mud pump for 100 feet dug wells manufacturer

Greetings Tim & Charlott, below is a GPS link and information on the well we just installed in the honor of Tim & Charlott King! Your love and commitment has allowed our Clean Water 4 Life ministry to sink over 500 water wells for those in need here in the Solomon Islands! Here is a link to read my current newsletter with lots of pictures! http://www.rickrupp.com/newsletter.php

Togokoba SSEC Church & Community is approx 58 kilometers east of Honiara. It was a long bumpy drive to this village. I had to walk a long way to get to the place where they lived. They explained that their source of drinking water was the stream. They were so happy when I explained that our CW4L team was going to come sink a well right in their village. I tasted the well water several weeks later after our team had blessed them with a water well. It tasted so good! It was nice clean & cold water! It never ceases to amaze me that there is such a nice water table here in the rural areas of the Guadnacanal plains! I counted 10 houses in this community and the population is approx 80 people. Now they finally have a source of clean drinking water! These people have suffered for many years either drinking from an open hand dug well or from the stream. Togokoba SSEC Church & Community is very grateful to our CW4L sponsors.

The average water well in the foothills surrounding the Santa Clara Valley is a 10-inch bore with 5-inch PVC casing to a depth of 300 feet that will yield 10 to 20 Gallons Per Minute (GPM). The casing is a 5-inch diameter PVC-F480, SDR21 well casing, the “screened” casings are factory perforated with a .032” slot size. We typically install 20 feet of screen per 100 feet of cased well, with a cap on the bottom of the well. A gravel pack is deposited into the annular space between the earth and the casing, from the bottom of the borehole to within fifty-five feet of the surface. A sanitary surface seal consisting of bentonite grout or sand-slurry cement is then pressure pumped from the top of the gravel pack to the surface of the well (as per County requirements, the depth of the seal will vary in different geologic zones).

A common misconception is that bigger is better when determining the size of the well casing. Customers are often led to believe that a larger diameter casing will mean that their well will yield more water. Consider this, a 5-inch water well may produce up to 90 GPM if Mother Nature can supply the water. Therefore, a larger diameter casing will not supply more water, just more storage. Additional well screens and sand pack is not typically necessary but is recommended for certain locations and circumstances.

Our water wells are constructed according to the California Well Standards and the specifications set forth by the customer, Guardino Well Drilling and the local governing agency. All wells are chlorinated after completion of drilling in order to disinfect the casing and gravel pack. When your well is complete it will be ready for pump installation. All the necessary information concerning your well will be contained on the Water Well Completion Report to be issued upon receipt of payment.

It is the customer responsibility to check for easements and underground pipelines. We usually recommend that the well is placed at least ten feet from the customer’s property line to provide for future access. The exact location of the water well will be chosen by the customer. Guardino Well Drilling will offer suggestions as to where to place the well based on the topography of the land, neighboring wells, and known geologic conditions in the area. If requested Guardino Well Drilling will provide the customer with the names of local geologists who may be of assistance in locating a site for the water well.

We require a minimum 20’ x 40’ semi-level pad for our drilling equipment. The site must also be free from overhead trees and limbs and accessible for drill equipment, piping and maintenance. The road entering the site must be at least nine feet wide and have a clearance of fourteen feet for our equipment to enter the property, bridges entering the site will also be checked for weight capacities. We often tell customers that if a cement truck can get into the site, then so can we. You may also want to consider that the well will eventually require electricity and piping and will need to be accessible for servicing in the future.

Logging is the record of the geology encountered while drilling the water well. Logs are also used by Geologist and Engineers in the design phase of the well. Logging is generally taken in two forms; 1) A Drillers Log written by the driller 2) E-log which is performed after the borehole has been drilled.

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There are multiple methods to develop a water well, but the common denominator for each of them is energy. Energy must be produced to develop the well.

“Once you know these (rotary screw air) compressors, they’re pretty simple,” says Garth Owens, president of Drill Tech Drilling & Pump Inc. in Chino Valley, Arizona. “It’s not rocket science, but it is a precision unit.”

With approximately 15 rotary screw air compressors (two piston booster compressors) on six drill rigs or as auxiliaries on 10 pump hoists, Owens has learned the mechanical intricacies of them. He has rebuilt the compressors, changed their gear sets, and replaced them on rigs while passing along his knowledge to others in the industry.

“A lot of guys who are drilling don’t even have the right air to develop a well and they’ll throw a pump down there and just try to pump out the mud,” says Garth’s son, Nick, the manager at Drill Tech. “It destroys pumps and you’re never getting that mud wall cake off the walls behind the gravel pack to really get what the well’s producing.”

Nick Owens adds that another common mistake (see shaded box for a full list) contractors make comes down to the drilling products used. “A lot of guys drill with too much polymer and they never get their polymers out of the wells,” he says, “so sometimes you need things like chlorine to break down the polymers.

“You can drill too big of a well to where the annulus is too big, and you can’t get through the gravel pack to get the walls clean. That’s a big problem. A lot of guys think the bigger the hole they go, the more gravel the better, which isn’t necessarily good because you can never get enough annular velocity to get through the gravel pack and get that mud cake off. So, you’ve got to step back and look at the big picture of your annulus to your casing size to your gravel pack.

“Depending on what size drill pipe, what size borehole, what that annular space is between the drill pipe and the borehole determines the amount of your cubic feet per minute,” Garth Owens explains. “And then your pressure is determined by how deep you’re going to go. Every 2.31 feet of water is one pound of pressure you have to overcome, so basically, it’s a 2-to-1 ratio.

Today’s standard rotary screw air compressor rating is at least 900 cfm or 1000 cfm/350 psi. Thirty years ago, the standard was 450 cfm/250 psi or 600 cfm/250 psi.

For example, a 750 cfm/125 psi compressor is half the compressor of a 750 cfm/250 psi compressor because the contractor is compressing the air twice as tight. Therefore, with a 750 cfm/350 psi compressor, the contractor is compressing the air an additional 50%.

