Well depth for drinking water

One of the most important indicators for a summer resident is the depth of drilling, because it is by depth that the price of drilling is calculated. Our practice shows that most people do not understand what the depth of the well should be. It is generally accepted that at shallow depths there is little water, at great depths there is a lot of it. Accordingly, a shallow well is enough for a summer cottage, and a deep well is needed for water supply at home.

These are all myths, now we will clarify this issue and tell you how to find out how many meters to drill a well.

How to find out the depth of water for a well

On the this moment there is no 100% way to check the water depth before drilling. Even geophysicists will not be able to accurately determine.
So how do you know how deep to drill a well?
There are 4 working tips:

• Ask how many meters of wells the neighbors have. But they can withhold real data, don't be surprised by this. Occasionally it happens that even in neighboring areas there can be significant differences in depth.
• Ask the drillers. Companies that have been operating in your area for a long time have probably already re-drilled every square meter and know the approximate depths.
• Find well depth maps of the Moscow region on the Internet and see the points closest to you.
• Drill an artesian well. Everything is clear here, you order and they drill for you until the limestone is opened, after which you will know the result.

Optimal well depth for drinking water

A person who has nothing to do with drilling thinks something like this: water starts from 10 meters and the deeper it becomes, the cleaner and cleaner it becomes, and starting from 40 meters (relatively), it is as clean as possible. It is this water that is potable, and a well for such water is called artesian. Hence the classic question is born: “at what depth is drinking water?”
Having learned such a depth from someone, people want to drill a fixed hole of 70 meters, or 30 or 100 meters.

All these are delusions! There is no optimal well depth.

We also often hear similar words: “I don’t need a lot of water, I just water the plot.” Some people believe that if a well is drilled in a summer cottage and the water will go mainly for irrigation, then it is possible to drill shallow. This is a myth and let's find out why it's not true.

How deep does an artesian well start?

In the generally accepted sense, an artesian well in the Moscow region is a well drilled to water-bearing limestones, hence its second name is a limestone well. But at what depth the drillers will open these limestones, this will be the very “optimal well depth”. Water may also be contained in other rocks, but in the Moscow region they are drilled for limestone. Since the geology of the area is heterogeneous, such aquifers can occur both at 20 meters and at 200 meters. And no one can accurately say the exact depth of their occurrence.

They don’t drill to the depth, they drill to the water-bearing rocks!

Having opened these rocks, you will get a well with a certain flow rate (productivity). Under this debit and under your goals is selected submersible pump and then it doesn’t matter if this water is used for irrigation or for the house, the pump will pump as much as it can.

For a more accurate understanding of what to expect in your area, you should look at the map of the depths of the Moscow region or return to and use the advice from there. If you are not in the Moscow region, find a similar map of your region and find out how deep water wells are drilled in you, but all these are only indicative values.

What is the depth of the well does not require a license

As with well depth, there is no maximum depth to which a well can be drilled without a permit. According to the Subsoil Law, you can drill an artesian well if it does not exploit the aquifer used for the centralized water supply of your locality.
In addition, an ordinary summer resident who drills a well for his home and only his own needs does not need a license.
You can learn more about the license.

How to check the depth of the well after drilling, so as not to be deceived

And at the end, let's move on to important point how to verify the words of the drillers and find out how many meters they actually drilled. After all, it is generally accepted that a priori they want to deceive you.
After the drilling has been completed, the drilling crew hands over the well to you and makes a depth measurement. You must be present at this process, because it is you who sign the certificate of completion and if something is wrong, then there will be no one to present claims.
Measurements are made by drillers with their drilling tools, namely drill rods, which have the same length (pictured). The bars are alternately lowered to the bottom, a mark is made on the last bar, then they are taken out and laid out. Then take a tape measure and measure the length of the rod and multiply by their number + part of the latter. Everything is simple. You have the right to measure at least every barbell.
As you can see in the photo, the rod is rigid metal and even if you want, it is impossible to lower more than necessary into their well.
This is the simplest and most accurate method of measuring the depth of a well.
Therefore, when a well is handed over, come and check the depth so as not to do what we will write about later.

