Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Well, Well, Well!
Since I wrote last week’s article I have received some more questions regarding wells. Here is a sampling. Please email me if I have not answered your question.
Do you need a permit to drill a well?
Yes! You cannot drill, modify, repair or abandon a well without first obtaining a permit.
The permit can only be issued to a person licensed by the state. Any person who constructs or modifies a well must have an active C-57 State Contractors License. The permit is good for one year.
I have heard some horror stories about well drillers who take short cuts by not installing annular seals that prevent surface water from contaminating the well. How do I know if a well has an annular seal?
Today’s ordinances require well contractors to include plans and specifications for installing the annular seal. An official from environmental health visits the site at the time the well is sealed.
The well driller is required to notify the County a minimum of two hours before sealing the well. The contractor must submit a valid permit number, date and specific time of well sealing, location of well sealing and the permittee’s name.
If a well doesn’t have a seal a well contractor can add one. I would recommend calling a well installer and inquire about the details of the procedure. Don’t forget that a permit is required.
It seems rather strange to me that you would be drinking water from the same ground where the septic tank is. How do you keep the septic system from contaminating the well?
When applying for the well permit, a site plan must be attached to the application. The site plan includes the well location, and all features that may potentially contaminate the well, including onsite sewage disposal systems, sewer lines and animal feed lots. The site plan must also include property lines within 150 feet of the well site.
Your environmental health professional will protect you by not allowing your well to be drilled in an area where it might become contaminated.
Remember the Environmental Health Department’s duty is to protect the health and safety of the general public.
Is it true that a well driller is required to file his well report with the State? If so, is the information public?
Yes. The report must be filed within 90 days of completion. No, the report is NOT public. It is considered confidential unless written authorization has been given by the owner of the well. However, the well reports are made available to state agencies for making studies.
I know that it is difficult to find water in the Foothills. I have heard that people “witch” to find the best location for a well. This sounds at the very least, very unscientific, not to mention supernatural. Is this “witching” thing for real? Does it work?
Yes. It works! I have done it myself and I have seen it done successfully many times over the years. It is also know as “dowsing.”
Before drilling my current well, my drilling contractor gave me two L-shaped metal rods. I held one in each hand straight out in front of me. As I walked through the field, the rods suddenly crossed over each other and pointed downward by some force other than my own.
The contractor and one other person independently dowsed the same area where he subsequently drilled a well that had a yield of 17GPM’s. (Gallons per minute). That’s a lot of water!
I once owned a parcel of land in a region that was known for being a spotty water area. Existing wells in the surrounding area had low yields. It was recommended by my well driller that I hire a geologist to do a fly over and look for signs of fractures beneath the surface where water was likely to be flowing. The geologist spotted various “good well” locations. My well driller chose the best site and drilled a well that produced 60 gallons per minute. I guess that makes me scientific as well as supernatural having used both methods.
Learning about wells before buying country property can be a matter of good Home $$’s and Sense.
Do you need a permit to drill a well?
Yes! You cannot drill, modify, repair or abandon a well without first obtaining a permit.
The permit can only be issued to a person licensed by the state. Any person who constructs or modifies a well must have an active C-57 State Contractors License. The permit is good for one year.
I have heard some horror stories about well drillers who take short cuts by not installing annular seals that prevent surface water from contaminating the well. How do I know if a well has an annular seal?
Today’s ordinances require well contractors to include plans and specifications for installing the annular seal. An official from environmental health visits the site at the time the well is sealed.
The well driller is required to notify the County a minimum of two hours before sealing the well. The contractor must submit a valid permit number, date and specific time of well sealing, location of well sealing and the permittee’s name.
If a well doesn’t have a seal a well contractor can add one. I would recommend calling a well installer and inquire about the details of the procedure. Don’t forget that a permit is required.
It seems rather strange to me that you would be drinking water from the same ground where the septic tank is. How do you keep the septic system from contaminating the well?
When applying for the well permit, a site plan must be attached to the application. The site plan includes the well location, and all features that may potentially contaminate the well, including onsite sewage disposal systems, sewer lines and animal feed lots. The site plan must also include property lines within 150 feet of the well site.
Your environmental health professional will protect you by not allowing your well to be drilled in an area where it might become contaminated.
Remember the Environmental Health Department’s duty is to protect the health and safety of the general public.
Is it true that a well driller is required to file his well report with the State? If so, is the information public?
Yes. The report must be filed within 90 days of completion. No, the report is NOT public. It is considered confidential unless written authorization has been given by the owner of the well. However, the well reports are made available to state agencies for making studies.
I know that it is difficult to find water in the Foothills. I have heard that people “witch” to find the best location for a well. This sounds at the very least, very unscientific, not to mention supernatural. Is this “witching” thing for real? Does it work?
Yes. It works! I have done it myself and I have seen it done successfully many times over the years. It is also know as “dowsing.”
Before drilling my current well, my drilling contractor gave me two L-shaped metal rods. I held one in each hand straight out in front of me. As I walked through the field, the rods suddenly crossed over each other and pointed downward by some force other than my own.
The contractor and one other person independently dowsed the same area where he subsequently drilled a well that had a yield of 17GPM’s. (Gallons per minute). That’s a lot of water!
I once owned a parcel of land in a region that was known for being a spotty water area. Existing wells in the surrounding area had low yields. It was recommended by my well driller that I hire a geologist to do a fly over and look for signs of fractures beneath the surface where water was likely to be flowing. The geologist spotted various “good well” locations. My well driller chose the best site and drilled a well that produced 60 gallons per minute. I guess that makes me scientific as well as supernatural having used both methods.
Learning about wells before buying country property can be a matter of good Home $$’s and Sense.
Labels: annular seal, well drilling, wells
# posted by Sue Thompson @ 10:34 AM 
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