Why Are Drilled Water Wells Better Than Dug Wells?

Posted on: 6 March 2023

If you want to install a water well on your property, then you might not be sure whether to dig or drill the well. While both these techniques give you a water source, they don't deliver the same results.

Drilled wells have some advantages you won't typically get from a dug well. What are they?

Drilled Wells Deliver Cleaner Water

Dug wells are typically relatively shallow. You dig these wells by hand or with a backhoe. While you can line these wells, say with bricks or tiles, to keep them open and to protect the water from contamination, this doesn't always work perfectly.

It's hard to line a dug well completely effectively if you are working by hand. Your water might be contaminated by dirt leaking into the well.

Plus, the water you get from these wells typically comes from closer to the ground's surface. This water is more likely to contain harmful materials such as chemicals, fertilizer, septic tank run-off, and even sewage.

So, your water might not be safe or hygienic. You might have to spend some time checking and treating it to make it safe to use.

Drilled wells go down deeper. Your well contractor also installs a solid casing into the drilled hole as they work. This casing holds the well open and prevents dirt from getting into the water.

Plus, if you draw water from deeper levels, then it is more likely to be clean and safe to use. It won't have come into contact with harmful surface contaminants.

Drilled Wells Deliver a Consistent Water Supply

A shallow-dug well will give you a water supply. However, your supply won't necessarily last for a long time. The water you tap into might run out if it doesn't have a high volume or doesn't replenish itself naturally.

Plus, you're more likely to suffer from supply issues in periods of drought. Shallow water supplies are more likely to dry up in this kind of weather.

So, you might have to dig another well in another location in the future. If you don't have another water source on your property, then you might need to switch to a deeper drilled well in any case. Your costs will be higher in the long term.

You can access larger water sources if you drill your well deeper. Typically, your water supply will last for longer. It is also less likely to dry up in dry weather. Your well will last longer, and you're less likely to have to start over in the future.

To learn more about your options, contact residential water well drilling services

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