Practice shows that many do not trust this or were not there when the well was commissioned and are simply sure that they were deceived. Therefore, having received a working well, they begin experiments, sometimes right on the day the drillers leave.

• Classic case #1.
  After reading articles on depth measurement (from theorists), you decide to lower a hammer, ax or other heavy element into the well. Everything would be fine, but those who advise this method probably forgot that, at a certain depth (indicated in the passport), the well has a transition to a smaller diameter. Your hammer will rest against this smaller diameter and will not go further, you will decide that this is the bottom and consider that you have been deceived.
• Classic case #2.
  Your hammer nevertheless entered this smaller diameter, plunges deeper and deeper into the water, the rope becomes heavy, and even if your object has sunk to the bottom, the rope itself stretches further under its own weight.
  And it's good if you can pull your hammer back. It often happens that either the rope just breaks, or the hammer gets caught on something, you pull it and get a rope break, or you just can’t get your hammer back.
  As a result, you lose the warranty, lose the opportunity to install the pump and get a new well that needs to be repaired. They will try to repair it for you, but for some money.

Sometimes the depth measurement service is provided by third-party workers whom you have called to install the pump. Their method is about the same - a load on a rope. The result is the same as with self-measurement.
You can learn more about cheating by drilling firms.

How to check the depth of an old well

Having bought a house with an old artesian well, or having received an abandoned well in some other way, in the complete absence of documents for it, most likely, it repair not worth it. After all, this is a waste of time and money, and it is not known whether there will be water at the outlet.
Perhaps, during the downtime, stones and debris were thrown into it, perhaps casing pipes were torn in it, and if it is a sand well, then its service life has long expired and it is inoperative.
It's a lottery: you have to pay for logging, you need to buy a submersible pump according to the parameters of the well and try to pump it out. There is a risk that the pump will catch on something, but only in such a way empirically it is possible to understand whether the well will work.
If there is no water and the pump has already been purchased, then you will have to re-drill the well and hope that your purchased borehole pump fit her settings.

Well water level measurement

After the well has been drilled, the water level in the well is measured with a device that drillers call a cracker. When it hits the water, it emits a pop, this allows you to determine the static water level.
The dynamic water level is defined differently: when water is pumped out, it is beaten off on the rods, the underwater and surface parts become slightly different color. Based on this, it is easy to determine the dynamics.
You can’t throw a cracker, even if the well is large in diameter and the pump is narrow, there is a risk that everything will get stuck.

All these works are carried out by drillers, you yourself do not need to measure the water level, especially since the pump is already standing. There is a very high chance of getting stuck measuring instrument and repairs are very expensive. Yes, and it makes no sense to remeasure, everything has already been done and calculated for you.

Earth is the planet of water. If you want independence, then you need your own water. If you need water, you can't do without drilling a well in your area.
For water intake, there are two types of wells: filter - "on sand" and deeper - "on limestone, they are sometimes called "artesian" wells, although professors believe that artesian wells are wells with "self-draining" (by the name of the French province of Artois, where such wells were first drilled).

The drilling of a filter (sand) well is carried out to the nearest aquifer, which lies in sandy soils, and its depth is usually 15-30 m. The well is drilled quite quickly - within one to two working days.

However, these wells tend to silt, and their service life directly depends on the thickness of the aquifer, on the intensity of operation: the more often a well is used, the longer it lasts (in practice, up to 15 years, more often - 5-8 years).

Drilling of deep ("artesian") wells (on limestone) is carried out to an aquifer occurring in limestone at depths of 30-200 m, and differ not only in their depth and productivity (up to 100 m3 / h), but also in the complexity of drilling. Such wells are usually drilled with a larger diameter and greater depth than sand wells. This is the reason for both the large number of casing strings in the well and the higher cost, because price running meter well drilling directly depends on the diameter of the casing pipes and, consequently, their cost. The duration of drilling a well increases to 5 or more days, depending on the rock and depth. The price of drilling a well for limestone is higher, but the service life is much longer - 50 years or more, since the filter in such wells is the aquifer itself (limestone) and silting does not occur.

