There are several possible issues that may develop with an existing well over time, and one of the more common varieties here is depth concerns. Whether due to changing groundwater supplies, poor well digging and installation or any other factor, there may come a point in your water well ownership where making the well deeper is necessary.
At Mike Zimmerman Well Service LLC, we offer not only water well drilling and repair services, but also well rehabilitation in numerous areas. When clients are worried about depth issues in their well, they generally have two options: The process of deepening the existing well, or simply installing a new well from the ground up. Both these approaches have benefits and drawbacks depending on the exact issue and other variables – this part one of this two-part blog series will look at some of the benefits of the deepening process, while part two will go over when it’s typically prudent to replace the well entirely.
Improved Water Supply
In many situations, depth issues in a well are brought on by shallow initial digging, or a well that’s under 50 feet in depth. At this depth level, water supply tends to vary pretty significantly – and on top of this, there isn’t as much space for water to be stored.
Well deepening, however, is a quick way to remedy this concern without impacting the entire well setup. Not only are you drilling down to a level where water levels tend to be more consistently plentiful, you’re also creating more storage space within the well for water.
Drought Resistance
In other cases, a drought will be the primary cause of your depth issues. This is common in a desert climate like Utah, where droughts are familiar.
Once again, deepening a well is a great solution here – and not just in the short-term. A deeper well is far more likely to survive through droughts in the future, as they’re further below the water table and are much less prone to going dry.
Increased Water Quality
Another risk of shallow wells: Contamination, which is more likely the closer you get to the surface. A deeper well, naturally, will be further from the surface, meaning it’s much less likely to be impacted by spills, chemical residue or other contaminants. Even if such particles make their way into the well, they will be diluted with clean aquifer water before reaching your actual drinking supply.
Cost Benefits
Finally, there are numerous situations where performing a basic well deepening process is much more affordable than installing an all new well. Many deepening jobs only require cleaning and minor re-drilling, plus limited tasks like extending casing or removing existing pipes and wires.
For more on choosing between deepening your well and drilling a new well entirely, or to learn about any of our water well drilling or rehabilitation services, speak to the staff at Mike Zimmerman Well Service LLC today.
