How to Figure Out Where to Drill a Water Well

Deciding where to drill a well is one of the first steps of building a home on undeveloped land. A well must be drilled in areas where you can not directly tap into a spring, catchment system or municipal water supply. A well is drilled by boring a hole, usually 4 inches in diameter, into the earth until the water table is reached. Individuals sometimes drill and do not reach water. To increase the odds of getting water from a well, it is important to make an educated decision on where to drill.

Instructions

1. Use a dowser to locate the water table on your property. Employing a dowser or "water witch" is a highly debatable but common practice when drilling wells. A dowser is an individual who uses the vibrations of a wishbone-shaped willow branch to find water on a piece of property. The dowser claims that the willow branch will be drawn to the ground when it is placed over water that is underground.

2. Investigate the vegetation on your property. Broad-leaved trees, willows, reeds and other water-loving plants tend to grow where water is closer to the surface. Especially in arid regions, use aerial photos or visually inspect your property and determine where the highest abundance of water-loving plants is located. This can be clue as to where the water table may flow on your property.

3. Check local codes. Wells must be placed in areas where they will not become contaminated by surface flows, existing or future proposed buildings, or septic and sewer lines. Building and well codes limit where a well can be placed and should be consulted to determine potential locations for your well.

4. Observe the topography of the landscape. Water tends to collect more in valleys, gaps and depressions where the water table is easier to reach. Drilling in a lower spot on your property can save you money because you won't have to drill as deeply. Drillers charge by the foot, so go as low as you can go because every foot counts.

5. Search for springs on your property. Springs are great indicators of how and where the water table runs on your property. If you find a spring, consider building a spring box to capture the spring water for your water supply and save the time and expense of drilling a well.

6. Have a geological survey done on your property. Rocks and soil contain hidden clues that can be deciphered by a professional geologist to determine where the water table is most likely located on your property. The presence or absence of gravels can be indicators that the water table can be reached in a certain area. Stress fractures on rocks can also indicate the presence of water below them. A geological survey is a quick and inexpensive way to test your property and discover where the water table is hidden.

References

• Lifewater.ca: Deciding Where To Drill
• Virginiawelldrilling.com: FAQ

Resources

• Welldrilling.com: Search for Drillers
• Stanford Exploration Project: Water Witching Works