“For instance, for a 750/125 compressor, it’ll probably take 125 horsepower to run that. You go to 750/250, it’ll take you 300 horsepower. You go to 750/350, it’ll take 400 horsepower to do the exact same thing because you’re compressing tighter, tighter, and tighter it takes more horsepower to overcome that pressure. So, the higher the pressure, the more horsepower you need.”

To decrease the uphole velocity of 3000 feet per minute, some contractors use drill foam to clean the well at half the amount, 1500 feet per minute. “If you’re using foam and you’re filling that void, you’re taking half of that void away,” Garth Owens says. “You’re using half the air because you’re filling that void with an artificial substance. It’s going to foam up and blow out and then it’s going to evaporate and go away.”

The double-swabbed tool has perforations between the two swabs. Airlifting typically occurs through the drill pipe “from which the development swabs are suspended, so as the swabbing action brings suspended solids into the well, they are purged by the simultaneous airlift system,” writes Marvin F. Glotfelty, RG, in his book, The Art of Water Wells.

“The air comes out of the end of the drill pipe, comes up and hits that rubber swab which is the same diameter as the casing,” Garth Owens says, “and therefore all that air has to go out the perforations, blows into the gravel pack, spins that around in there, and cleans the gravel pack and cleans the borehole. Then the water comes up through the gravel pack and comes back to the perforations above your swab and comes out the top of the well.”

Glotfelty writes how this well development method is effective because “it provides both inward and outward energy to break down and remove the wall cake, without forming sand bridges in the adjacent formation.”

“We’ll actually create a vacuum and pull it between sections there,” Nick Owens says. “That’s why there’s a rubber swab above and below the holes. Typically, if you want to do an air swabber, you don’t need the rubbers because you’re just blowing it out through the perforated screen into the formation.”

The company’s high-velocity horizontal jetting tools allow it to adjust the amount of air it needs to push through them. “That way it’s blowing the air through the perforated screen, through the gravel pack, and then we’re trying to develop all that mud off there if it’s a mud hole,” Nick Owens says.

The company has an additional high-velocity jetting ball tool with approximately 20 holes each drilled to 3/16 inches around it. A high-pressure pump is used to pump freshwater down the well at 2000 psi.

“That will not only churn and turn that gravel, but it places that mud thinner all the way back to the borehole to knock off the wall cake,” Garth Owens says, “and once you’re done pressure jetting it, then you’ll come back and re-swab it and RC it all back out of there.”

Drill Tech, which had a backlog of approximately 100 wells and 30 pumps to install as of late July, stresses it all starts with the design of the well, drilling it correctly, using the right products, and not overusing polymers.

“If we’re RC drilling, we’ll mud up the top and then we’ll case the top off,” Nick Owens says. “There’s some wells out here where we live where the top 300 feet is all alluvium and there’s no water in it. We’ll mud those up, we’ll set a 300-foot surface casing, and we’ll RC drill the bottom out with just pure water because it’s just solid rock. So, we don’t use any product.

To drive home the importance of using the correct amount of product, Nick Owens recalls a large drilling company that installed two large municipal wells 10 years ago in central Arizona. It both drilled with and pumped too much polymer into the wells and was unable to get the polymer out. The wells produced 300 gpm.

“We drilled some other wells near them, and we got 1200 gallons per minute out of the wells and the aquifer just simply because of the development and not using polymers,” he says, “so [it’s] a big thing to make sure of the product when you’re drilling and make sure you’re using the right product that you can get back out—that’s the biggest thing.”

“Most guys will just trip their drill pipe straight in, blow it straight up the hole, and they’re done,” he shares. “But you’ll get a lot more water out of your well, you’ll pump a lot less sand, and you’ll have a much better production well with a higher pumping level if you clean that formation out and get every bit of that mud that you put in back out again. The only way to do that is with pressure through the perforations.”

While drilling in July in California, Garth Owens also noticed large amounts of gravel being put into large diameter wells drilled using the mud rotary method. “They think that the bigger the hole is, the more gravel they put in, the better it is, which is not true. What they don’t get is the bigger the hole gets, the worse development job you can do.

Low-cost gravel too has its disadvantages, with it being crushed and therefore angular. These angular pieces all wiggle together and lock together like chip seal on a highway in the well, according to Garth Owens. This causes a slowdown in the production of water.

“Most people don’t use any chemicals to break down that wall cake because it costs $250 a bucket,” he says, “so we’ll go out and drill a well that will make 500 gallons per minute, and our competition literally on the next lot is drilling 100 gallons a minute. And it’s simply because of the gravel pack and the development process.”

“Time is one factor, they want to get to the next job,” Garth Owens says. “Another factor is they don’t want to put a swab in to pressurize the perforations. The third thing is purchasing the cheapest gravel they can because they think they’re going to overcome all that by drilling a hole that’s one or two inches bigger in diameter and now all that other stuff is irrelevant.”

Install the largest gravel to have the most square inches of opening and the least friction for the water to come through but stop the finest particles of sand.

“If you don’t do it right, you can spend three or four days pumping sand because the gravel is too coarse. You put in too coarse of a filter and the sand just keeps flowing. It takes forever, if it ever does stop. Too coarse of a sand and it’ll never stop.”

For a high-pressure compressor, there are three gears in the bellhousing and two low-stage screws and two high-stage screws. The simplicity allows the compressor to last for an average of 10,000 hours.

For years, automatic transmission fluid (ATF) was the standard for lubrication on compressors. Today, synthetic compressor oil is used because they must run at about 225 degrees to 275 degrees to vaporize the water as it sucks moisture out of the air when drilling. “It sucks all that moisture into it and it rusts up all the bearings and gears,” Garth Owens says, “so by turning the thermostat up so hot, it vaporizes and burns the condensation out of it.

“There’s a water drain on the compressor that you drain every day, and it’s imperative that you keep the temperature up on a screw compressor for condensation reasons.”