What is the borehole diameter?

For private sand wells: 127-133 mm. For a limestone well, the diameter of the column at the top can vary from 127 to 324 mm depending on the pump capacity, depth and design of the well. The volume of water consumption when drilling an industrial well dictates much larger diameters.

What pipes are in the well?

As a rule, steel ("black"). Steel St20, seamless seamless. Connections are threaded or welded. Galvanized pipes for the casing string are not suitable - over time, harmful zinc compounds appear in the water.

Is plastic necessary?

The question, of course, is interesting ... On the one hand, of course, there are progressive technologies, but on the other hand, there are no statistics on plastic pipes, they appeared not so long ago, and how they will behave in 40 years is unknown, but a black pipe is predictable: it service life with a wall thickness of 5 mm - 50 years (at a corrosion rate of 0.1 mm per year).

However, for demanding customers, they are installed inside the casing plastic pipes(they will not save from corrosion, but they will give comfort to the operation of the pump, cutting off particles of rust from the walls of the steel column from the expensive mechanism). Sometimes, in difficult geological conditions, a plastic column inside a steel one can be useful, i.e. plastic is not used instead steel pipes and along with them.

Plastic instead of steel is sometimes used in shallow wells, but it must be approached with caution: a steel column is stronger than plastic and better resists soil movements.

But after all, the "black pipe" is iron, and there is already a lot of iron in the water ...

In water, the presence of iron is due to the content of chemically dissolved ferrous iron (in rust - trivalent) in the aquifer.

Iron or fluorine present in chemical composition water from an artesian well, are determined using chemical analysis and removed using special filters-iron removers (by oxidizing and converting it into a precipitate). Filters are a necessary attribute of autonomous water supply.

What is included in the cost of drilling a well?

Drilling itself, casing the well with a string of pipes, pumping up to visually clean water. Express analysis is possible.

Some companies include chem. analysis into the cost of drilling a meter well.

Chem. the analysis can be included in the drilling of the well, but it will not give a reliable and complete picture, since immediately after drilling there is still imported water in the well, which is used in drilling. Water sampling for analysis should be carried out after three weeks of operation, when the water composition is completely stabilized, i.e. it is better if the analyzes are carried out during the arrangement, because according to their results, water treatment equipment will be selected.

How far from the house is it possible to arrange a well?

Not closer than 3 meters.

What is "arrangement"?

For year-round water consumption, the well must be completed with a deepened caisson (hermetic steel box) for all-season maintenance of pumping equipment. A pipeline is laid from the caisson at a depth of 1.8 m and introduced into the house. Automation is installed for uninterrupted control of the pump and filters for cleaning water from the well from mechanical impurities.

Why drilling an art well is more expensive?

The cost of drilling a well directly depends on the price of the casing string metal. The diameter of the casing string depends on the depth of the well and the planned water consumption (a more powerful pump has larger dimensions).

Why do some firms drill cheaper?

1. The old supply of pipes remained (this will not last long).
2. Lightweight galvanized pipes are used (they are also beautifully called "anodized"). Due to the anti-corrosion coating, the thickness of the pipe can be reduced, drilling due to the saving of metal will be much cheaper. This does not take into account the health of the customer, who after a while will begin to consume harmful zinc compounds with water. In addition, in acidic groundwater, the column will break down faster.
3. Some firms make the installation of their equipment or arrangement a prerequisite. In this part of the estimate, they will take their toll.
4. Short warranty period.

Do I need a license for the right to use subsoil?

For drilling a shallow well in the sand is not needed, as well as for a well. For drilling an art well - needed. But some firms do the following: they issue two passports, one for the owner, the other for the inspection authorities. This, of course, is not good. For industrial wells, a license for nature use is absolutely necessary. Registration of a license takes up to six months.

What if there is no water?

In exceptional cases, when drilling for sand, there is no water in the indicated place, or it is not enough - the well is regarded as an exploration well, and only 50% of the contract price is charged.

