If you live in a rural area you may have to use a well to have access to clean water. If you need to drill a new well, you may be curious as to what goes into the process. The cost of water drilling and setting up a well can be broken down into siting, drilling, casing or lining the well after it’s drilled, testing the water, and installing the pump. 
Siting
Siting is the process of surveying for the best places to drill, deciding where to drill and setting up the well. This decision will be dependent on the type of soil (sandy, solid rock, clay), distance from house or building structure(s), anticipated water yield and other factors. American Water Surveyors is a critical part of this phase. When property owners call us to survey their land and find groundwater before the well drillers show up, time and money are saved. We enable the well drillers to start drilling where water is sure to be found, so you can avoid a costly, dry well.
Mobilization/Drilling
It takes specialized heavy equipment and knowledgeable people to drill for water. Equipment needed includes excavators and drilling rigs with sophisticated bits. It’s expensive to operate this equipment and companies must factor this into the cost of their operations. Having a groundwater survey completed before mobilization takes place helps you keep your drilling costs to a minimum.
Casing
Before a well can be used, it needs to be lined with concrete, steel, or PVC which will prevent any leakage and evaporation of the water into the soil and protect it from contaminants and vermin in the surrounding environment.
Pump Installation
After the well is drilled and lined you will need to make sure you have a pump installed to keep the water flowing in your well. The last thing you want is your water to become stagnant, because that is when the water can become brackish and unsafe to drink. Invest in a high quality pump and monitor it to ensure it is functioning properly.
Testing
You want to make sure the water is safe to drink. Part of your water drilling costs should involve having a professional test the quality of the water on your property. A few simple tests will determine if there are any contaminants such as bacteria, micro-organisms or other pollutants. You should also have a water quality test conducted annually to ensure your water stays pure and clean.