“Typically, there’s three thousandths max tolerant in a screw compressor, so you really have to keep your air filters clean, your oil filters clean, and your oil good. When that tolerance starts to get loose, when you start getting a bearing wearing out or one of your screws starts wearing into the impeller of the compressor, when that tolerance starts to get loose at all, typically your oil temperatures skyrocket tremendously. It’ll run at 200 degrees for 10 years and then all of a sudden, you’re wondering why it’s running at 275 degrees and trying to cook the hoses off your rig.”

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If you"ve chosen to move out to an undisturbed, rural location, or you"re concerned about the quality of your local municipal water and want a healthier alternative, you may be interested in digging a water well. How do you know where to get started or know what you need to do. To help you on this DIY journey, our well pump repair company in Raleigh is walking you through how to dig a well.

Prior permission must be obtained from your local public health department, or, if it"s a 100,000 gallon a day well or are to be dug in a protected geographical area, the Environmental Management Commission needs to issue the permit.

Many people who are researching how to dig a well don"t realize how deep groundwater generally is below the surface of the earth as well as how difficult it can be to get to it. In North Carolina, most wells extend well beyond 100 feet deep and, because groundwater is filtered through silt, stone, and layers of minerals, you have to dig through all of that in order to access the groundwater in the first place. To know what you"re getting in to, it"s important to know what"s lying below the surface.

While you"re getting information about digging conditions, this is also a good time to know exactly where your septic or sewer lines are located. Contaminated groundwater can make you and your family dangerously sick, so it"s important to know exactly where the lines are located so you can dig your well at least 50 feet away from them. If you don"t feel confident where you are digging, it"s important to reach out to well drilling specialist, to ensure you don"t damage underground pipes.

This is a physically demanding, near impossible task that may be actually impossible if the soil is clay-heavy or has shallow bedrock. It involves literally pounding a length of pipe with a post digger down through the earth until it reaches the groundwater, which could be as much as 300 feet deep.

Using a pneumatic drill and an air compressor, you can literally drill through the dirt, rock, and other barriers and run as much as two or three hundred feet of PVC water pipe into the earth. This is still a long setup, sometimes taking days or even a few weeks to complete.

Using an auger or post-hole digger, dig down about five feet and cut the 8" PVC pipe to fit the hole with four inches sticking up from the ground. Next drill a 2" hole into the side of the exposed pipe and insert the 2" PVC.

Dig a shallow settling pond 10 feet away from the well that"s at least four feet wide and run an eight inch ditch connecting the pond to your well and run the 2" PVC pipe into the ditch and cover with dirt. This pipe"s job is to transfer clean water from the pipe into the drill hole.

Attach PVC pipe to the drill and secure it to prevent leaks. and run the other end of the pipe into the 55 gallon drum. This creates a space where mud and water can empty out.

Fill your well hole with water and turn on the drill before placing it into the hole. Move the drill up, down, and horizontally to help break up the soil.

Once you get the appropriate depth, case off the well by lowering in SDR 35 pipe until it"s the full depth of the well plus 3 feet above ground. You"ll keep it in place with concrete and pea gravel to prevent runoff from contaminating your well water.

Drilling your own well can be done, but it"s a lengthy, exhaustive process that involves having to buy a large quantity of materials, and give up days or weeks of your time. Instead of doing this yourself, reach out to us for professional well drillingand well pump installation in Raleigh. With decades of experience and state-of-the-art equipment, we can tackle any well quickly and efficiently so you can enjoy clean, fresh water into your home effortlessly!

A: Well drilling completion times vary from a half day to three days or longer.  Drilling time is affected by many factors including time to set up, difficult drilling formations and weather.  All of these factors vary from site to site and well to well.  These are also factors that we have no control over.  In addition, the time it takes to develop each well is different.  Because of these variables there is no way for us to give a fixed time for well completion.

Q: Yes. Artesian and Floridan Aquifer wells are permitted in your area. They can be drilled for several different purposes(home use, geothermal, irrigation, etc.). PWD drills many Floridan Aquifer wells and keeps a record of each one. Call our office for more information on Floridan Aquifer wells in your area.

A: Florida is fortunate to have one of the most porductive aquifers in the world, the Floridan Aquifer. When drilling a Floridan Aquifer well, PWD can guarantee the quantity of water the well will produce.

Unlike Floridan Aquifer wells, shallower wells access aquifers that have unpredictable characteristics. PWD will guarantee a minimum of 10 gallons per minute from wells other than Floridan Aquifer wells.

A: PWD has over 100 years of records of wells drilled in Northeast Florida. With your property address, we consult our records to see what wells are availble in your area.Floridan Aquifer wells are availble in all areas of Notheast Florida.

A:  “Salt & Pepper” wells, or  Intermediate wells are normally 3″ or 4″ in diameter and are drilled to depths of 220-320 feet. At this depth water is withdrawn from a aquifer that consist of clays and sands that resemble salt & pepper.

A: Part of the drilling process includes removing cuttings from the borehole we drill during well construction. To contain & dispose of the cuttings we usually dig two pits beside the drilling rig. These pits vary in size based on well size & depth. Generally they are +/- 3ft wide x 6ft long x 4ft deep. Drilling fluid is circulated through the pits where the cuttings settle out and the drilling fluid is reused. We will cover the pits when the well is complete.. For a period of time the covered pits will be soft.

If you do not want pits dug in your yard there is a solution. We can use portable above grade pits instead of digging the pits. When we use the above ground pits we also bring a vacuum tank to remove all of the drill cuttings and fluid from your yard. This does require an additional crew member, an additional truck, the vacuum tank to dispose of fluid and drill cuttings off site, therefore there is a charge for this service. We will be glad to price this service for you upon request.

A: Wells that “go dry” are generally shallow/surficial wells that are less than 50′. These wells depend on rainfall to replenish the water table. Partridge Well drills wells that are usually deeper and penetrate a confined aquifer. This means that our wells are not directly dependent on rainfall. The water level may rise and fall in these wells, but they do not go dry.

In cases where the power is lost or is not available and a pump is required to pull the water out of the well, PWD can install a pitcher pump or hand pump(pictured to the right) to access the water without power.

