Summary: Planning a new well for your Kansas home? Here’s what you need to know before you start drilling.
Looking to invest in a new well? It may seem like a costly procedure, but there are some important steps you need to take before you start drilling—otherwise your endeavor could become a lot more costly or even dangerous.
Know what you’re getting yourself into
The first step is information acquisition. You don’t want to just start drilling willy-nilly (or should I say, drilly-nilly). There are a few obvious reasons for why this is the case. One, you need to know that there is a good enough supply of water to sustain the demands of your well in the location in which you drill. The last thing you want is to have to drill multiple wells before you find the water supply you need—no one wants their yard to look like whack-a-mole gone wild. Also, no one wants to go through all the effort and expense of drilling and installing a well only to have it supply too little water for your home or business’ needs during peak drought season.
The second reason is that you don’t want to drill into something that isn’t water. For instance, you don’t want to make Old Faithful out of an old sewage line, and you definitely don’t want to nick old gas lines or underground electrical wires either. In other words, you don’t want to drill into anything that could cause harm to you or the team that is drilling.
You also need to know what you are drilling into so you can determine the quality of the water source. That means knowing enough about the area you are drilling into to avoid forming a well around contaminated water.
How does water get contaminated?
There are a number of different ways for wells to become contaminated. First, there is the proximity to roads and driveways where oil and gasoline spills have built up over time. You also need to watch your proximity to greenhouses, gardens, farmers’ fields, etc., where fertilizer runoff could have leached into the soil to contaminate the water below. That requires attentiveness to current proximities as well as historical: you don’t want to find an old buried oil drum or an abandoned oil well while you are drilling. However, it also means paying attention to geology. There are some minerals that are found naturally in certain areas that can leave you with a problematic water source. Some minerals can have health impacts, but some simply taste bad, or pose a nuisance by deteriorating plumbing and appliances.
How can you avoid these commonly-made drilling mistakes?
Call a water finding company before you drill your well in Kansas. A proper water surveying company, like American Water Surveyors, will not only survey to ensure that you are about to drill into the best water supply on your property, but it will also consider historical and geological information to ensure that your well supplies you with water that won’t negatively affect the health of you, your wallet, and your plumbing. Contact us today to learn more.
