How Do You Locate the Well Site?

There are many factors to consider. The first factor is legally mandated setbacks. The well must be 50 feet from septic tank and sand filter, and 100 feet from the drain field. In Oregon, wells must be five feet from a structure and 10 feet from power lines. We recommend placement at least 10 feet from a structure or storage tank. Many times, a well that should be deepened cannot be because the equipment cannot get close enough. We also suggest that wells be located, where possible, at least 100 feet from wells on a adjoining property. By giving this clearance, we allay some of the fear of well interference that an adjoining owner may imagine and act as a concerned neighbor would.

Topography, specific knowledge of nearby geologic formations, and the yields of wells in the vicinity may suggest a preferred location or direction for drilling. Where possible, wells should be up slope from septic systems and outside county and state highway right of ways, which may be much wider than the existing road. If you drill near a creek or river, the setback distance will be determined by a need to keep the well out of the flood way and to prevent drill cuttings from contaminating the habitat.

Accessibility to well drilling equipment is a factor. To safely move drilling equipment into position, it may be necessary to create a road, bridgework, or drilling pad. After drilling, well sites need to remain accessible for pump cranes and the possibility of a future deepening. Consider how you plan to develop, grade, and landscape the property when picking a site.

Does Well "Witching" or "Dowsing" Work?

There is no scientific evidence that water dowsing works, and there is at least one controlled experiment that establishes that dowsing predicts no better than chance. Here are some other things to consider. The amazing stories of dowsing success are passed along anecdotally. There are no written records of a dowser's predictions or their results. There are no certifications or standards to be met before one can hold themselves out as a dowser. Anyone can claim to be a dowser. There are no standards by which to judge whether the dowser's prediction was accurate or not; in fact, many of them decline to say how much water you will get or how deep to drill to find it. The fact that banks and lending institutions do not issue purchase money or building loans based solely on a dowser's prediction of water provides a clue to its reliability.

That said, it is also true that dowsers are well meaning folks anxious to help their neighbors find water. Their predictions help relieve the anxiety of an expensive undertaking in an uncertain world, and allow owners and drillers to delegate the responsibility for site selection. 

Does Rotary Drilling Plug Off Water?

Air rotary drillers advance the bit by injecting water, along with compressed air, to clean the well bore and lift rock chips to the surface. Water in bedrock crevices and fractures is often under pressures high enough to push the water up the well substantially above the depth where it is found. It is unlikely that air drilling seals that water out. Mud rotary drillers, however, use a bentonite clay fluid to support the walls when drilling material that heaves or caves in, such as saturated clays, gravel, or boulders. The fluid creates a cake that stabilizes the walls and it will seal off water until the cake is removed by post-drilling development. 

How Do Drillers Tell How Much Water The Well Will Produce?

The compressed air that drillers use to drive their bits also lifts the water the well is producing. The water is captured so that it all flows into a ditch and through a test pipe, and it is timed with a stopwatch as it fills a measured container. Using compressed air as a "pump" results in turbulent flow and may restrict entry of water into the well. For this reason the drillers' report may be lower than the flow observed by other pumping methods, especially for low yielding wells. Drillers test for one hour. Longer pumping tests may be advisable depending how the water is to be used.

What Is "Hydrofracking"? How Does It Help?

Hydro fracturing injects water under very high pressures (1500-2000 psi) into the exposed rocks below the casing. Pump and liners must first be removed. The water pressure can remove sediment in cracks and crevices that may be restricting the flow of water into the well; it can also widen cracks and improve their flow characteristics. It cannot "create" water where it does not exist. The process works best in hard rocks, such as granite. In soft rocks, such as claystone or volcanic tuff, the high pressures create the risk of collapse. Hydro fracturing has resulted in significant well flow improvements. Multiples as high as 800 or 1000 percent have been recorded, but when the initial well flow is modest, expectations for total improvement must be realistic. For example, a well that produces 100 gallons a day may produce 800 gallons after hydro fracturing. This may support normal household needs when used in conjunction with a storage tank, but it is still only a ½ gpm well.

At this time, there are no local providers of hydro fracturing services. Please contact us if you need more information.