A: It is your choice.  We have to mix a drilling mud for the drilling process and dispose of it when we are finished  The mud(shown in this picture to the right) is composed of water, sand, and clay. Typically we pump this mud onto the property where the well is drilled. However, we do offer an upgrade where we can use a special truck to contain the drill mud and remove it from your property.

On average, drilling a water well costs$3,500–$15,000, depending on several geological and technological factors. You may be able to dig a shallow well yourself, but it’s best to hire a professional contractor for a well that will provide water for an entire home. This guide outlines the well installation process and its costs.

The deeper you need to dig, drill, or drive, the longer the job will take and the more labor it will require. Most residential wells need to be at least 50 feet deep and have an average depth of 300 feet, but how far you need to drill to hit water depends on geographic factors. Accessing state and local geological surveys and learning about existing wells in your area will give you a better idea of the depth you’ll need. The table below includes price ranges for various depths.

Shallow, residential water wells are the least expensive to dig or drill. Sand point wells, which are shallow and can be driven by hand or machine, are similarly inexpensive but don’t usually provide a home’s entire water needs. Geothermal wells are relatively inexpensive on their own, but installing one costs tens of thousands of dollars.

Artesian wells that drill into an aquifer are more costly to drill but less expensive to run. Irrigation wells are the most expensive because they handle the highest volume of water, though residential irrigation is much less pricey than commercial irrigation.

Digging is the least expensive way to create a well, but it’s limited to about 100 feet in depth. Digging can also be thwarted by highly compacted or rocky soil. You can create a shallow well of up to 50 feet by driving a small-diameter pipe into the ground and removing the soil from inside. However, most residential-scale well projects require a drill to excavate.

Well-casing pipe supports and protects the well’s walls, so it needs to be sturdy. This pipe is typically made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the most affordable option ($6–$10 per linear foot). Galvanized or stainless steel casing is also available for a premium ($30–$130 per foot). Steel may be necessary for earthquake-prone areas, as it’s much less susceptible to cracking and breaking. Casing pipe costs $630–$2,400 depending on its length.

Most wells need electrical wiring to operate the pump and pressure switch. These components aren’t expensive ($50–$150), but a licensed electrician needs to install them, costing $150–$500.

Some people assume that well water is cleaner than municipal water, but municipal water goes through a strict treatment process that water from private wells doesn’t. If you’re using a well for drinking water or other residential applications, you’ll need a purification system to rid the water of contaminants before you can use it. Whole-home water treatment systems cost $500–$3,000, plus another $200–$400 for installation.

Once the water is brought to the surface and purified, it needs to be stored and pressurized so you can use it in your home. A 2-gallon water tank can cost as little as $100, but if you’re going to use well water for most of your needs, you’ll probably need a large pressure tank that costs between $1,400 and $2,400.

One of the most critical parts of the well system is thewater pump, which brings groundwater to the surface. A hand pump for a shallow well can cost as little as $150–$500, but most electronic pumps cost between $300 and $2,000, depending on how powerful they are. A shallow well can sometimes use an aboveground surface pump, but a deep well usually requires a powerful, more expensive submersible pump that sits below the water line and pushes the water up. Some artesian wells can get away without using a pump system since the groundwater is already under pressure and may be pushed to the surface naturally.

Your location determines your climate, water table depth, and type and condition of the bedrock. It will also affect labor costs. For example, Florida is a relatively inexpensive place to dig a well because it has a high water table and an average cost of living. The price is higher in desert states like California, Texas, and Arizona.

You’ll need to check with your state and local government about permits for any project that involves digging in the ground. Permits can cost anywhere from $5 to $500 depending on where you live, but a well drilling company can help you determine which ones you need.

Before drinking water from your well, you’ll want to test its quality to make sure it’s safe. Do-it-yourself (DIY) water testing kitsare available for $50–$150, but if this is going to be your home’s primary water supply, you should hire a pro. This can cost between $100 and $500, but it’s well worth checking for the presence of viruses, bacteria, fungi, heavy metals, radon, pesticides, and other contaminants.

One benefit of installing your own well is that you’ll no longer need to pay municipal water bills. You’ll only need to pay for the electricity to operate the pump (about $3–$4 per month), plus maintenance costs of $100–$250 per year. Compared to a monthly utility bill of $20–$40, you can save up to $500 a year.

Well installation professionals have the tools and experience to drill plus install the casing, pump, well cap, and other hardware. They also know how to adjust the process if they encounter anything unexpected under the soil and can help you apply for permits. You’ll pay at least $1,500 in labor costs on top of the well equipment and may pay $10,000 or more for deep wells in poor soil conditions.

Digging or driving a shallow well in an area with a high water table is within the capability of dedicated DIYers. However, you must ensure you go deep enough to get to truly clean water beneath the contaminated runoff in the upper layers of soil. These shallow, driven wells also provide a limited water supply. You can rent a drill rig for $600–$800 per day for larger, deeper wells, but this will only give you the borehole; you’ll also have to install all the hardware yourself.

Wells require maintenance and occasionally require repair. Here are signs that you may need a professional well company to do an assessment. You may only have to pay a service fee if yourhome warranty covers well pumpsor well systems.

Drilled or dug wells can last as long as the walls hold up, but the equipment that runs them usually needs to be replaced every 20–30 years. The pump may fail, or the casing pipe may develop leaks. Replacements can cost up to $10,000 in materials and labor. You can extend your equipment’s lifespan by performing regular checks and maintenance or by hiring a well company to do these for you.

It’s also possible for a well to run dry. This isn’t likely or always permanent since aquifers and other sources may need time to fill back up. A well may fill with sediment over time, which will need to be pumped and cleaned out. In rare cases, you may need to dig deeper or find a different fracture to regain water flow.

It’s widely claimed that having a functional well will raise your property value, but there’s no data on how much of a return on investment (ROI) you can expect. The consensus is that a well that yields drinking water will add more value than an irrigation well, but a nonfunctional or contaminated well will be a liability. Wells are generally more valuable in rural areas or where people want to live off the grid.