What pumps are best?

A recognized leader in its field, the German company Grundfos has been manufacturing its pumps from corrosion-resistant stainless steel for thirty years. Although - there are options, pumps from Italy are also not bad, and the cheapest one is our "Baby".

Is it possible to clean a silted shallow well?

Yes, you can. Repair of sand wells requires special tool. There is a method of restoring the filter by washing the filter in the lower part of the well with pressurized water - the well is pumped, fine particles are washed out of the filter, the water inflow is resumed. Repair of artesian wells is a complex, high-tech process, it is carried out by specialized companies.

Is it possible to arrange a well right in the house?

Yes, you can, but shallow. There are small-sized drilling rigs, you can drill a well in the basement of the house - if the ceilings are at least 2 m. An interesting alternative is the Abyssinian well. However, a serious well cannot be located in the basement, even if the house itself has not yet been built, because. maintenance and repair (pump replacement, preventive maintenance, etc.) requires the use of large-sized drilling rigs, which cannot be accessed in the basement of the house.

When to start drilling?

It is best to start drilling a well before building a house, immediately after marking the site with pegs. This will save a lot of effort and money on restoring the fence and lawn after the arrival of drillers, provide builders with drinking and technical water, and make it possible to feel like the owner of the property even before the fence is erected.

If it didn’t work out with the well right away, don’t despair - you can later, in any case, your own well will give completeness to your possession and a sense of independence.

How to find water in your area?

Signs of the proximity of water are a darker and brighter color of grass, marsh vegetation, but this only speaks of subsoil waters - perched water. The color of the grass, however, may also depend on the presence of fertilizers in a given area or the composition of the soil that is different in microelements. Of the more "subtle signs" - midges hover over a damp place, trees bend their branches "to the water." Well, a frame or a willow / walnut twig with dowsing and dowsers - this requires strong optimism and a firm belief in this very dowsing ...

If a we are talking about a sand well, find out if the neighbors have wells or wells. If there is, feel free to drill yourself. But 100% probability cannot be expected. In limestone, water is almost everywhere, the only question is the depth and thickness of the reservoir.

Hand drilling wells - is it possible to do everything yourself?

As a rule, drillers who offer hand drilling are actually using compact rigs and attachments. Purely manual drilling of a well is hard physical labor with the help of a bailer on screwed rods, which must be constantly lifted and freed from the ground during penetration. Rotation of the tool - manually with the help of a gate.

As for drilling a well in your area on your own - if you have enough enthusiasm and have the appropriate equipment - yes, you can. But ... It's hard work - manual drilling of a well, and if you meet a boulder, manual drilling will no longer help.

The price of a well drilling meter by hand, which is offered by specialists, is much higher than a machine one, because. although machines and mechanisms are used, the share of heavy manual labor is quite large. Manual drilling of wells is justified where machine drilling is not possible.

Well "on the sand" or a well with a pump?

The problem of wells is poor insulation of the joints of reinforced concrete rings, which is why the water becomes cloudy after rains. The casing string (pipe) of the well cuts off storm and subsurface water from formation water in the sandy layer. What unites them is that it is not necessary to obtain permission to drill a well, like a well.

Drilling on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd water horizon

Upper limestone aquifers may be thin. For a productive well, I advise you to listen to the advice of drillers: if you do it, it's so good. And if the needs are modest - you can go first. As a rule, the water in the upper horizon is polluted with water from the overlying sandy layers and perched water, penetrating into the limestone due to disturbance. technological requirements while drilling.

The second horizon is strategic water reserves, for drilling a well you need a license for the use of subsoil and a permit for drilling. Although drillers usually bypass this obstacle. Drilling a well on the 2nd and 3rd horizons will become much more expensive, since they sometimes lie much deeper.

Is it necessary to require a license for this type of work from drillers to drill a personal well for water?

No, don't.

Volumes of water when drilling an artesian well

Rotary drilling ("wells for limestone") uses the so-called. drilling fluid from special clay and water. The volume of water consumed for a 100-meter well ranges from 20 to 30 cubic meters (approximately).

