Help with my future well drilling situation.

[walterjay]

No. Nobody offers that here .

That's crazy

 

[fdcg27]

I get that this is an eye-watering cost for you.
OTOH, as the old saying goes, buy once, cry once.
Going deep may be your best option since I doubt that well boring will be cheaper ten or fifteen years down the road. Nothing will be.

 

[TiGeo]

Your strategy seems reasonable to balance cost with coverage for further water table drop which sounds inevitable.

 

[TiGeo]

Is your well fully cased or open below a certain depth?

 

[Chris142]

Is your well fully cased or open below a certain depth?

8 inch x3/16 steel pipe with a cap welded to the bottom.

 

[walterjay]

8 inch x3/16 steel pipe with a cap welded to the bottom.

I don't understand why they can't drill it deeper. I have seen drillers drill through pipe and pumps stuck at the bottom.

 

[AZjeff]

What’s a used drilling rig go for? I know almost nothing about about wells but if you can buy the casing and drill your own, then sell the rig for about what you paid, seems like a way to save money.

This is absolutely not feasible. A man is a helper on a drilling rig learning the trade for many months before he's allowed to operate one. High degree of skill involved in drilling. Doesn't matter what a rig costs.

I don't understand why they can't drill it deeper. I have seen drillers drill through pipe and pumps stuck at the bottom.

Risk/reward. They don't know what the conditions are down that hole but they do if they drill it.

@Chris142 , instead of asking random people on the oil forum who know nothing about your area surely you can find someone with some expertise who can offer some insight on what will likely happen to the water table. It may be an educated guess but that's better than a straight WAG.

 

[GON]

My experience is deeper wells often produce a measurably better water. Less undesirable minerals and such in water drawn from deeper wells in the same property.

Not helpful, but thought to share Southern New Mexico reportedly has had the most rain this year in anyone's memory. It has been raining regularly all summer, and even tonight in the desert of Southern New Mexico. Last month I was walking the desert to help someone who's dog ran off. Was surprised to see ample watermelon growing all over the ignored desert land. I suspect watermelon were raised in this land decades ago using irrigation.

 

[RhondaHonda]

This is absolutely not feasible. A man is a helper on a drilling rig learning the trade for many months before he's allowed to operate one. High degree of skill involved in drilling. Doesn't matter what a rig costs.



Risk/reward. They don't know what the conditions are down that hole but they do if they drill it.

@Chris142 , instead of asking random people on the oil forum who know nothing about your area surely you can find someone with some expertise who can offer some insight on what will likely happen to the water table. It may be an educated guess but that's better than a straight WAG.

Well, in his situation I’d try and find some drill rig guys to do some side work and pay them cash on the weekend.

 

[Doc8404]

In the past I posted about my well and it's issues. It's currently still pumping but is on its last leg so I'm preparing for that day.

I was at a snack bar yesterday. A guy walked over to me and asked if I lived where I do and then said he was there the day they tried to bail my well out.


He's the owner of a local well company.

He went on to say that they were very concerned about us with our water situation when they left that day.

We started talking some and he recommended that my new well be 450 ft deep.

I don't think It needs to be that deep.

Well was drilled in 1965. They hit water @257ft back then.

3 yrs ago it sucked air because the level dropped to 286ft. We got rain and it went up. Don't know how much but I assume quite a bit as it's still pumping..... For now .

I know from experience that as long as I have 8 ft over my pump it will pump non stop.

I feel that 320 ft would be marginal with the housing growth we are seeing.

340ft would be better.

360ft would last my lifetime and then some.

They get $80 per ft to drill plus parts and permits.

I just can't see the water table dropping that much as it dropped 29 ft between 1965 and 2022.


Imo 360-380 ft is more than enough.

Money is tight and If I can save several thousand that's great.

Thoughts?

When you say parts is that pipe and wiring for the pump too?

 

[GON]

Does your county have a agriculture extension office? Might be worth a call to see if they offer any programs to rural home owners.

Same with the department of agriculture. They also just might have a program for someone in your situation.

