Well Construction
Many people think of a water well as a hole in the ground. It is much more than this. It is also much more than a 6” steel pipe sticking up in your yard.
You should pick a well site location that is 100’ or more from all septic drain fields and 50 feet or more from the Septic Tank.
When drilling for a well, the driller must first drill through the overburden. Overburden refers to the topsoil, sand, clay or gravel layer that is above the bedrock. There is often an abundance of water in the overburden. Unfortunately, this water is often not pure due to contaminants from various sources. For this reason, a steel pipe or well casing is installed to case off the contaminated water from the well. It is best if the casing is installed at least ten feet into competent bedrock. In any case, a minimum of 40-feet casing should always be used. Since casing comes in 20-foot lengths, it must be connected. There are two ways that this is done. One way is to weld the sections together. Another is to purchase threaded and coupled pipe. Threaded and coupled pipe is generally thought to be the better way to go. It takes out the possibility of a poor or cracked weld. This casing must extend above the final grade level of the property. A good rule of thumb is 18” above grade. This will help avoid surface water from entering the well. Also, when installing the first piece of casing, a flame hardened drive shoe is a good thing to install to prevent surface water from entering the well. This will help seal the casing into the bedrock.
Of course in order to be able to install the casing, the driller must drill a larger diameter hole. Since surface water will take the path of least resistance, it can flow down along the casing and possibly enter into the well through micro fractures before it is properly filtered. Grouting of the well will solve this. Grouting is the process of installing an expanding grout into this space to seal it off from surface water infiltration. Although this is not a requirement in Pennsylvania (although several municipalities have had the foresight to require it), it is a good option to insist upon.
In this area, most wells are open borehole construction. This means that once the well is in bedrock, there is an open hole through the bedrock. The well is drilled until an adequate supply of water is obtained from inlets. Inlets are nothing more than cracks and fissures in the bedrock through which water flows. If you have driven on an interstate, I am sure that you have noticed water flowing out of the rock (or ice in the winter). This is a water inlet is when it flows into a well.
Once the well is drilled, the next part of the process is to install a pump and pipe it to the house. A four-foot deep trench is dug from the well to the house. This will insure that the water line will not freeze. A hole is drilled through the steel casing and a pitless adapter is installed. A pitless adapter is a cast brass part with rubber seals. It allows the pump to be mounted in the well and serves as the connection to pipe the water into the house. The water line is connected to the pitless adapter and then stubbed through the wall of the house. A conduit is also laid in the trench to supply power for the pump. This wire comes into the well through the top of the casing.
The next step is to install a holding tank. This is a tank that has pressurized air in it to provide pressure in the house. There is a pressure switch that regulates the pump. When the pressure in the tank drops due to water being used, the switch tells the pump to start. When the tank becomes pressurized, the switch tells the pump to stop. The tank is then connected to the plumbing in the house.
It is important to maintain the water system. It is a good idea to have a professional check the system on a yearly basis. Also, if there are any leaks in the house from a toilet or faucet, it is advisable to repair it. A small leak over a 24-hour period can cause the pump to start several extra times. This will cause a premature failure of the pump.