How to control the quality of drilling work?

An indicator of entry into the aquifer when drilling a pit is the inflow of water. Unfortunately, the format of the article does not allow even a brief list of everything that can happen when drilling a well (according to Murphy's law, everything bad that can happen will definitely happen); the best control over the quality of work of drillers is to become an ordinary member of the team for a while.

An indirect indicator of the quality of work when drilling a well is the warranty period: correcting flaws is simply unprofitable. You need to be demanding with drillers, but initially benevolent, do not try to "outsmart" - in response, they may have such professional tricks in stock that will spoil your impression of the well for a long time.

What should be done when taking a well into operation?

Taking a well into operation after drilling, it is necessary:

Check the depth of the drilled well by the tool, i.e. lower the pipes to the bottom and measure the length of the rods.
- Take water from the well - it must be visually clean, the debit must correspond to that specified in the contract.
- Check the availability of a set of documents stipulated by the contract (including the Well Passport with its characteristics and the Warranty Card) and the compliance of the specified well parameters with the actual ones. Recommendations for the operation of the well are also given by the drilling organization (it is also useful to know its address and phone numbers).
- After delivery (if not expected further work or operation) the well must be plugged (welded) for conservation.

How deep should the pump be?

It depends on how much water the well produces and how much the pump pumps out. On average, it is 15-17 m below the static level. But so that the pump does not run out of water during operation.

How to determine how deep a well is drilled?

Lower the weight on the line. When pulling out the fishing line, measure the length.

How to understand if there is water in the well casing?

Lower the weight, it can be a washer, a plumb line, etc. on a rope or fishing line into the casing and twitch up and down while lowering, while listening to the sounds coming from the pipe. As soon as you reach the water mirror, you will hear how the sinker makes sounds of an object plunging into the water. When you take out the weight, measure the length of the fishing line, rope and find out exactly the depth at which the water is.

What is included in the warranty period for a drilled well?

Here are the rules to follow when deciding whether a warranty repair is eligible:

The content of sand or clay in artesian water begins to exceed 50 mg / l (or other, specified in the contract), because. this indicates a leak in the casing, or that the clay interlayers in the limestone horizon were not cut off correctly
- if the well flow rate has decreased due to clogging of the filter column with sand or clay (the symptoms described above appear)
- if the well flow rate has decreased due to a natural disaster, or due to drilling near the facility of an industrial well with a huge water intake, which led to dehydration of the horizon, then the repair of such a well, unless it is separately agreed in the contract, is not a guarantee.

How soon will the well silt up if it is not used?

The length of a satisfactory production period for a well depends on a number of factors:

Frequency and intensity of operation
- thickness of the aquifer
- availability and capacity of wells at neighbors
- violations of the hydrological situation
- climatic conditions

How to restore well productivity after the winter break?

To restore the well, a number of measures are carried out, their essence is cleaning the well, washing the filter and the bottomhole zone under pressure with an air-water mixture (up to 15 atm), if necessary, washing special. reagents. As an extreme case - water hammer. If necessary, video filming of the wellbore and - in the presence of fistulas - partial replacement of the casing string.

Preparing to create autonomous system water supply country house or cottages include whole line stages. One of them is the definition of the layer from which water will be withdrawn. It is necessary to take into account a number of factors and conduct geodetic reconnaissance. Important parameter- the depth of drilling a well for water. It is determined based on the conditions in a particular area.

Verkhovodka

The aquifer closest to the earth. It lies at a depth of no more than 4-5 m. It is formed from sedimentary and melt water. Refers to unstable sources. May disappear in case of severe drought or frost with freezing of the soil by several meters.

The water in this layer is of low quality and contains a lot of impurities, bacteria, and contaminants that have penetrated from the surface into the soil. It is one of the suppliers of water for deeper levels and is suitable for a shallow well if there are no other sources for irrigation.

ground water

Usually located at a level of about 10 m, on the first water-resistant layer. They are formed during the infiltration of atmospheric precipitation and water from various water bodies - rivers, lakes, ponds.

