Don't Let Your Well Driller Give You The Shaft

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Remember, too, that professional well contractors are often licensed by—and must answer to—the state or county government. They're bona fide business people and as such should be able to provide you with a contract that covers at least the following areas: health and environmental code compliance, liability insurance for the customer and the driller, casing specifications (including size and diameter, penetration, sandscreen protection, and annular seal information), a completion date, a test-pumping report, a copy of the drilling log, itemized costs (per foot for drilling, as well as for the casing, plus any additional materials or labor charges), and a guarantee of materials and workmanship.

They Work Best Under Pressure

Unless you're one of the rare few who've been blessed with an artesian well that provides its own pressure, you're going to have to spring for a pump and pressure system to maintain a consistent delivery of water through your household plumbing network. I'm not going to go into the delivery pipe or electrical cable, because those components are standardized . . . and all I'm going to say about the pressure tank and its switch control—even though there are several different types in use—is that they're there to keep the pump from kicking on every time you open even the smallest faucet.

The pump, however, might merit a bit of explanation, because the cost of operating it will be apparent long after the price of the well is forgotten. Again, in the interest of brevity, I've worked up a table to highlight the. characteristics of the pump types you'll probably be encountering, though this listing is by no means complete.

I hope I've at least given you some idea of what to expect when you begin your search for water. I'd love to stick around and answer some more questions, but guess what . . . I've got a well to drill!

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