1. Location and construction of water wells
Todd Dillan
Dillan Well Drilling
Darlington, PA

2. (Groundwater Aquifer)
A Typical Well
Soil
Unsaturated Rock
Water table
Saturated Rock
(Groundwater Aquifer)
Each bulleted item will appear separately, allowing time to discuss why each location requirement is important to the quality of ground water produced from the well.
Water storage
Submersible
pump

3. Water Well Location 50 feet from septic tank 50 feet from dosing tank
100 feet from seepage bed
Avoid areas receiving runoff
Away from property lines or roads
Away from neighboring wells
Uphill from sources of contamination

4. Too Close to the Road
This slide illustrates a well located too close to the road. Runoff from the road enters the shallow roadside ditch and infiltrates into the subsurface. A spill on the road could affect this well, especially if its casing was not grouted.

5. Near a Stream
The stream is visible at the bottom of the glacial terrace that this well is constructed in. The water-table level in this well is 8 feet below the level of the water in the stream because the stream is perched and is loosing water to the glacial outwash aquifer.

6. In a Flower Bed
Flower beds are a common way that owners disguise the steel casing. The depth to the water table is being measured in this well.

7. Fracture Trace Location of Water Wells
Fracture zone
Ground surface
Surface depression
Convey large amounts of water
Useful for location of high-yielding wells

8. Setting Up the Drill Rig
This slide is an opportunity to discuss the types of drill rigs.

9. Air Hammer and Drill Bit
The down-the-hole hammer and the bit are shown by the red bracket.

10. Drilling to Set Casing
The diameter (10-inches) of the hole to accept the casing and the grout should be discussed here.

11. A Properly Constructed (Sanitary) Residential Water Well Has:
Each bulleted item will appear separately, allowing time to discuss why each construction requirement is important to the quality of ground water produced from the well.

12. 1) Casing of adequate thickness
The methods of fastening the sections of the casing together should be discussed here.

13. 2) A drive shoe on end of casing
The blue arrow points to the drive shoe on the bottom of the casing. The role of the drive shoe should be discussed here.

14. 3) Casing extending into bedrock

15. 4) Grout around casing
These two diagrams show how not to and how to construct a residential water well. A laser pointer may be used to draw attention to each design element as it is described.

16. 5) A sealed well cap with screened vent
Standard Well Cap Sanitary Well Cap
The bentonite grout has filled the entire well bore up to the ground surface for proper decommissioning.
2002 PSU study found that 15% of water wells with bacterial contamination could be fixed by simply installing a sanitary well cap.

17. Unwelcome Visitors

18. 6) A pitless adapter Sanitary well cap Well casing Pitless adapter
Lift out device
Submersible power cable
Well casing
Locking device
Frost line
Discharge line to basement
Pitless adapter
Check valve
Shifter valve
This diagram allows the details of a screened well to be identified and discussed.
Grout seal
Submersible pump
Packer
Image adapted from Manual of Individual Water Supply Systems, EPA-430/ , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Well screen

19. Example of what your finished product should not look like
Example of what your finished product should not look like. Wells like this still exist today. This well has a pit that is sometimes filled with standing water, no grout, no well cap…serious problems.
BUT: there are no statewide standards or requirements for private water well construction in Pennsylvania!

20. Why Care About Well Construction?
Poor construction can affect drinking water quality
Poor construction can contribute to pollution of the groundwater aquifer
Proper construction can prolong the life and yield of the well
Each bulleted item will appear separately, allowing time to discuss why each construction requirement is important to the quality of ground water produced from the well.

21. A Well Construction Contract
Written contract with well driller prior to construction
Assurance of compliance with regulations
Liability insurance information for driller
Casing specifications (4" minimum, to bedrock, etc.)
Sanitary cap, grout seal?
Well development to maximize yield
Disinfection after drilling and pump installation
Timeline for completion
Guarantee on materials and workmanship
Itemized estimate - check before exceeding costs
A yield test to determine approximate gallons per minute of flow
Delivery of well log to owner

22. Always Decommission Unused Wells
Pulling the Casing
This slide is an opportunity to discuss how to properly decommission (abandon) a residential water well.

23. Filling with Grout
A long tremie pipe is being used to grout the entire well bore after the casing has been pulled. The grout mixer and pump unit are in the foreground.

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