 

[AZjeff]

Here many people who live out like Chris choose to have water hauled to them every month. Drilling a well in this area has a good chance of striking dust and there's no refund for a dry hole.

 

[AZjeff]

Well, in his situation I’d try and find some drill rig guys to do some side work and pay them cash on the weekend.

Again, not sure how you think this works. You just don't pull a rig on and off a hole to go do a side job on the weekend. Once a rig is set up it stays on the hole until the job is done. I think Chris said before a driller told him it would take a month to do the well. May be wrong.

 

[Chris142]

When you say parts is that pipe and wiring for the pump too?

Yes as well as the sanitary seal on top, casing too.

 

[Chris142]

Here many people who live out like Chris choose to have water hauled to them every month. Drilling a well in this area has a good chance of striking dust and there's no refund for a dry hole.

I'm on top of a huge aquifer . There's water all under this area just pretty deep compared to other places

 

[Chris142]

Does your county have a agriculture extension office? Might be worth a call to see if they offer any programs to rural home owners.

Same with the department of agriculture. They also just might have a program for someone in your situation.

A what? I don't think so. Can't farm around here.

 

[Nick1994]

I wonder if cost is also due to being in the desert, and drilling through rock and not more simple dirt.

Toss someone in Virginia a shovel and tell them to dig a hole. No problem. Toss Chris a shovel in the desert and he’d have the same problem we have here in AZ. Good luck. You might be able to dig a grave for a pigeon in an hour.

 

[GON]

A what? I don't think so. Can't farm around here.

Here are a few of numerous potential resources. If you post the county you live in, more resources might be identified.

• Local counties: Some California counties, such as Tehama, provide local aid and help with state funding applications. For example, Tehama County Environmental Health has secured grants to drill wells for residents whose wells have gone dry.
• California Department of Water Resources (DWR): Through its Small Community Drought Relief Program, the DWR provides financial assistance for well rehabilitation, infrastructure upgrades, and other drought-resiliency projects. In some cases, this can include providing funding to drill new wells for communities affected by dry wells.
• USDA Rural Development: This federal agency provides loans and grants to rural businesses and agricultural producers for energy-efficiency upgrades, which can include replacing inefficient water pumps. They also offer grants for household water and wastewater systems for qualifying families in designated areas.
• Water Well Trust (WWT): Created by the Water Systems Council, WWT is a national nonprofit that provides funding for wells for low-income families in rural areas. Applicants must own and reside in the home and have been denied a loan from a government rural water program.
• The Groundwater Foundation's Water Well Wish: This program offers grants of up to $20,000 for families needing to repair, replace, or drill new water wells. To qualify, applicants must first apply for a loan through the USDA Household Water Well Systems Grant program and meet income and residency requirements.
• Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC): RCAC provides low-interest loans and grants for the construction, refurbishment, or replacement of household and small community water well systems. They primarily serve rural areas and offer financial help for individual households and small water systems facing drinking water emergencies.
• Self-Help Enterprises: Located in the San Joaquin Valley, this nonprofit offers low-interest loans for low-income residents to drill new or deeper wells. The McAllister Fund also provides direct financial assistance to address critical water needs in rural communities.

 

[TiGeo]

8 inch x3/16 steel pipe with a cap welded to the bottom.

This is likely why they don't want to drill thorough the existing casing/overdrill it. They need to yank the casing and even that may be something they don't want to fuss with vs. a new well and abandon/grout the old one up. Like any service call three vendors and get some quotes.

 

[Cujet]

I was quoted $80 per foot yesterday. That's drilling only. Does not include the casing,wires etc

We are now in 'late stage capitalism' where vendors compete to set the highest possible price. My $20,000 roof replacement is now quoted at $85,000. Up $30K from last year. Same locally made tiles, same tar paper, same 15 year usable life.

Just an FYI, the roof takes 4 guys, 3 days. About $10K in materials. Some disposal costs and overhead. But the bottom line is that the profit margin is in the 4x range. They will not negotiate.