Drilling a Well?

Q: I am thinking about drilling my own water well for watering my lawn and garden. Does anyone have any helpful hints on doing this and what it take and cost? Any help would be appreciated. I am pretty handy with handy work so there's not much I won't tackle.

Thanks,
Joe from Texas

A: Joe,

Before undertaking such an ambitious task, be sure to check with local authorities about permit requirements. If you're just looking for a low-yield, shallow well for the purpose of garden irrigation, you may be able to dig it yourself (with the proper permits, of course). You'll need to consider the area's geology and land surface features (like slopes and drainage) to determine a good location for the well. Make sure that factors like accessibility for cleaning and maintenance also figure into your plan and have the water tested to make sure it's safe for irrigating your lawn and garden plants.

My suggestion would be to call local contractors, or even garden centers and find out if they know of anyone in your area who has successfully dug a well for similar purposes. Local well drillers should be able to shed some light on the geological aspects of what you can expect, and if a shallow well is even a possibility. If it turns out that a deeper well is needed to access water, it will most likely be less costly to keep paying the additional costs associated with the seasonal differences in your water bill.

Ellen