This layer is suitable for wells and boreholes, but is characterized by unstable water quality. One of the sources of filling is the surface of the earth, but not all contaminants are filtered out when they penetrate the soil.

Water can change color if there is a swamp or peat bog nearby, have bad smell. However, often the water in this layer is clean, suitable for drinking and cooking.

Interstratal waters

The third level of groundwater. It is located at a depth of 10-100 m between two waterproof layers of soil. This layer is distinguished by stability. An important advantage is the purity of the water, and the deeper the level is, the cleaner the source.

In the process of moving through different layers of soil, the water is repeatedly filtered, impurities and most bacteria disappear from it. Ideal for high production wells with a lifespan of up to 50 years. Most often, the depth of hydraulic structures does not exceed 50 m.

artesian waters

They lie at a depth of more than 100 m. There are frequent cases when water is extracted from artesian sources at a level of 250-350 m. These are the so-called limestone wells. They are high power and high quality water, often containing beneficial minerals and trace elements in small concentrations.

Mostly sources of this type are used for industrial purposes. However, with a moderate layer thickness and a relatively shallow depth, they are quite suitable for domestic purposes. When drilling a hydraulic structure of this type, special equipment is used.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW: After a test drilling or well start-up, it is recommended to conduct a laboratory analysis of the water to identify bacteria and determine the composition.

Sectional soil: an example of the location of aquifers and hydraulic structures

Main types of wells

The simplest in the device. Another name is driving, and it most accurately characterizes another definition - “needle”. The diameter of the well is only 1-1¼ inches, the depth does not exceed 8-10 m. The technology of the device is simple:

• driving or auger drilling is carried out until ground water;
• a pipe of the appropriate length with a pointed end is inserted into the well (hence the name “needle”). In the tip, holes for water intake and a filtration mesh are provided in advance;
• a pump is installed on the surface and plumbing communications are laid.

Such a source will last 5-15 years.

Scheme of the arrangement of wells on sand and artesian

Well on the sand

The optimal and most common type. Drilling continues until passing through a layer of water-bearing sand - one of the levels of interstratal water closest to the surface.

The depth of the source can vary from 15 to 50 m, depending on the terrain, topography, and proximity to the reservoir. The device is performed in several stages:

• prepare a working platform 1.5x1.5 m and up to 1 m deep;
• perform shock-rope, auger or rotary drilling to the aquifer;
• filters and casing are mounted, followed by filling the remaining cavities with a mixture of gravel and sand in order to strengthen the shaft and fix the pipe;
• downhole pump is lowered and the well is completely pumped out,
• waiting for refilling with water, determine the level of the water table;
• carry out work on laying water pipes and equip the site - concrete, make waterproofing.

Depending on the operating conditions and reservoir thickness, the average service life is 20-30 years and can reach half a century.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW: The best option laying a borehole water supply - placing a pipe at a depth of 1.5 m, below the freezing level of the soil. When laying on the surface, thermal insulation of communications is carried out to prevent freezing of water in the system.

Drilling speed largely depends on the equipment. It is believed that the less time it takes to set up a structure, the better the well works.

Preparatory work before drilling a well

The first stage of preparation is the conduct of geodetic reconnaissance. It is carried out in several ways:

• assess the terrain, the proximity of natural reservoirs;
• interview neighbors and old-timers;
• use reference literature;
• trying to determine the drilling site by dowsing;
• invite experts in geodesy.

The latter option is the best if it is planned to drill a powerful well that will last for more than a dozen years.

Exploration drilling - effective method determining the depth of a future well

The next step is to obtain permits if the drilling depth exceeds 30 m. However, the first water-resistant layer rarely lies deeper. But you should not relax: the well will need a document - a passport, which indicates all the parameters of the source.

If the hydraulic structure was drilled independently, obtaining a passport is impossible and additional difficulties will arise in case of operational problems. To avoid this, as well as to accurately determine the drilling location, depth and potential power of the source, it is recommended to use the help of specialists in the installation and launch of hydraulic structures.

