Games Some Drillers Play . . .

HAVING A WELL DRILLED IS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. YOU NEED TO GET WATER FROM A HOLE THAT IS DRILLED DEEP INTO THE GROUND. YOU ARE ABOUT TO SPEND A CHUNK OF MONEY FOR A HOLE WITH A PIPE STICKING OUT OF IT THAT IS NO BIGGER AROUND THAN A DINNER PLATE. YOU ARE TOLD THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY EVEN IF THERE IS NO WATER IN THAT HOLE. YOU ARE PROBABLY WONDERING, “WILL I LIKE THE WATER QUALITY?” . . . IN YOUR LIFE TIME, YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT SPEND MORE MONEY FOR A PRODUCT WITH AS LITTLE UP-FRONT INFORMATION.

ALTHOUGH MANY WELL DRILLERS DO A GREAT JOB DRILLING WELLS, MOST DRILLERS CANNOT OR WILL NOT COMMUNICATE. IN AN AREA LIKE OURS WHERE THE RAPID PACE UP DEVELOPMENT HAS EXCEEDED THE CAPACITY OF THE LOCAL DRILLERS, THIS LACK OF COMMUNICATION HAS LED TO MISUNDERSTANDING, ABUSE, AND EVEN FRAUD. THE FOLLOWING ‘GAMES THAT SOME DRILLERS PLAY’ WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT TAKES PLACE, AND HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF.

WE’LL BE THERE NEXT WEEK GAME: SCHEDULING IS VERY DIFFICULT IN THE WELL DRILLING BUSINESS. WEATHER, REPAIRS, ACCESS, DRILLING DEEPER THAN EXPECTED, DRILLING MORE THAN ONE HOLE ON A PERSON’S PROPERTY, ARE ALL VALID REASONS WHY A DRILLER CAN BE LATE TO YOUR JOBSITE. THE GAMES BEGIN WHEN YOUR DRILLER IS SUPPOSED TO MOVE TWENTY MILES TO YOUR JOBSITE NEXT, BUT A NEIGHBOR ACROSS THE ROAD WHERE HE IS CURRENTLY DRILLING ASKS HIM TO DRILL HIS WELL. THERE IS A LOT OF COST TO MOVE ALL OF THE WELL DRILLING EQUIPMENT MILES AWAY, AND THEN MILES BACK. SO THE DRILLER PUTS YOU OFF FOR ANOTHER WEEK WHILE HE DRILLS SOMEONE ELSES WELL. THE GAMES CONTINUE WHEN YOU HAVE A WELL THAT IS EITHER SHALLOW OR DIFFICULT TO DRILL. WHY WOULDN’T A DRILLER GO AND DRILL THE DEEP, EASY, WELLS FIRST?

THE FIXED PRICE PER FOOT GAME: YOU ARE NOT DOING YOURSELF A FAVOR WHEN THE PRIMARY QUESTION THAT YOU ASK A DRILLER IS “HOW MUCH PER FOOT?”  YOU GET QUOTED, LETS SAY, $17.00 PER FOOT, AND THEN GET TOLD THAT IF THERE IS NOT ANY WATER IN THE HOLE, YOU STILL PAY $17.00 PER FOOT. WHAT IS THE MOTIVATION FOR A FIXED PRICE DRILLER TO BE HONEST WHEN HE HAS DRILLED DOWN TO FIVE HUNDRED FEET AND HAS HIT A LITTLE WATER? IF THE DRILLER SIMPLY SAYS THAT THERE IS NO WATER, HE PULLS HIS TOOLING OUT OF THE HOLE, FOLDS UP HIS MACHINE AND YOU HAVE TO PAY HIM FULL PRICE FOR: 1. NOT SPENDING ANOTHER DAY OR TWO OF TIME TO FINISH THE WELL. 2. NOT SPENDING THE MONEY ON MATERIALS TO CASE THE WELL, GRAVEL PACK THE WELL, AND DEVELOP AND CLEAN THE WELL. YOU WILL HAVE SPENT $8,500 FOR NOTHING.