Research your yard’s soil and the depth you’ll need to drill before purchasing a DIY well drilling kit. Just because the kit can go 100 feet into the ground doesn’t mean you’ll hit clean water.

It’s important to acknowledge that many DIY well drilling kits are sold within the “doomsday prepper” market. These kits are unlikely to be sufficient if you intend to use your well to fulfill most or all of your residential water needs. You’re better off at least consulting with local professionals who will know about your area’s geological features and water levels before starting the project. These professionals can help you make informed decisions about well installation.

A properly installed well can save you money on your utility bills and provide a private, unmetered water source. Make sure to budget for the drilling of the actual borehole and the equipment needed to pump and store the water, as well as water testing and purification if you intend to drink it. Your system should last for many years once it’s set up.

It can be worth it to install a well, depending on your needs and budget. Drilling a private well is a large investment, but if you live in a rural area or an area with poor water quality, it could increase your property value. Consult with local professionals before beginning to drill or dig.

The average well installation cost is $3,500–$15,000, including drilling and the casing, pump, and storage tank. Price can also depend on the depth of the borehole, ranging between $25 and $65 per foot.

The cost to hook a well up to a home’s plumbing system depends on the machinery used to pump and carry the water. Piping and electrical lines cost $50–$150 per foot, a purification system costs $300–$5,000, and a pressurized storage tank costs $1,400–$2,400.

The time it takes to install a well depends on its depth and the conditions of the soil and bedrock, but drilling can usually be completed in a day or two. Installing the pump system takes another day. After that, it depends on how long and extensive the pipes and electrical system need to be. The whole process should take about a week.

To provide procedural and substantive requirements for licensing, complaint procedures, continuing education, and technical standards for well drillers and pump installers, and to ensure the quality of the State"s ground water for the safety and welfare of the public under the Texas Occupations Code, Chapters 1901 and 1902.

(4) Apprentice--An individual registered by the department to act or offer to act as a driller or installer under the supervision of, and pursuant to a training program developed by the supervising licensed driller or pump installer.

(5) Atmospheric barrier--A section of cement placed from two feet below land surface to the land surface when using granular sodium bentonite as a casing sealant or plugging sealant in lieu of cement.

(6) Bentonite--A sodium hydrous aluminum silicate clay mineral (montmorillonite) commercially available in powdered, granular, or pellet form which is mixed with potable water and used for a variety of purposes including the stabilization of borehole walls during drilling, the control of potential or existing high fluid pressures encountered during drilling below a water table, and to provide a seal in the annular space between the well casing and borehole wall.

(7) Bentonite grout--A fluid mixture of sodium bentonite and potable water mixed at manufacturers’ specifications to a slurry consistency that can be pumped through a pipe directly into the annular space between the casing and the borehole wall. Its primary function is to seal the borehole in order to prevent the subsurface migration or communication of fluids.

(17) Completed monitoring well--A monitoring well which allows water from a single water-producing zone to enter the well bore, but isolates the single water-producing zone from the surface and from all other water-bearing zones by proper casing and/or cementing procedures. Annular space positive displacement or pressure tremie tube grouting or cementing (sealing) method shall be used when encountering injurious water or constituents above or below the zone to be monitored or if the monitoring well is greater than twenty (20) feet in total depth. The single water-producing zone shall not include more than one continuous water-producing unit unless a qualified geologist or a groundwater hydrologist has determined that all the units screened or sampled by the well are interconnected naturally.

(24) Edwards aquifer--That portion of an arcuate belt of porous, water bearing, predominantly carbonate rocks known as the Edwards and Associated Limestones in the Balcones Fault Zone trending from west to east to northeast in Kinney, Uvalde, Medina, Bexar, Comal, Hays, Travis, Williamson, and Bell Counties; and composed of the Salmon Peak Limestone, McKnight Formation, West Nueces Formation, Devil’s River Limestone, Person Formation, Kainer Formation, Edwards Formation and Georgetown Formation. The permeable aquifer units generally overlie the less-permeable Glen Rose Formation to the south, overlie the less-permeable Comanche Peak and Walnut formations north of the Colorado River, and underlie the less-permeable Del Rio Clay regionally.

(A) an air-conditioning return flow well used to return water that has been used for heating or cooling in a heat pump to the aquifer that supplied the water;

(36) Mud for drilling--A relatively homogenous, viscous fluid produced by the suspension of clay-size particles in water or the additives of bentonite or polymers.

(37) Offering to act--Making a written or oral proposal, contracting in writing or orally to perform well drilling or pump installing work, or advertising in any form through any medium that a person or business entity is a well driller or pump installer, or that implies in any way that a person or business entity is available to contract for, act as a driller or installer, or perform well drilling or pump installing work.

(39) Piezometer well--A well of a temporary nature constructed to monitor well standards for the purpose of measuring water levels or used for the installation of piezometer resulting in the determination of locations and depths of permanent monitor wells.

(42) Pollution--The alteration of the physical, thermal, chemical, or biological quality of, or the contamination of, any water that renders the water harmful, detrimental, or injurious to humans, animals, vegetation, or property, or to public health, safety, or welfare, or impairs the usefulness or the public enjoyment of the water for any or reasonable purpose.

(43) Positive Displacement method--The process in which the cement, bentonite or a combination of the two sealing materials is forced through the well casing followed by water or drilling fluids, via a mechanical pump and out through relief holes in the casing at the maximum depth of the zone to be grouted. The grout then returns under pressure to the surface through the annular space and upon curing or setting causing an annular seal.

(44) Potable water--Water which is safe for human consumption in that it is free from impurities in amounts sufficient to cause disease or harmful physiological effects.

