# Well Drilling



## plk377 (Jun 6, 2012)

I need advice from those who have done this before. I need to drill a well to about 100 feet or so and I need to do it cheap. I live in middle Georgia and am looking at renting a drill but so far that cost as much as paying a professional. Maybe someone could suggest a place for rental.

I am not opposed to drilling myself by other methods. If you have experience with this I could really use some advice.

Thanks


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## blooba (Feb 9, 2010)

Not sure about GA, but I know in most states the well needs to be registered with the state and some states require you to be a licensed driller. Might wanna check into the rules before you go too far.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Most states allow you to drill YOUR OWN with no need for licensing. 
So far as actual depth, are you sure you need to be that deep? Is this what a driller told you? Or is this actually how far it is to the water layer? 

Somewhere your state has well information online. I'll bet my left arm. If Kansas has it, Georgia did 10 years before. 
We have a site that allows us to search by legal description and it'll tell the depth of any registered well, as well as how far down it was to initially hit water, what the water-bearing layer is, etc, etc.

And we drilled a well with this:
Well drilling gizmo

Our first hole came up dry, but unfortunately, that's expected with pros, too. We live in an area where water can be very hard to locate. (Which is why we didn't want to be PAYING someone to drill dry holes)
The gizmo, OTOH, works exactly as advertised. We have heavy clay and soft, sedimentary rock.


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## Redeemed98 (Feb 4, 2004)

ErinP said:


> Most states allow you to drill YOUR OWN with no need for licensing.
> So far as actual depth, are you sure you need to be that deep? Is this what a driller told you? Or is this actually how far it is to the water layer?
> 
> Somewhere your state has well information online. I'll bet my left arm. If Kansas has it, Georgia did 10 years before.
> ...


ErinP, I have looked at that site off and on for a while, I really wasn't sure he was for real mainly from the looks of his site I guess. How far down were you guys able to drill? I would love to hear any more info about your experience with it. Thanks


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

That well drilling kit seems to be based on "jetting" in a well. One thing that I didn't see was how they seal the well as they drill. That is critical for preventing the contamination of the aquifer. If you don't seal the well contaminants can flow down along side the pipe and pollute the aquifer. Well drills seal with bentonite clay mixed with water as they drill.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

fishhead said:


> That well drilling kit seems to be based on "jetting" in a well. One thing that I didn't see was how they seal the well as they drill. That is critical for preventing the contamination of the aquifer. If you don't seal the well contaminants can flow down along side the pipe and pollute the aquifer. Well drills seal with bentonite clay mixed with water as they drill.


If you look at the kit, it comes with bentonite clay to mix in the water pit. They have some other name for it, but thats what it is, you drill well you have to use it so well doesnt collapse. The walls would collapse, trapping your drill stem without it unless you were drilling a super shallow well.

Its interesting and I would like to hear more of peoples personal experiences with this setup. I drilled a well up north with a hydradrill. It worked but kinda crappy cheap construction and was rather pain to use. I know I dont have the energy/stamina to use something like that again at my age/health. I sold it to couple old guys for half what I paid and no regrets. Using that thing for one well was plenty.

I dont live in an area friendly to drilled wells, they have very slow recovery, though you can make them trickle fill a cistern overnight. Then run a shallow well pump to supply house from cistern. Lot people around here have survived lot years doing this.

However having a super slow recovery well be better than a dry spring fed shallow well which is what I have now. 

With rural water line close I doubt I could get permit to drill even if I wanted, but not like I am in view of anybody during summer, just drill it without permit. Under 100 foot, but do have lot sandstone, then shale. I sure dont want that super expensive chlorinated bilge water from the rural water people. Nasty stuff.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

We have the same John. Sandstone, then shale. In fact when you hit the shale layer, that's how you know you've hit a dry hole. There's no water available under the shale...  We also live in an area where, if you're lucky enough to hit water, the GPM will probably be very low. Like less than 10. Cisterns are really the best way to keep sufficient water.

To bentonite, in our case, we didn't need to seal our well with bentonite as the native clay we are drilling in is MORE than sufficient. But it came with the kit.

We went down nearly 70 feet before we hit the shale layer. At least we're fairly sure that's what we've hit. The clay turned dark gray and drilling slowed down dramatically.

The real cost is in the air compressor. If you're renting one (because you need to use one that can sustain 100lbs, IIRC) it'll really add up. Though apparently you can also gang smaller ones together. 
We had access to a commercial sized one for free, though. A neighbor of ours is, ironically, a local well-driller and let us use their compressor.
It also took a _lot_ of time. I figure we probably managed about 1-2 feet per hour though when we hit rocks it slowed way down.

It does indeed work by jetting the well rather than via brute force of something like a hydradrill or deeprock or something.
If you're genuinely interested in it, I think he's still selling his DVD for around $30 and it gives all the info you could need. Truly, I don't regret getting it. And hopefully our next hole will be "the one!"


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I'm glad to hear they include the clay.


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

In many places you can drive a sandpoint into the ground water table and it's perfectly drinkable (get it tested). Here, the water table is 5 feet below the surface. I hammered a sandpoint down 20 feet and have good water. A professional well driller won't do this or even tell you about it. They drill down deeper and charge you the big bucks. The deeper water table is also less likely to be polluted by the rain that falls on the surface and may wash chemicals into the groundwater. I would ask your close neighbors what they have.


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## okiemudman (Sep 5, 2011)

fishhead said:


> That well drilling kit seems to be based on "jetting" in a well. One thing that I didn't see was how they seal the well as they drill. That is critical for preventing the contamination of the aquifer. If you don't seal the well contaminants can flow down along side the pipe and pollute the aquifer. Well drills seal with bentonite clay mixed with water as they drill.


Bentonite clay is used to viscosify the water to carry drill cuttings out of the hole so you do not stick the pipe when drilling.


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

Hydra-Drill - Deep Rock Manufacturing

I one of these years ago. It was great!


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