   THE GAMES CONTINUE WHEN THERE IS OBVIOUSLY WATER COMING OUT OF THE BORE HOLE WHILE THE WELL IS BEING DRILLED. AGAIN, WHAT IS THE MOTIVATION FOR A FIXED PRICE DRILLER TO INSTALL MANY FEET OF THE MORE EXPENSIVE PERFORATED PIPE DOWN THE WELL. THE INCOMING WATER NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO DIRECTLY ACCESS THE INSIDE OF THE WELL THROUGH THE PERFORATED CASING NO MATTER WHERE THE WATER COMES FROM. LESS WATER WILL BE AVAILABLE WITH ONLY ONE TWENTY-FOOT SECTION OF PERFORATED PIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL IF THE INCOMING WATER TO THE WELL IS MANY FEET ABOVE. WILL THE WATER THAT HAS TO DRAIN DOWN THROUGH THE GRAVEL PACK BETWEEN THE NON-PERFORATED CASING AND THE BORE HOLE, PERHAPS HUNDREDS OF FEET, EVER MAKE IT TO THE PERFORATED PIPING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL? OR WILL THE WATER FIND A FRACTURE THAT LEADS ELSEWHERE ALONG SIDE OF THE BORE HOLE AND NEVER MAKE DOWN TO THE PERFORATED CASING. NO ONE CAN PREDICT WHERE THE WATER WILL COME INTO A WELL UNTIL THE WELL IS DRILLED. BUT ALL THE WATER NEEDS TO BE IMMEDIATELY ACCESSED BY THE MORE COSTLY PERFORATED CASING.

  ITEMIZED, VARIABLE, PRICING ESTABLISHED BY CONTRACT BEFORE THE WELL IS DRILLED ELIMINATES THE MOTIVATION FOR ABUSE.

THE CAN’T WASTE TIME ON THE GRAVEL PACK GAME: HAVING A GOOD GRAVEL PACK IN-BETWEEN THE WALLS OF THE BORE HOLE AND THE OUTSIDE OF THE WELL IS CRITICAL. THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON TO HAVE A GRAVEL PACK IS TO MAKE SURE THE WALL OF THE BORE HOLE DOES NOT GET SATURATED AND SLUFF DOWN INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL WHERE IT WILL PLUG UP THE PERFORATIONS IN THE WELL CASING. FOR INSTANCE, SHALE IS A SOFT ROCK TRYING TO TURN INTO A HARD ROCK WITH COMPRESSION AND TIME. WHEN A BORE HOLE THROUGH SHALE FILLS WITH WATER, THE SHALE BEGINS TO SOFTEN, AND WITH NO GRAVEL PACK, THE GOOPY CLAY LIKE SHALE DROPS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL AND SEALS OFF ANY PERCOLATION THROUGH THE PERFORATIONS. THIS SATURATION PROCESS TAKES SOME TIME – UP TO SEVERAL YEARS – BUT THE RESULT IS THE SAME; NO GRAVEL PACK, NO WATER.  

  WHEN A WELL IS DRILLED AND A GRAVEL PACK IS INSTALLED, THE BORE HOLE WALLS WILL STILL SOFTEN AND WILL SLUFF AND THEN BRIDGE – UP AGAINST THE GRAVEL PACK. THE REST OF THE GRAVEL WILL STILL ALLOW THE TRANSFER OF WATER THROUGH THE CASING AND INTO THE WELL.

  NORMALLY DRILLERS USE WHAT EVER PEA GRAVEL IS AVAILABLE FROM THE LOCAL GRAVEL PIT. THE USE OF SIZED GRAVEL THAT COMES IN BAGS AND THAT IS MATCHED FOR THE SIZE OF THE PERFORATIONS IN THE WELL CASING IS THE CADILLAC VERSION OF A GRAVEL PACK. THE SIZED GRAVEL IS ROUND, NOT CRUSHED, AND WHEN INSTALLED PROPERLY, CAN LIMIT SEDIMENT TRYING TO ENTER THE WELL WHILE MAXIMIZING THE PERCOLATION OF THE INCOMING WATER.

THE WITCHING GAME: THERE IS SOMETHING TO ‘WITCHING’ OR WATER DOUSING, BUT WHETHER OR NOT IT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH WATER IS A DISCUSSION FOR ANOTHER ARTICLE. THE RELATION THAT WITCHING HAS WITH DRILLERS IS VERY SIMPLE: 1. A DRILLER NEEDS TO HAVE A DRILLING LOCATION. IT IS USUALLY A RELIEF FOR THE PROSPECTIVE WELL BUYER TO HAVE A WITCHER WALK AROUND THEIR PROPERTY, AND THEN SAY, “DRILL HERE”. THE INSECURITY FELT DURING THIS WHOLE MYSTERIOUS PROCESS OF DECIDING WHERE TO DRILL IS LIFTED AND THE WATER WELL EQUIVALENT OF A RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE HAS TAKEN PLACE. 2. A DRILLER NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE DRILLING LOCATION. THE TOP PRIORITY OF A DRILLER WITH HIS HEAVY, TOP HEAVY, HEAVY, (DID WE MENTION HEAVY?) EQUIPMENT IS GETTING TO THE DRILLING SITE ON YOUR PROPERTY. THE ODDS ARE THAT A DRILLER WHO WITCHES YOUR PROPERTY IS GOING TO ‘FIND WATER’ AT A LOCATION THAT IS PERFECTLY SUITED TO WHERE HE CAN GET HIS EQUIPMENT. FLAT AND DRY. 

