If you live outside of city limits, you likely get your water supply from a well on your property that’s connected to a pump which delivers water inside your home. Sometimes, wells run dry — leaving homeowners without an accessible water supply. One cause of a dry well could be that it is simply no longer deep enough. But how deep does a well need to be? The answer depends on the location and depth of your water table.

What Is a Water Table?

A water table is an underground layer that separates the groundwater zone from the zone of saturation. Because of the unique saturation levels of each property, water table locations and depths can change significantly from season to season, causing water levels to lower beneath the reach of existing wells. Not only that, but dense, non-porous stone can hinder the collection of well water and surface elements can contaminate the water in a well, as well. To return flowing well water to your residence, a qualified well-drilling company will have to examine a variety of factors to determine your well’s required depth. 

How to Determine Well Depth 

A few of the major factors to consider when determining the proper depth of a well include:

1. Water table depth and location – It’s not only important to know the location of your property’s water table, but also the lowest point of your water table’s floor. Generally, wells are dug deeper than the water table to allow for seasonal ebbs and flows.
2. Surface contaminants – Areas with known bacterial content or elements like oil can cause the well to be drilled in a different location that might otherwise be chosen.
3. Low-yielding stone – Low-yielding stone surrounding the well generally means that the well needs to be drilled deeper than normal to guarantee an adequate supply of water.
4. Building code requirements – Some areas have building code requirements that affect the placement and depth of wells. For example, most areas require that a well be drilled to bedrock and be encased with a minimum number of feet of casing. It’s important that you or your well-drilling company check local requirements before proceeding with the drilling.
5. Amount of water needed per volume – Wells of a differing well casing, bore, or pipe diameter will each require a different volume of water. For instance, a 2-inch diameter well pipe requires 0.16 gallons of water per foot, while a 4-foot diameter dug well would require about 94 gallons of water per foot of depth.

The depth of your well can affect the drilling price, so it’s important to contact a company that has the know-how to calculate your proper well depth without over drilling. 

South Florida Well-Drilling Experts 

A reputable well-drilling company like Domer’s Inc. utilizes available public information and geological surveys as well as their skill and expertise to determine the proper depth of a well. In fact, we’ve been helping businesses and homeowners in the Okeechobee, South Florida, and surrounding areas with their well-drilling needs since 1926. To learn more about calculating well depth and our expert drilling services, contact Domer’s Inc. at 863-763-3417.