Question: Do I need a permit to drill a well?

Answer: Yes. Washington requires permits to construct a well. The permit through the State Dept. of Ecology is $200. Jefferson County requires an additional application and fee.

Question: What is ground water?

Answer: Ground water is water below the land surface that fills the spaces between grains of sediment and rocks, or fills cracks and fractures in the rock.  Saturated zones in sediment such as sand and gravel, and in fractured rock formations that receive, store and transmit water to wells are called aquifers.

Question: How do we get ground water?

Answer: In most cases, a water well is needed to reach the aquifer where ground water is found. Most wells are made by drilling into the rock layers using drilling machines to access water deep beneath the surface.  Electric pumps are commonly used to raise the water to the surface.

Question: How deep will I have to go to find water?

Answer: Most wells vary in one way or another, depth and construction yield.  Geological formations of your area generally will determine to what depth and yield and the construction techniques needed. From our experience, and researching the recorded well logs in your area, we can provide you with a more precise idea of what would be necessary to construct your well, and a more accurate estimate of cost involved. You may access well logs on the Department of Ecology's website:

www.ecy.wa.gov

Question: How much water will I need?

Answer: That will depend on your needs. The average usage is 100 gallons per day per person.  Landscaping should also be consideration in your daily needs.  For single family residences Jefferson County requires 400 gallons per day (gpd) or .27 gallons per minute (gpm) and Clallam County requires 800 gpd or .55 gpm.  Most lenders require 3-5 gallons per minute.  Most public water systems supply 10 gpm, which is more than adequate water for all your needs.

Question: What is casing and how much will I need?

Answer: Casing is metal pipe designed to sheath the borehole.  Casing is installed until rock, water, or a consolidated formation is reached.  A minimum of 20 feet is required.  A consolidated formation is one in which it has the ability to remain open indefinitely.

Question: What is a PVC liner and do I need one?

Answer: A PVC liner is similar to casing only made from poly vinyl chloride, a very hard form of plastic and usually it is perforated and installed from inside the casing and to the bottom of the well.  This helps eliminate anything ever falling in or collecting around the pump.  It is also sometimes used to install PVC screens.

Question: What is a surface seal?

Answer: A surface seal is typically bentonite or a bentonite slurry, a form of processed clay.  It is placed in the oversized borehole around the casing to a minimum depth of 18 feet to protect the well against possible surface contamination.

Question: What is a well screen, and would I need one?

Answer: There are several varieties of screens made up of either stainless steel or PVC.  Screens are primarily used in wells that contain sands and or gravel; the screens hold back, or filter the formation, while allowing the water to move feely through to the pump without sediment.  Whether one is needed or not is dependent on the formation drilled and the well's tendency to pump sand or grit.

Question: What is the difference between an air test and a bail test?

Answer: An air test is the method of injecting air into the well to force the water to the surface for measurement.  Although effective, this method sometimes produces a gallon per minute amount more or less than an actual bail test.

Question: How much will my well cost?

Answer: Because of all the variables involved, you need to contact us with your specific needs and location for an accurate estimate of cost.  Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

Question: My well is going dry, what should I do?

Answer: There is no one answer that applies to everyone, for that reason we encourgae you to contact us. Generally there are a couple of options available to you.  It might be possible to deepen your existing well.  You may want to have a completely new well drilled.  You may want to consider installing a reservoir tank system. Sometimes there may be other factors which could be contributing to well production problems.  For example, we've seen 10 gpm sprinkler systems connected to a 10 gpm well.  The customer may feel that their well is decreasing, when in fact, the sprinkler system wasn't properly sized when installed, utilizing all available water, leaving no water for house use.