Professionals will perform a full range of work, share recommendations for efficient operation. The source will last a long time and will regularly supply water, no matter how deep the aquifer is.

Video: well drilling depth

The most important parameter of a well for water is its depth. This indicator directly affects the level of water quality and drilling costs. The price list of companies providing such services is focused on the level of penetration, and the owners of the site do not want to pay for non-existent meters. In cases where the well is equipped on its own, knowing the exact depth helps to choose the optimal pump for pumping water.

The level of deepening of a hydraulic structure is affected by how aquifers are located in a given area. Also of great importance is the function that the extracted water will perform. To water the garden and the garden, you can take the liquid of the upper groundwater: they can be located at a distance of 4-6 m from the surface of the earth. Drinkable horizons are an order of magnitude deeper (from 15 m).

Types of wells depending on their depth

There are three main types of wells:

1. Abyssinian (8-12 m). The simplest hydraulic structure, suitable for self-arrangement in a country house or country house. The mine enters the first aquifer, and is usually used for irrigation and technical purposes. If you apply a filter system, this water can also fill domestic needs.
2. Sandy (15-30 m). The average well production rate for sand is 1 m³/h, which makes it possible to provide water Vacation home or a medium sized cottage. This water can be drunk, however, periodic cleaning of the source from silting will be required.
3. Artesian (70-100 m). The high quality of the liquid extracted in this way is due to the presence of multilayer natural filtration. The debit is also pleasing - from 3 m 3 / h. Artesian water is in great demand in the medical field due to the presence of useful minerals in its composition. The invested finances are fully paid off by the durability of the artesian source: it usually lasts at least 60 years.

The professionals invited to work, as a rule, already have data from past geological surveys, and can provide information about the approximate depth of the future well in advance. With independent drilling, these parameters can be obtained only after reaching the aquifer. Several methods are used for this. varying degrees difficulties.

It is also important to take into account the fact that several aquifers can occur in one area at different depths:

• Verkhovodka. The layer closest to the surface of the earth, lying at a depth of 3.5-4 m. It is replenished due to melting snow and rains, which explains the presence of a large amount of dirt in the water. All these impurities enter the water as it seeps through the soil. A small distance does not allow it to be filtered. Large fluctuations in volume are characteristic of perched waters: after precipitation, the level increases sharply, and during dry periods it may disappear altogether. Wells fed from perched water are used exclusively for technical purposes.

• Ground water. They lie at a depth of about 10 m. A layer of this type demonstrates greater stability compared to perched water, not drying out in frosty or dry weather. The quality of groundwater is also an order of magnitude higher, which allows them to be used both for technical purposes and for cooking.

• interstratal waters. They are located at a distance of 10-100 m from the surface of the earth. They are a kind of layer, separating two water-resistant layers. Most often, drinking wells are equipped on this layer. This is due to the high quality of water and the relative cheapness (compared to the artesian layer).

• Artesian waters. Usually lie at a distance of 100 m and below from the surface. Although there are exceptions: in some areas, artesian water can be found at a depth of 50 meters. The waters from the artesian layer have the most a high degree purity.

aquifers

There are several ways to find out the approximate depth of the well before drilling:

• Interrogation of neighbors in the area. If neighbors use a well or well, you can always get this information from them. Even better, if the well has technical documentation: it usually indicates not only the depth, but also the flow rate.

• To study the data of geological surveys. Such a plan is the result of engineering and reconnaissance activities carried out in the area. It contains information about the specifics of the soil and the layout of aquifers. Having such documentation in hand, drilling a well is much easier.

At the end of the work, the drilling company must provide a technical passport for the finished well with its parameters. The depth of the mine is also indicated there, however, some users doubt the reliability of these data.

Sample technical passport for a well

It can be said right away that serious organizations never engage in bringing false indicators in order to obtain additional benefits. Therefore, in order not to worry about the result, it is better to do business with firms that have a good reputation. Too incredulous customers, they will always offer to be present during drilling. You can verify the accuracy of the information personally by counting the rods used by the drilling rig.

As for suspicious ads promising to build a well at a cheap price, it is recommended to ignore them.