(46) Recharge zone--Generally, that area where the stratigraphic units constituting the Edward Aquifer crop out, including the outcrops of other geologic formations in proximity to the Edwards Aquifer, where caves, sinkholes, faults, fractures, or other permeable features would create a potential for recharge of surface waters into the Edwards Aquifer. The recharge zone is identified as that area designated as such in official maps in the appropriate regional office of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

(48) Re-completion--The process to bring an existing well into compliance with §76.100 or §76.105 by installing any and all sanitary seals, safeguards, casing, grouting, and the re-setting of well screens as required.

(52) Tremie pipe method--The process in which a small diameter pipe or tubing is inserted in the annular space of the well to the maximum depth of the zone to be sealed, before the grouting procedure is commenced to pump sealing material through. The tubing or pipe may be retrieved during the grouting process, causing an annular seal.

(54) State of Texas Well Report (Well Log)--A log recorded on forms prescribed by the department, at the time of drilling showing the depth, thickness, character of the different strata penetrated, location of water-bearing strata, depth, size, and character of casing installed, together with any other data or information required by the executive director.

A person may not act or offer to act as a driller or pump installer unless the person is licensed or registered by the executive director pursuant to the Code, and this Chapter.

(a) An applicant must submit a completed application, the required fee, and have the required two (2) years of experience drilling wells or installing pumps.

(c) A licensee, not licensed to perform all types of well drilling and pump installation, may apply for endorsements. Applications for additional endorsements shall be accompanied by the appropriate application fee, and must contain all information required by this chapter for an initial license. Upon examination of the applicant"s qualifications, the executive director must deny or grant additional endorsements to an existing license.

(d) An applicant must have sufficient installation/drilling experience as set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) to be eligible to take each applicable endorsement examination.

(b) The application must include the applicant’s statement that he has drilled or installed pumps under supervision of a driller or pump installer licensed under the Code and this chapter.

(a) On or before the expiration date of the license, the licensee must pay an annual renewal fee to the department and submit an application for renewal.

(b) To renew a license as a driller or pump installer, a licensee must complete four (4) hours of continuing education in courses approved by the department. The continuing education hours must include the following:

(2) three (3) hours of instruction in topics directly related to the water well industry, including but not limited to well and water well pump standards, geologic characteristics of the state, state groundwater laws and related regulations, well construction and pump installation practices and techniques, health and safety, environmental protection, technological advances, or business management.

(c) To renew a registration as an apprentice, a registrant must complete a one (1) hour department-approved continuing education course dedicated to the Water Well Driller and Pump Installer statutes and rules.

(d) The continuing education hours must have been completed within the term of the current license or registration, in the case of a timely renewal. For a late renewal, the continuing education hours must have been completed within the one year period immediately prior to the date of the late renewal.

(f) Licensees and registrants must retain a copy of the certificate of course completion for one year after the date of completion. In conducting any inspection or investigation of the licensee or registrant, the department may examine the licensee’s or registrant’s records to determine compliance with this subsection.

(a) A person not licensed or registered to perform drilling or pump installing work may assist a licensed driller or pump installer, pursuant to the Code, provided that the unlicensed person is not primarily responsible for the drilling or installation operations, and provided that the unlicensed person:

(b) For purposes of this Chapter and the Code, a licensed driller or pump installer provides “direct supervision” to an unlicensed assistant if the licensed driller or pump installer

(2) is represented at the well site by the unlicensed assistant, capable of immediate communication with the licensed driller or pump installer at all times and the licensed driller or pump installer is no more than a reasonable distance from the well site, but no further than a two (2) hour arrival time; and

(c) The supervising licensee is responsible for direct supervision of the unlicensed assistant, and for ensuring that the unlicensed assistant performs drilling or pump installing work in compliance with the Code, and with this Chapter.

(d) Any allegation of a violation of this Chapter or the Code against an unlicensed person performing drilling or installing work as an unlicensed assistant to a driller without direct supervision, may be opened as a complaint against both the licensee responsible for supervising the unlicensed person, and the unlicensed person.

(a) A person who wishes to participate in a driller or installer apprentice program under the supervision of a licensed well driller and/or a licensed pump installer who has been licensed for a minimum of two (2) years, must submit a registration form to the department, provide a detailed copy of the training program, including the effective commencement and termination date, and provide proof that the licensed well driller and/or pump installer has agreed to accept the responsibility of supervising the training.

(2) Participate in an apprentice program developed by a licensed driller or installer who has been licensed as a driller or installer for at least two years;

(3) A detailed description of the training program, including the types of wells to be drilled and/or the classifications of pumps to be installed, the effective commencement and termination dates of the program, equipment used, safety training and procedures, and experience, knowledge, and qualification benchmarks while under the apprenticeship;

(4) A statement by the licensed driller and/or pump installer that the licensed driller or installer takes responsibility for the apprentice’s acts under the Code and this Chapter for the activities of the apprentice associated with the training program; and

(5) the signatures of the apprentice and the licensed driller and/or pump installer and the certification of the licensee and apprentice that the information provided is true and correct.

(a) A registered driller or pump installer apprentice may only accept bids in the name of the supervising licensee, or perform or offer to perform well construction under the Code or this Chapter that the supervising licensee authorizes in writing pursuant to the apprentice program.

(c) A supervising licensee is ultimately responsible for the drilling of a well or installation of a pump according to the Code and this Chapter. The licensee shall supervise the drilling activities of an apprentice, pursuant to the Code, this Chapter and the written apprentice program developed by the licensee.

(d) A registered driller or pump installer apprentice may not act or offer to act as a driller or pump installer except under the authority of a licensed driller or pump installer and according to the supervising driller or pump installer’s direction.

(f) A driller or pump installer apprentice must have the registration issued by the department in his possession at all times and must present the registration upon request.

(g) A complaint alleging a violation of this Chapter and the Code involving a person performing work as an apprentice, may be opened against both, the apprentice and the supervising licensee for failing to properly supervise the apprentice.

(1) Any person who, pursuant to 30 TAC, Chapter 334, Subchapter I, possesses a Class A or Class B Underground Storage Tank (UST) Installers’ license who drills observation wells within the backfill of the original excavation for UST’s, including associated piping and pipe trenches (tank plumbing and piping), to a depth of no more than two feet below the tank bottom. However, if the total depth exceeds twenty (20) feet below ground surface, a licensed driller is required to drill the well.

