating containers or continuous axes, and can be operated manually or by motor devices. These work best in sufficiently clayey soils, which support them better, while they do not perform well in sandy soils or on dense rock surfaces. Drilled wells can reach from 4.5 to 6 meters deep if manually dug and go up to 37.5 meters through the use of powered drills, with a diameter that varies between 5 and 75 centimeters.
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Rotary cable drills emit fluid from the holes located in the tip to make drilling easier and pump out waste. These can reach up to 300 meters deep, opening holes of a width ranging from 7.5 to 30 centimeters. While they are capable of drilling most materials faster than other drills, they encounter problems with rock and the drilling fluid makes it difficult to identify materials found from the aquifers.
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Percussion cables work like post drivers, with a compressed air hammer moving up and down the cable to pulverize the perforated ground. As with rotary cable augers, water is used to dissolve and remove interfering materials. Percussion cables can reach the same depths as rotating cables, albeit slower and at greater cost, but they can break materials that would slow down the tips of rotating cables.
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The high-pressure water jets use the same equipment as rotary cable drills, except the tip, since the water performs both the task of drilling the hole in the ground and that of blowing out the residues of the drilled material. This method takes only a few minutes, but the wells thus obtained cannot be deeper than 15 meters, and the water used for drilling must be treated to prevent contamination of the aquifer once it has penetrated the groundwater level.
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Step 3. Complete the pit
Once the well has been drilled, a cavity is inserted to prevent the water from eroding the walls of the well and thus being contaminated. It is usually smaller in diameter than the well opening and is sealed with a filler material, commonly clay or concrete. The cavity usually reaches a depth of at least 5.5 meters and could cover the entire well, when dug in soft or sandy soils. Barriers are inserted into the cavity to filter sand and gravel, then the well is plugged with a sterilizing seal and, unless the water is already compressed, a pump is attached to bring the water to the surface.
- Sometimes, for the interspace, a drilling tool is inserted so that by slowly extracting it, it is possible to determine the depth of the watercourse. Using the low intensity auger compressed air, it manages to cut a "slice" of the cavity several times, creating an opening into which the water flows.
- In sandy soils, a 1 to 3 meter length drill could be used. This particular type of probe has a section with a laser-cut metal cover welded to the tip, about 3 meters away. In the case of extremely sandy soils, a PVC pipe and barrier are inserted into the metal cavity. This improves the sand filtration process.
