DIY Well Digging

Rotary augers are used to dig wells.

If you own land outside the boundaries of a city, you might not have access to a municipal water supply of any kind. You might also want to use private water for irrigation. In either case, if you need to use private water, you must dig a well. Most people choose to hire a professional to dig their wells, but this is a project you can tackle yourself with the right equipment and the appropriate knowledge. Hand-dug wells are still an option, but the powered tools now available can greatly speed the well-digging process.

Things You'll Need

• Well auger
• Well screen
• Well casing
• Well grout
• Well grout pump

Instructions

1. Decide where you want to drill the well. Look for signs that indicate the location has water close enough to the surface to reach with a well. Sandy soil, rather than rocky, is one quality to look for. Broad-leaf trees or reeds that seem concentrated in an area of your land also indicate the potential of ground water being within reachable distance. Choose an area with a lower elevation if possible to start your well closer to the level of the water table.

2. Drill a hole using a well-digging hand-auger or a rented well-drilling power auger until you hit water. If you hit rocks along the way that you can't maneuver around by slightly angling the auger, you should either contract a professional for assistance or try drilling in another location.

3. Attach a well screen to the bottom length of your well casing.

4. Insert a well casing into the hole that you've dug. Steel or plastic casings can be purchased from agricultural supply stores. Buy a casing that is 1 or 2 inches narrower than the hole that you've dug.

5. Insert the grout tube into the space between the outer edge of your well's hole and the casing. Pump grout into that opening until it fills up all of the air space and reaches the surface. Don't ever just pour grout in from the top of the well.

Tips & Warnings

• Other methods of drilling wells are also available, such as cable-tools, rotary systems that use water to help drill the well and pointed pipes that are hammered into the ground. Any of these systems could be used to dig the well.

• Never build a well without first looking into the local regulations that affect private wells. Usually, regulations dictate minimum distances that a well must be located from other features on your property. You also typically require a permit before building a well. Always have your private water professionally tested if using it for anything other than garden or crop irrigation.

References

• Lifewater: Deciding Where to Drill
• University of California: Water Well Design and Construction
• American Ground Water Trust: How Wells Are Drilled
• Baltic Agricultural Run-Off Action Programme: How to Dig and Take Care of Wells
• Minnesota Department of Health: Well Owner's Handbook: A Consumer's Guide to Water Wells in Minnesota

Resources

• Kansas Geological Survey: Drilling a Water Well on Your Land: What You Should Know
• Surechem: Drilling Sets for Shallow Wells
• USGS Georgia Water Science Center: Groundwater: Wells