  IF YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR PROPERTY WITCHED, CALL AT LEAST TWO WITCHERS UNRELATED TO THE DRILLERS AND HAVE THEM IDENTIFY LOCATIONS ON YOUR PROPERTY WITHOUT MARKING THEM. IF A COUPLE OF THE WITCHED SITES ARE IN THE SAME LOCATION BY DIFFERENT WITCHERS, YOU PROBABLY HAVE A GOOD PLACE TO DRILL. MAKE SURE THAT WITCHERS STAY AWAY FROM EITHER OVERHEAD OR UNDERGROUND POWER LINES BECAUSE DRILLING NEAR THEM IS NOT AN OPTION.

HERE IS YOUR INVOICE – DON’T KNOW GAME: IT IS INCREDIBLE THAT THE AVERAGE WELL BUYER IS WILLING TO WRITE A DRILLER AN $8,500.00 CHECK WITHOUT HAVING AT LEAST PRELIMINARY WATER TESTING PERFORMED. THE PH, IRON, HARDNESS, TDS, AND IF THE WATER IS SMELLY, BASIC HYDROGEN SULFIDE TESTING SHOULD ACCOMPANY EACH WELL DRILLED. THIS TESTING IS GOING TO BE VERY PRELIMINARY SINCE IT TAKES TIME FOR A WELL TO FULLY DEVELOP OUT. THE INCOMING WATER TO A WELL HAS TO FIND, CLEAR, AND ESTABLISH THEIR TINY UNDERGROUND WATER PASSAGE WAYS. WATER QUALITY IS DEPENDANT UPON WHAT TYPE OF GROUND THE WATER TRAVELS THROUGH.

  THE VALUE OF IMMEDIATELY KNOWING WHAT YOUR WATER QUALITY CONSISTS OF IS HUGE. MANY TIMES EXCAVATION FOR THE WATER PIPING AND WIRING TAKES PLACE RIGHT AFTER THE WELL IS DRILLED. DOES THE WATER LINE FROM THE WELL GO TO THE HOUSE DIRECTLY OR TO A CISTERN OR TO THE HOUSE AND BACK TO A CISTERN AND THEN TO THE HOUSE. IT ALL DEPENDS UPON THE QUALITY – AND QUANTITY – OF THE WATER.

   IF YOU HAVE A RESPONSIVE DRILLER WHO IS WILLING TO TRY TO GIVE YOU AN INDICATON OF WATER QUALITY UPON THE BORE HOLE BEING COMPLETED – BEFORE THE WELL CASING IS INSTALLED – YOU CAN DECIED AT THAT POINT WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO COMPLETE THE DRILLING PROCESS. IF YOUR DRILLER IS CHARGING A SEPARATE BORE HOLE RATE, YOU CAN SAVE QUITE A BIT OF MONEY IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO FINISH A WELL WITH BAD WATER IN IT.

  IF YOU CAN BE ON SITE WHILE THE DRILLING IS TAKING PLACE AND WATER IS OBVIOUSLY COMING OUT OF THE HOLE, TAKE A TALL GLASS AND FILL IT WITH THE WATER. LET IT SETTLE OUT FOR A FEW MINUTES OR AS LONG AS IT TAKES TO GET SEVERAL INCHES OF FAIRLY CLEAR WATER AT THE TOP OF THE GLASS. GENTLY, LIFT THE GLASS AND TASTE THE WATER. IS IT SALTY? DOES IT HAVE THE METALIC TASTE OF IRON? DOES IT SMELL LIKE ROTTON EGGS? PLUGGING IN WITH COMMON SENSE AT THIS STAGE OF THE GAME PAYS OFF BIG-TIME.

RESEARCH, COMMON SENSE, AND PICKING A RESPONSIVE DRILLER ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO INSURE THAT YOU GET A QUALITY WELL THAT WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH GREAT WATER FOR YEARS TO COME. YOU DON’T NEED TO BE THE LOSER IN ‘THE GAMES THAT SOME DRILLERS PLAY’.