(3) Any person who installs or repairs water well pumps and equipment on his own property, or on property that he has leased or rented, for his own use.

(a) Within forty-five (45) days after receipt of an Injurious Water or Constituents Report, as described in §76.71, the department shall review the well report for corrective actions taken by the driller.

(b) If after its review, the department determines that no corrective actions have been taken, the department shall within thirty (30) days of making that determination, notify in writing the person having the well drilled, deepened or altered, to inform the person that the driller is required by law to ensure that the well is plugged, repaired or completed under the standards and procedures in this chapter.

(d) The permanent or temporary presiding officer may appoint any member of the council present to act for any other officer of the council who is not present.

Every well driller who drills, deepens, or alters a well, within this state shall record and maintain a legible and accurate State of Texas Well Report on a department-approved form. Each copy of a State of Texas Well Report, other than a department copy, shall include the name, mailing address, web address and telephone number of the department.

(3) The person that plugs a well shall, within thirty (30) days after plugging is complete, transmit electronically through the Texas Well Report Submission and Retrieval System or deliver or send by first-class mail, a copy of the State of Texas Plugging Report to the department. The person that plugs the well shall deliver, transmit electronically, or send by first-class mail a copy of the State of Texas Plugging Report to the groundwater conservation district in which the well is located, if any. The person that plugs the well shall deliver, transmit electronically or send by first-class mail a copy of the State of Texas Plugging Report to the owner or person for whom the well was plugged.

Each well driller or installer shall, within twenty-four (24) hours of becoming aware of the existence of injurious water or constituents, inform the landowner or person having a well drilled, deepened, or otherwise altered. The well driller or installer shall, within thirty (30) days of becoming aware of the existence of injurious water or constituents transmit electronically through the Texas Well Report Submission and Retrieval System or deliver or send by certified mail, the original of the Injurious Water or Constituents Report to the department. The well driller or installer shall also deliver or send by first-class mail a copy of the Injurious Water or Constituents Report to the groundwater conservation district in which the well is located, if any, and the landowner or person having the well drilled, deepened, or altered.

(a) All well drillers, installers and persons having a well drilled, deepened or altered, and persons in possession of abandoned or deteriorated wells, shall adhere to the provisions of the Code and this chapter prescribing the location of wells and proper drilling, completion, capping, repairing and plugging.

(b) A licensed driller shall ensure that when injurious water or constituents are knowingly encountered, the well is plugged or is converted into a properly completed monitoring well as defined in §76.10(35), and under the standards set forth in §76.104.

(d) If a landowner, or person having the well drilled, deepened or altered refuses to allow a licensed driller or installer access to the well which requires plugging, capping, repairing or completion or otherwise precludes the driller or installer from plugging, capping, repairing or completing a well where injurious constituents or water have been encountered, the driller shall, within forty-eight (48) hours of the refusal, file a signed statement to that effect with the department and provide a copy of the statement to the local groundwater conservation district. The statement shall indicate that:

(2) the driller or installer has informed the person having the well drilled, deepened or otherwise altered that injurious water or constituents were encountered and that the well must be plugged or completed pursuant to Texas Occupations Code, §1901.254 or §1902.253, and this chapter;

(e) A deteriorated well must be plugged. An abandoned well must be either capped or plugged. If a landowner or person who possesses an abandoned or deteriorated well fails to have the well plugged or capped under standards and procedures adopted by the commission within one hundred eighty (180) days from learning of its condition, the department shall notify the local groundwater conservation district and the department may initiate a contested case against the landowner or person for a violation of Texas Occupations Code, §1901.255.

(f) It is the responsibility of a landowner or person in possession of a well that is open at the surface, to have the well capped under standards set forth in §76.104, unless subsection (g) of this section applies.

(g) The driller of a newly-drilled well shall place a cover or cap which is not easily removed over the boring or casing if the well is intended to be left unattended without a pump installed. It shall be the responsibility of the pump installer to place a cap over the casing which is not easily removable if the well is intended to be left unattended with the pump removed.

(a) A licensed well driller shall complete a well intended for use with a public water system in accordance with 30 TAC, Chapter 290 (Rules and Regulations for Public Water Systems) and any other local or regional regulations.

(b) The landowner or person having the well drilled, deepened or altered that is intended for use as a part of a public water system shall comply with 30 TAC, Chapter 290 and any other local or regional regulations.

Licensees shall mark their well rigs and pump installer vehicles used by them or their employees in the well drilling or pump installer business with legible and plainly visible identification numbers.

(2) License numbers shall be printed, upon each side of every well rig or pump installer vehicle, not less than two (2) inches high and in a color sufficiently different from the color of the vehicle or equipment so that the license number shall be plainly visible.

(3) A licensee shall have thirty (30) days from the date a license is issued to properly mark all well rigs or pump installer vehicles used by him or his employees as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2).

(b) A licensee shall accurately and truthfully represent to a prospective client the licensee’s qualifications and the capabilities of the equipment to perform the services to be rendered.

(c) A licensee shall neither perform nor offer to perform services for which the licensee is not qualified by experience or knowledge in any of the technical fields involved.

(d) A licensee shall not enter into a partnership or any agreement with a person, not legally qualified to perform the services to be rendered, and who has control over the licensee"s equipment and/or independent judgment as related to construction, alteration, or plugging of a well or installation of pumps or equipment in a well.

(c) A licensee shall, upon request of the department, furnish any information the licensee possesses concerning any alleged violation of the Code or this chapter.

(d) A licensee shall have the following information on all proposals and invoices given to consumers: Regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, P.O. Box 12157, Austin, Texas 78711, 1-800-803-9202, (512)-463-7880, www.tdlr.texas.gov.

(a) Unless waived by the landowner, a licensee shall use a manufacturer’s well screen, and select the correct slot size for the screen in the installation of a domestic (household use) or landscape irrigation water well to prevent sand or sediment from entering the well.

