Your resource for
groundwater information and direction!
Hi! We are a full service well drilling
company located in Swanton, Vermont. We provide well drilling services,
water system installation and service, water treatment and filtration,
hydrofracturing and expert advice!
If you are curious about well drilling
or water pump systems or water treatment systems, this is
the place to be. There's a lot of water on this old planet and getting
it to you is the reason Chevalier Drilling Co. Inc. exists.
If you have a question about wells, e-mail us at:
chevdril@together.net
SO WHAT IS
A WELL?
A well is simply
a hole in the ground through which water is extracted from the earth!
Water is extracted for industrial, agricultural, or domestic purposes.
There are many types of wells.
1. DUG WELL
(Synonomous with 'Shallow Well' or 'Spring')
This is a well
constructed using a backhoe or excavator of some sort which digs a hole
in the ground(generally from 10 - 20ft deep). When a source of water
is encountered, gravel is put in the bottom of the hole, well tiles(made
of steel or cement) are installed and then earth is put back around the
tiles. The tiles are usually 3 to 4 feet in diameter. This
type of well utilizes water that is fairly close to the surface
2.
DRILLED WELL or BEDROCK WELL
This is a well
constructed using a drilling rig designed to be able to penetrate hundreds
of feet into the earth in search of water. The upper part of the
well has steel casing lining the hole to prevent collapse of the sidewalls.
The diameter of the well is usually 6 inches on domestic applications.
This type of well utilizes water that has penetrated much deeper into the
earth than in a 'shallow well'.
3. GRAVEL SCREENED
WELL
This is a well
constructed using a drilling rig which installs a well screen(slotted piece
of pipe) into a saturated gravel formation in order to extract water without
getting a lot of sediment from the formation. The diameter of the
well can range from 4 inches to 6 or 8 inches for domestic applications.
The picture near the beginning of this web page depicts a gravel screened
well.
There are other
types of wells but to keep from boring you with uncommon drilling methods,
we'll stick to these three.
WHICH TYPE FOR ME?
COST ESTIMATE
POTABILITY
RELIABILITY
Dug Well
$1000 - $2500
Variable
Subject to weather conditions
Drilled Well
$2000 - $7500
Normally Good
Less susceptible to weather fluctuations
Screened Well
$3000 - $5000
Normally Good
Less susceptible to weather fluctuations
Ordinarily, a drilled well is superior
to a dug well. It is less likely to suffer pollution from surface
contaminants or go dry during a period of no rainfall. A gravel screened
well is also a preferable type of well compared to a dug well, however,
it can only be installed if the necessary geologic conditions exist.
Common
Questions About Drilling A Well
1. Where is the best place to
drill? Each state has
regulations governing where on your property a well can be drilled. Generally, it
has to be at least 100 feet from your leech field and 50 feet away from
the septic tank.
It should also be away from roads, driveways and buildings. It is impossible to
predict where water will be found most economically.2. How is a well priced? Wells are usually
drilled on a per foot basis. Thus, the deeper a well is, the more expensive it is.3. How Much Water Do I Need? For normal Household
use, you should have:DEPTHFLOW
100 ft
6 gpm(gallons per minute)
200 ft
4 gpm
300 ft
2 gpm
400 ft
1 gpm
500 ft
1/2 gpm Individual
situations will ultimately dictate what is required.4. How Long Will It Take? A normal well
takes anywhere from a few hours to a few days to drill. It is another
day project to install
a pumping system to get the water from the well to the house.5. What Quality of Water Can I
Expect? Each well is an
individual. The quality of the water cannot be predicted accurately. Once the well
is completed, a sample will be analyzed to determine if there is any hardness, iron, sulfur,
manganest, lead etc.in the water and an appropriate treatment system will
be recommended if
warranted.
If you live
in any of the following counties of Vermont or New York, and you are in
need of a water source, call us for a free site visit and estimate on drilling
a new well.
VERMONT: FRANKLIN COUNTY,
CHITTENDEN COUNTY, ADDISON COUNTY
LAMOILLE COUNTY, WASHINGTON COUNTY,
ORLEANS COUNTY, ORANGE COUNTY
NEW YORK: CLINTON COUNTY,
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY, ESSEX COUNTY
Here is a picture
of a flowing well. No pump. Just naturally occuring hydrostatic
pressure!
How About another picture!
How About another picture!
