DIY well drilling?

[BioHazard]

My house is on city water and we pay some of the highest water rates in the country...even though it rains more than it doesn't.  I am not looking forward to the bill for keeping the lawn green this summer, and if I don't the homeowners association will fine me even more.  The earthquake in Japan is a good reminder that my city water probably won't work after an earthquake, which is expected here. I would also LOVE to have well water available for some various cooling solutions....

Technically I don't think I'm allowed to drill a well here, at least not without some major permitting and the associated costs, though I've always wanted one. Honestly I don't think it's any of the city's business how deep of a hole I dig in my yard and if there is water down there I consider it mine.  Calling in a drilling rig is simply out of the question, but recently I came across this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/How-To-Drill-A-Water-Well-In-Your-Backyard-Basic-Kit_W0QQitemZ320459055597QQcategoryZ26261QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m8QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DMW%26its%3DC%26itu%3DUCC%26otn%3D5%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D7909637556185840785

What do you guys think about that process? Does it seem doable or is this another ebay scam? The idea seems legit, but I don't know much about it...

I also know that there was a well drilled in the 70s about 400' from my house, before there was city water here, and it was filled in around 2006 when they built a new house. I wonder if there are any detailed records of the water level or what the well depth was I could look up somewhere...without calling up the city and telling them I want to drill a well.  Is there some kind of official well abandonment process that might leave a paper trail?

[deeiche]

rm /

[billswan]

well if you have water bearing sand at may be 30 feet and NO rocks between you and that sand it might work. But to dig 100 feet with it is probably asking a bit to much. It all depends on the sub soil conditions. You should ask a real well driller what they have to do to make a real legal well. I did just a few days ago at a local farm and home show and had my eyes opened as to what has to be done to make a sound legal well.

Don't get me wrong I was thinking of buying a home brew well drilling machine as I believe my water well is about to fail in the next few years. And was thinking of also drilling about 8 or 9 more geothermal wells to switch over to that form of heating in my house and shop. But after talking to a real well driller and having it explained what it takes to make a real well....well let just say I have forgot about doing it my self. I do know that my water well is 130 feet deep and the soil conditions in my area would probably be conducive to a do it yourself type of drilling rig but still will not try it.

This is about what I was thinking of buying.http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280549408185&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Oh and yes here in minnesota you need a state permit to drill and my guess it would not be granted unless you get a STATE license.

Billswan

[Ronmar]

I think you will find that though there may be water under your property, it does not belong to you...  Most likley a state or county managed resource...

[XYZER]

Wells are usually recorded with your state or county ram rods. You can find well log info sometimes online or at your paticular water management agency. With domestic use you can get water but if you irrigate water rights get into the fray. Your city also has a say in putting in a new well. Sandpoints work well in shallow water table areas if you don't have lots of rocks or need tons of water. They can be put in without a big rig. Many were used in my area but they are easy to drive and the water is 25 ft down.

[br549]

Hello biohazard:
My take on that ebay drill set up is it's probably a scam.  You can very easily cobble together your own well drilling rig.  I have built a few drill rigs that are similar to deep rock manufacturing portable hand held two man water drill.  I believe they are out of Opalika, Alabama.  What I would suggest is building your own with a 1/2 horse electric motor or a Briggs and Stratton coupled to a small gear reducer that drives a water swivel that allows you to inject water into the drill stem.  You can also easily build your own tungston carbide bits using salvaged chunks of carbide from saw blades or you can even weld on the triangular carbide cutting tool inserts to your home made bit.  I used 1" schedule 40 or 80 steel pipe for the drill stem.  And these will work in both a horizontal and verticle position.  I have a couple of these extremely simple drill rigs laying around.  My dad used to build these and sell them on Craig's List.  I believe he probably built and sold a dozen of them out of scrounged up pipe and motors and whatnot.  I will get hold of a camera and hike up the hill and take some pictures and will post them soon.  I'm sure you can easily accomplish what you want for next to nothing, if you're willing to do a little work.  I will post pictures of a horizontal unit that I built from scratch, several years ago.  I have exactly 40 hours of labor into it.  I used it on the hillside behind my house to do a horizontal hillside drain.  It worked excellently.  I used it for about two hours and hit water in about 45 feet.  I haven't used the rig since.  I would be willing to trade or let you borrow it in exchange for a hollow dipper and possibly an offset idler bolt.
If you play by the rules, you'll miss all the water. 

[unimog_jason]

Quite a few of my family members are in the well drilling business and I have spent a decent amount of time on the back of a drilling rig myself.  When I was a kid my father had a small portable unit similar to the units in the pictures above and I was the winch operator while my father ran the throttle and supervised the drilling.