(b) The waiver must be on a department-approved form, signed by the landowner or person having the well drilled and the driller, and presented to the landowner.

(a) Wells shall be completed in accordance with the following specifications and in compliance with the local groundwater conservation district rules or incorporated city ordinances.

(1) Siting Method. A well shall be located a minimum horizontal distance of one hundred fifty (150) feet from any concentrated sources of potential contamination such as, but not limited to, existing or proposed livestock or poultry yards, cemeteries, pesticide mixing/loading facilities, and privies, except in the case of monitoring, dewatering, piezometer, and recovery wells which may be located where necessity dictates. A well shall be located a minimum horizontal distance of one hundred (100) feet from an existing or proposed septic system absorption field, septic system spray area, a dry litter poultry facility and fifty (50) feet from any adjacent property line provided the well is located at the minimum horizontal distance from the sources of potential contamination.

(2) A well shall be located a minimum horizontal distance of fifty (50) feet from any water-tight sewage and liquid-waste collection facility except in the case of monitoring, dewatering, piezometer, and recovery wells which may be located where necessity dictates.

(3) A well shall be located at a site not generally subject to flooding; provided however, that if a well must be placed in a flood-prone area, it shall be completed with a watertight sanitary well seal, so as to maintain a junction between the casing and pump column, and a steel sleeve extending a minimum of thirty-six (36) inches above ground level and twenty-four (24) inches below the ground surface.

(1) Unless the well is drilled within the Edwards Aquifer, the distances given for separation of wells from sources of potential contamination in subsection (a)(1) may be decreased to a minimum of fifty (50) feet provided the well is cemented with positive displacement technique to a minimum of one hundred (100) feet to surface or the well is tremie pressure filled to the depth of one hundred (100) feet to the surface provided the annular space is three (3) inches larger than the outside diameter of the casing. For wells less than one hundred (100) feet deep, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column shall be placed to the top of the production zone. In areas of shallow, unconfined groundwater aquifers, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column need not be placed below the production zone. In areas of shallow, confined groundwater aquifers having artesian head, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column need not be placed below the top of the water-bearing strata.

(2) A well that is cemented with positive displacement technique to a minimum of one hundred (100) feet to surface or a well that is tremie pressure filled to the depth of one hundred (100) feet to the surface (provided the annular space is three (3) inches larger than the outside diameter of the casing) may encroach up to five (5) feet of the adjacent property line. For wells less than one hundred (100) feet deep, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column shall be placed to the top of the producing layer. In areas of shallow, unconfined groundwater aquifers having artesian head, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column need not be placed below the top of the water production zone.

(1) All wells shall be completed so that aquifers or zones containing waters that differ in chemical quality are not allowed to commingle in the casing, borehole annulus or the filter pack and cause quality degradation of any aquifer or zone. When aquifers or zones of lesser quality are overlying the production aquifer or zone, the borehole annulus shall be pressure grouted with bentonite or cement from the top of the production zone back to the surface unless formations make total grouting impossible or impractical. In this case the entire borehole annulus which is groutable shall be grouted and sealed including proper surface annular grouting and completion.

(6) A test well that is drilled for exploring for groundwater shall not be open at the surface or allowing water zones of different chemical qualities to commingle and must be completed or plugged within six (6) months of drilling.

(7) Water wells located within public water supply system sanitary easements must be constructed to public well standards pursuant to 30 TAC Chapter 290.

(C) Fiberglass Casing--National Sanitation Foundation sixty-one (NSF-61) and American Society of Testing Material (ASTM) D2996 approved Filament Wound fiberglass casing (Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Thermosetting-Resin pipe.)

(e) Annular Seal. The annular space to a minimum of ten (10) feet shall be three (3) inches larger in diameter than the outside diameter of the casing and filled from ground level to a depth of not less than ten (10) feet below the land surface or well head with cement slurry, bentonite grout, or eight (8) feet solid column of granular sodium bentonite topped with a two (2) foot cement atmospheric barrier, except in the case of monitoring, dewatering, piezometer, and recovery wells when the water to be monitored, recovered, or dewatered is located at a more shallow depth. In that situation, the cement slurry, or bentonite column shall only extend down to the level immediately above the monitoring, recovery or dewatering level.

(1) In all wells where plastic casing is used, except when a steel or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sleeve or pitless adapter, as described in subsection (g) is used, a concrete slab or sealing block shall be placed above the cement slurry around the well at the ground surface.

(2) The slab or block shall extend laterally at least two (2) feet from the well in all directions and have a minimum thickness of four (4) inches and should be separated from the well casing by a plastic or mastic coating or sleeve to prevent bonding of the slab to the casing.

(4) The top of the casing shall extend a minimum of twelve (12) inches above the land surface except in the case of monitoring wells when it is impractical or unreasonable to extend the casing above the ground. Monitoring wells shall be placed in a waterproof vault, the rim of which extends two (2) inches above the ground surface and a sloping cement slurry shall be placed a minimum of twelve (12) inches from the edge of the vault and two (2) feet below the base of the vault between the casing and the wall of the borehole to prevent surface pollutants from entering the monitoring well. The well casing shall have a locking cap that will prevent pollutants from entering the well. The annular space of the monitoring well shall be sealed with an impervious bentonite or similar material from the top of the interval to be tested to the cement slurry below the vault of the monitoring well.

(5) The well casing of a temporary monitoring well shall have a locking cap and the annular space shall be sealed from zero (0) to one (1) foot below ground level with an impervious bentonite or similar material; and after forty-eight (48) hours, the well must be completed in accordance with this section or plugged in accordance with §76.104.

(6) The annular space of a closed loop geothermal well used to circulate water or other fluids shall be backfilled to the total depth with impervious bentonite or similar material, closed loop injection well where there is no water or only one zone of water is encountered you may use sand, gravel or drill cuttings to back fill up to ten (10) feet from the surface. The top ten (10) feet shall be filled with impervious bentonite or similar materials and shall meet the standards pursuant to Texas Commission on