How Deep Does a Well Need To Be?

 

Many people ask how deep their well should be. After all if there is water at 30 feet, shouldn’t we stop drilling? Let's find out.

 


How deep should a water well be? According to the Water Systems Council’s Wellcare program, the average consumer water well ranges between 100 and 800 feet, but some do reach over 1,000 feet deep. The purpose of drilling a water well is to find water, but there several things to consider when drilling.

1.     Contaminants

There may be water very shallow under the surface. The issue with this is there may be any number of contaminants from the surface accessing that water. Road salt, car exhaust, or anything else may seep into that water. Also, in times of drought, a shallow well is more likely to run dry.

2.     What Is In The Ground

When drilling, a contractor can go through several different layers of soil before hitting bedrock. There may be water available at a relatively shallow layer of soil, but this soil could be made up of clay, silt, or mineral deposits that will make your water harder and full of physical contaminants. This water can be made better by a filter in a water pump, but these contaminants will wear down said filter at a heightened rate.

3.     Lack Of Water

There may not be water until hundreds of feet down. Wells are usually estimated based on the depth of other wells close by. This allows a contractor to estimate where there is likely to be water, but there is no guarantee that your well will produce the same amount of water at the same depth as your neighbor across the road. When you receive an estimate for a well, make sure you budget for having to go deeper than expected while staying within your budget.

So the answer to how deep your well should be is, it depends. What is most important is that you find a trustworthy contractor who will only drill as deep as necessary to achieve the results you are looking for.

If you are looking for a well drilling contractor look no further than Amber Well Drilling, your water drilling professionals. For more information go to AmberWellDrilling.com or click HERE.

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