If you have nothing but sand and clay in your area the portable units will do ok and you'll be able to run down a 2" hole without a problem.  If you have stones you're going to be in for a world of hurt, a 1/2" stone will make the machine jump around pretty bad and a 1" stone will be pretty much a show stopper.  If you hit a vein of gravel and you don't get water right away you might as well abandon the hole.

Drilling a well is not as simple as pounding a hole in the ground and waiting for the water to flow out.  You need to read the cuttings so that you know if you are in a potential water bearing seam.  You also need to keep an eye on your circulation fluid as well, if it's takes a sudden drop you just hit something that needs further examination.  If you're not watching for this stuff you could easily drill through a good seam of sand and not even know you hit it.

Unless you're drilling in clay you'll need to buy some bentonite clay (Benseal is one brand) from a drilling supply store.  This will keep you hole open while you drill.  If you use plain water in sandy soil you may end up with a mess if you're lucky or if the hole caves in your rods and bit are history, but at least you'll have a good place to tie the dog up and he won't pull that stake out of the ground.

Lastly, if you're successful in finding water, be sure to grout you casing at least 6 feet down (if you set a 6" work pipe before you start drilling this will be easier) and if you abandon a hole go buy a couple bags of hole plug (bentonite clay in larger chunks) and put that down the hole before you fill it in with dirt.  That will help protect the water table from being contaminated with surface water.

Jason

[mbryner]

Here you go, Biohazard.   It gives all the wells all around you if you put in the taxlot info.  (Including old wells.)  It's what we used to lookup wells before we bought our land.

http://apps.wrd.state.or.us/apps/gw/well_log/

[br549]

Testing - I'm not sure if this will work.

[wagspe208]

Drill shmill... Be a man like the folks up until the 30's or 40's ish.
First you need to find a water witcher. That will be the trick. Not many left around. Many don't even believe it works. Shows how old technology knew more than scientists.
Then, you get a shovel and start digging. The hole should be at least 30" across. Once you hit water, you line the wall with stone, preferrable limestone. Brick is ok also. See, the wall needs to be permeable (SP) to water. A concrete or pipe liner won't allow water in. Only at the bottom however it is designed.  
Use a shallow water jet pump. Bingo. Easy as pie.
Like the one in my back yard. The one at my property, or the "artesian well" that is spring fed. My well is about 35' deep. Water is always minimum of 10' deep. It has never run dry. Not in the dryest of years. Many drilled wells run dry around here.
Wags

[br549]

Testing.  One more time...

[BioHazard]

With domestic use you can get water but if you irrigate water rights get into the fray. Your city also has a say in putting in a new well.

Yeah, well, I'm also "required" to get a permit for the toilet I just replaced in my bathroom, the 3 phase breaker I replaced in my shop, and the burn pile I had last night, but I didn't. I'm such a rebel. They'll never take me alive! (and I do feel a strong desire for some civil disobedience in relation to the city water nazis)

When I say "irrigation" I'm talking about a lawn I mow with a push mower. I don't think anybody will notice much water missing...

If you play by the rules, you'll miss all the water.

LOL!   That is a nice drilling setup you've got there.

My biggest issue is that I haven't got a clue how far down the water is or what the soil is like past 8' or so. Hopefully I can find the old neighbor's well on the link from mbryner. Soil is clay for the first 8' or so, with scattered boulders. Hit one of those and I'll definately need a new hole.

It definately wouldn't be used for drinking except in a major emergency. Mostly just toilets and lawn water.

[deeiche]

rm /

[XYZER]

When I say "irrigation" I'm talking about a lawn I mow with a push mower. I don't think anybody will notice much water missing...

Lawns are considered domestic use......until you start cutting and bailing it for hay.....I understand the rebel mentality well .... I are one! Now that I see you are in the NW I would go here like Mark posted previously http://apps.wrd.state.or.us/apps/gw/well_log/ find some wells near you and you can see how deep and what is below the surface in your area. Where are you Bio? I am in the valley near Albany and if I wanted to "sneak" in a well for emergency/water the lawn water I would poke a sanpoint in if the water table is within 20 ft. (http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/dwg/pubs/DrivenPointWells.pdf). No rig required just some pounding. Tell the neighbors (if they ask) you are putting in a cloths line or a dog run. If you have rocks it probably won't be a good choice but all you will be out is some pipe and sweat.

[Tom T]

 Hear in Oregon 45 miles SE of Potland I  had to go to 340' got lots of water to. Had to file a start to drill permit about $300 I thank then $350 to reguster the well. You can go up to 1/2 A on the excemt which is for household use. But paying to have the well drilled and the pump and every thing  it will pay for its self in about five years. I can use a generator for water when need be. It tastes a lot better than city water to. Tom