This is the easiest way to determine the depth of a well or shallow well. It is implemented using a construction tape measure, a cord and a steel load. Clear, dry weather is best for taking measurements in this way. Optimal timing end of summer, beginning of autumn. The point is that during this period The groundwater have the lowest level.

Tools for self-measuring the depth of the well

Operating procedure:

1. Determine the diameter of the well. For this, a ruler is used. This will allow you to choose the right cargo.
2. Lower the string inside the shaft with a load at the end until the cord reduces its tension. This indicates contact with the bottom of the well.
3. Pull the twine out and lay it out in a straight line on the ground. By measuring the dry part, determine the distance to the water table. To simplify the task, before starting the procedure, the cord is equipped with colored ribbons at the same distance.
4. The size of the wet area of ​​the twine will indicate the volume of the source well.

Measuring the depth of the well with twine and sinker

The main disadvantage of this easy way there are significant restrictions on the measured depth (no more than 10 m).

In addition, the dimensions of the wet area indicate only the static level of the well, while when installing the pump, it is necessary to know the dynamic level. To define it, inside casing pipe pass the suction hose with a filter at the end: it should reach the bottom. Turning on the pump, note the time until the water supply is completely empty. Turn off the pump only after the appearance of specific squelching sounds. After that, the procedure for measuring the depth is repeated again: the height of the remaining water is the dynamic level.

This tool (abbreviated - RGLM) allows you to measure wells with a depth of 10-50 m. Restrictions on the diameter of the casing pipe - at least 20 mm. The hydrotechnical tape measure consists of a body, a reel with a speed regulator, a measuring tape and a clapperboard weight.

Instructions for using RGLM are very simple:

1. Insert a tape with a load into the pipe. It is necessary to lower the load gradually, for which there is a special regulator with a brake.
2. The signal that the water has been reached will be a strong bang.
3. Roulette after cotton immediately stop and take readings on the scale. They will indicate the level of the aquifer.

Measuring the depth of the well with a hydrogeological tape measure

The operation of the IUGS device is based on the principle of a reflected echo signal sent by a special emitter. After reflection from the bottom, the data is processed internally by the instrument. In this way, depths up to 80 m can be determined with an accuracy of up to 150 mm. The recommended diameter of the casing pipe is from 60 to 150 mm.

Measuring the depth of the well with a depth gauge

The IUGS depth gauge consists of an electronic unit, an acoustic probe and an angle adapter. The last device allows you to determine if there are deviations from the vertical line. It is very convenient that a battery is used for power: this makes it possible to carry out work away from power lines.

Acoustic depth gauges are very popular in the mining industry as well. The only drawback of this type of devices is their high cost. Buy a similar device domestic use not very profitable. More practical option– rent a depth gauge.

This device for determining the depth refers to mechanical. To wind the logging cable, a reel with a measuring roller is used. It is calibrated in such a way that there is 1 m of cable per turn. The number of revolutions of the coil indicates how deep the aquifer is. In order to make a visual inspection of the hydraulic structure, a portable video camera with a battery is attached to the end of the cable.

Sometimes the offered accuracy of wireline is not enough. To remedy the situation, the tape is equipped with magnetic marks applied with a certain step. A special device is used to read magnetic symbols. During operation, a gradual stretching of the cable occurs, so it is recommended to update the magnetic marking from time to time.

A professional device, the principle of operation of which resembles the IUGS device discussed above.

In this case, instead of conventional sound waves, ultrasound is used for measurement. Its impulses are sent towards the obstacle, and by determining the difference between the time of sending and returning the signal, the final result is given. Ultrasonic level gauges allow you to determine the level of the medium without coming into direct contact with it. They are used to work in hard-to-reach places, which include the well.

Results

The need to accurately determine the depth drinking well usually occurs in two cases. The first is when you need to check the work of a drilling company, because. the calculation for the work is carried out according to the meter of the deepening. This information will also be required for self-arrangement wells: it will help determine the pump. When choosing a measurement method, the required level of accuracy and their financial capabilities are taken into account.