Drilling a well in a suburban area will provide its owners with the water required for personal purposes and irrigation. Own source will allow you to build an independent water supply. However, there are times when driving a mine does not produce results. How to avoid such "mistakes"? After all, drillers will have to pay, even if there is no water.
We will tell you in great detail how to find water for a well. We will introduce you to all possible methods of searching for this mineral. Imagine the technologies used on an industrial scale, and popular methods for determining the presence of groundwater.
For a thorough study of the topic, we have collected and systematized the noteworthy information available on the network. The information presented for consideration is supplemented by photos, graphic illustrations and video reviews.
The simplest classification of groundwater
Before embarking on a search for water beneath the well, one should fix the presence of such underground resources and determine the depth of occurrence in the selected section of the aquifer.
Depending on the location and depth, groundwater is divided into three types:
- High end - lies within 2-5 meters from the surface. It is formed as a result of precipitation. Due to the shallow occurrence, this type of water can fluctuate: either increase after precipitation, then decrease in the dry period.
- Ground water - aquifers in sedimentary rocks, occurring approximately in the region of 8-40 meters from the surface. Above they are protected by several layers of rocks, therefore they do not depend on the change of seasons of the year. Sometimes they are in depressions they break through springs on their own, supplying tasty clean water.
- Artesian waters - most often occur at a depth of over 40 meters. They are distributed along cracks in rocky limestone. Water is characterized by the presence of mineral salts and the absence of clay suspension. The production rate of artesian wells is quite stable.
Of key importance are the qualitative and quantitative parameters of the aquifer.
The thickness of the earth is formed from rocks, some of which prevent the penetration of moisture - water repellents, while others, on the contrary, form aquifers
When searching for water for well development, one can use different methods, both using available tools and using modern technology. But most often, hydrogeologists use the method of preliminary exploration in search of an aquifer and determine its depth.
To get to the source, which will provide quality and clean water, you will need to penetrate to a decent depth
Preliminary exploration of the field
It is easiest to calculate an aquifer based on geotechnical research. A geological section will help clarify the picture, reflecting the structural features and showing the sequence of bedding over the field.
At the stage of preliminary exploration, two tasks are solved at once:
- The hydrogeological conditions of the site are being studied.
- A qualitative and quantitative assessment of the source used is carried out.
Services of this kind of research are provided by organizations engaged in engineering geology and hydrogeology, specializing in well drilling.
Based on the results of preliminary exploration, the size of the aquifer, the operating conditions of the source, and the ability to cover the declared need are determined
In the most promising areas for water intake, identified as a result of preliminary exploration, geotechnical features are subsequently studied: land subsidence, probability of landslides, drillability categories of the discovered rock, the nature of its stability in the well ...
As a method of work, a large-scale hydrogeological survey can be applied. During a detailed survey, aquifers are mapped, and the composition and supply of groundwater are identified. Based on the data, it is possible to determine the feasibility of drilling a well in the area, at the same time find out at what depth the water will be.
For well-studied areas where there is already experience operating underground sources, the assessment of the water supply can be carried out on the basis of the degree of reliability of category C2. Prospective reserves of this category are calculated on the basis of geological and geophysical data from explored deposits, the occurrence conditions of which are similar.
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Electrical sounding method
To identify areas promising for water, the method of electric sounding is most often used. It is carried out by vertical sounding of the soil. The electrical resistivity of rocks and underground aquifers vary.
So, water-saturated soils have a lower electrical resistance than the mineral skeleton of low-moisture rocks.
With the help of current recorders, it is possible to determine the resistance on each horizon, designating for themselves those areas where there is a layer of groundwater
The only drawback of this method is that there is always the possibility of calculation error provided that there are deposits of iron ore in the soil or the metal fences and railway networks are close.
Seismic exploration technology
The seismic technique is based on measuring the kinematics of waves. With the help of instruments, places where an increased seismic background is observed, whose peak values reach frequencies from 4 to 15 Hz, are determined.
The essence of seismic exploration is that first the measurements are carried out in a territory located in the immediate vicinity of the groundwater search site, which has a similar geological section.
The generated waves directed downward, having reached a rock that is different from the upstream layers, like an echo are reflected upward. Then, within an hour, the same measurements are carried out in the area of groundwater search.
The depth of the reflecting boundary is calculated based on the obtained values of the sensitive instruments of the geophones. The presence of artesian waters is judged by a 5-10-fold increase in the level of seismic background in the region of the studied areas.
Frequency values within 4-15 Hz, which exceed the level of the Earth’s natural background, arise due to the fact that water-filled collectors are a denser medium for the passage of an acoustic medium
With the passage of acoustic waves through liquids having a high density, a change occurs towards high frequencies.
Exploration Drilling
This method allows you to accurately determine the geological formations forming the site. But since it involves large financial costs, it is used only in situations where it is planned to equip a large water intake designed for several houses.
To increase the reliability of research at a designated groundwater search site, two or three exploratory wells are drilled
Specialists distinguish three methods of exploratory drilling:
- Column - it is applied when drilling to great depths.The principle of operation is based on the fact that a rotating core pipe, the end of which is equipped with a drill bit, cuts through the rock. And then the destroyed rock is pushed to the surface under the pressure of the flushing solution or compressed air supplied through the pipe string.
- Rotary - based on the transmission of rotational motion to the drill string through a surface rotor. This type of drilling is accompanied by flushing the bottom of the rock with a special solution or plain water.
- Shock rope - works due to the destruction of rocks under the influence of a falling drill, the end of which is fixed on a rope. The tool simply breaks off the rock and grinds the soil, and then with the help of a bailer extracts it to the surface.
The choice of drilling method and drill string depends on the type of rock, the depth of the formation or lens and the financial capabilities of the customer. But in terms of drilling speed and productivity, rotational methods win in this regard.
The price of an exploratory well is determined by multiplying the cost of one running meter per barrel depth. The total amount is calculated based on the complexity of the penetration, the diameter of the barrel and the need to use casing pipes.
Hydrogeological data obtained from drilled wells are taken into account when preparing a forecast estimate of the prospective area. They help to study the change in the properties of water-bearing rocks in a vertical section.
DIY well drilling
But drilling exploratory wells is a fairly expensive method. Not many owners of suburban areas can afford it. As an alternative, test drilling can be performed independently using the screw method.
This method is similar to making holes in the thickness of ice during winter fishing. The helical structure is simply screwed into the ground. When removing the auger blades to the surface, the crushed rock is taken with them.
The auger method of drilling involves loosening the soil and immersing bits in it, with which the soil is extracted outside
For work, you need a screw with blades, equipped with a drill head. You can buy such a screw tool in any hardware store. Included in it are typesetting rods, which are convenient to use to build up the structure as it goes deep into the soil.
The work is performed in the following sequence:
- At the selected site, a guide pit is dug with a depth of 60-80 cm.
- The auger is lowered into the pit and begin to rotate, deepening the drill head.
- After the screw rod has passed 1-2 meters deep into the soil, a drill is removed, removing the loosened earth. As the helical structure advances, it is important to monitor the vertical position of the well.
- When the screw reaches a depth at which it is already inconvenient to work with the tool, the design is increased with a drill rod. Simultaneously with the implementation of drilling under the action of centrifugal force, casing of the walls of the well occurs.
- Drilling is performed until the helical shaft reaches the aquifer.
Excavated soil is transported using the same screw, which is a single screw conveyor, to the surface. At the same time, the soil being lifted outward due to the frictional force strengthens the walls of the trunk. This allows you to reduce costs when drilling plastic soils, since there is no need to use casing.
But it is worth considering that the auger method is effective only when searching for groundwater, the level of which does not exceed 50 meters, and the rocks belong to the plastic and loose category.
Popular ways of determining
It is possible to carry out exploration on your own in search of an aquifer for drilling a shallow hole or a needle-hole, even if there are no reference points in the adjacent areas.
Natural orientation
Signs of the presence of an aquifer in the soil can be:
- Observation of the behavior of animals and insects. Pillars of midges curl in the place where there is a source of water, and red ants, on the contrary, try to settle away from it.
- Large distribution in the district of hygrophilous plants.
Nettle, horsetail, sedge, sorrel, reeds are indicators of the proximity of groundwater from herbaceous plants. Tree-like plants with a stem root such as bird cherry, willow, birch, black poplar, sarsazan will indicate that the water lies at a depth of up to 7 meters.
At hot noon, animals dig the earth in search of coolness in places where groundwater is close to the surface
The soil and underlying rocks, under the thickness of which the source passes, is characterized by increased humidity. It will certainly evaporate, forming in the morning clouds of fog; you just need to observe the terrain.
Pay attention also to the relief. It has been observed that water carriers occur almost horizontally. Therefore, in the area of depressions, the probability of occurrence of water is always higher.
Using dowsing frames
The ancient method based on the biolocation effect, in which a person reacts to the presence of water and other bodies in the earth, creating heterogeneities of various configurations and sizes in its thickness, does not lose popularity.
When searching for water to select a place for a water well in a plot using a biolocation method, the pointer is a wire frame or a branch with a fork in the hands of a human operator. It is able to determine the presence of an aquifer, despite even the soil layer separating it from the water.
Dowsing - the ability of the frames to move under the influence of external factors, for example, to vibrate and get closer to each other above the places where the keys beat
Dowsing frames can be made of calibrated aluminum, steel or copper wire with a diameter of 2-5 mm. To do this, the ends of the wire segments 40-50 cm long are bent at a right angle, giving them an L-shaped shape. The length of the sensitive shoulder will be 30-35 cm, and the arms 10-15 cm.
The operator’s task is to ensure the free rotation of the “tool”. To facilitate their task, wooden handles are put on the bent ends of the wire.
Bending your arms at a right angle and taking the tool by the wooden handles, you need to slightly tilt them away from you so that the wire rods become like an extension of the hands.
To achieve the goal, you need to consciously tune in and clearly articulate the task ahead of you. After that, you just need to slowly move around the site and observe the rotation of the frames.
In the place of the plot where underground water is hidden, the frame rods intersect. The operator should mark this point and continue research, but already moving in a perpendicular direction relative to the original line of movement. The desired source will be located at the intersection of the found marks.
The dowsing frames will react by connecting with each other at the point where the aquifers pass on the site
It is believed that the best time to search for water through dowsing is summer or early autumn. The most favorable periods:
- from 5 to 6 in the morning;
- from 16 to 17 days;
- from 20 to 21 pm;
- from 24 to 1 am.
L-shaped frames are convenient to use in the field, but in the absence of wind. To work with the tool you need experience and skill. Indeed, the deviation of the frame may even depend on the emotional state of the operator.
For the same reason, before working with frames, it is better to refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages. Before you begin the search, you need to learn how to work with the radar and "hear" it. Due to this, in the process of searching for water for the well, the operator will not be distracted even by the presence of closed water pipes on the site.
But it is worth noting that folk methods cannot give a 100% guarantee of obtaining the expected result.After all, even with a successful outcome, there is always a risk of getting a water well with low productivity.
Tips for beginners, how to determine the place for the arrangement of the well and drill it yourself:
Probe exploration drilling:
It is worth approaching such a crucial event as the search for water for a well in all seriousness, using modern exploration methods for this purpose, or else entrust this work to professionals.
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