WHAT IS A WATER WELL?
Simply defined, a water well is a man-made hole in the ground through which ground water may flow or be pumped to the surface.  Whether the ground water is shallow or deep, we must have a way to link the ground water to the surface where it can be used.  This is done by constructing a water well.

There are several components that make up the basics of a water well.  First, a source of water is needed.  This is generally supplied by an aquifer.  Second, a conduit for routing the water to the surface, called casing, is needed, and thirdly, some sort of pump is necessary to deliver the water.  An analogy of these components is drinking soda through a straw.  The soda in the glass is equivalent to ground water in an aquifer, the straw is the casing, and the human body acts as the pump.

HOW ARE WATER WELLS CONSTRUCTED?
Well construction has six separate steps.  These include drilling, installing the casing, and well screen, installing the filter pack, grouting, well development, and installing a permanent pump.  Two or more of these steps may be done simultaneously.

1. DRILLING OPERATION
   After locating the proposed well site and with health department approval, the drilling operation can proceed.
   
   A very technical and expensive drilling rig will set up over the proposed well location and drill a bore hole to the desired aquifer.
    
2. INSTALLING THE CASING AND SCREEN
   Once the desired depth of the borehole has been reached, the drill crew can then install the casing and screen.  Casing can be made of different materials such as steel or plastic, and comes in various diameters and lengths.  Well screens are also available in various material types, diameters, and lengths, and have slots or holes cut in them.  The slots or holes are sized to allow water to flow into the well and keep unwanted materials, such as sand, out.  Well screens are usually attached to the first piece of casing to be put down the borehole and successive pieces of casing are then added until the entire length of the borehole has been screened or cased.
    
3. INSTALLING AN ARTIFICIAL FILTER PACK
   For some well designs, it is necessary for an artificial filter pack to be placed around the screen.  This operation takes place before grouting or sealing the well.  The filter pack consists of graded sand or gravel, which is placed around the well screen.  The filter pack removes or filters unwanted fine particles from the formation that would otherwise find a way into the well.
    
4. GROUTING THE WELL
   Grouting a well involves filling the space between the casing and borehole wall with a slurry of Bentonite clay.  This is done to seal the area between the casing and borehole wall to prevent downward leakage of contaminants from the surface.
   
   Grouting is accomplished by mixing and pumping the Bentonite clay slurry in the annular space between the borehole and the casing.  The section of the borehole to be grouted varies according to geologic conditions and water well codes.  Once the grouting process is completed, the well is ready to be developed for its intended use.
    
5. DEVELOPING THE WELL
   Well development is a procedure intended to maximize the well yield and measure the yield in gallons per minute.  During the drilling operation, sediment that may plug the well screen and reduce the yield of the well are removed. 
   
   A variety of techniques are used to develop wells.  The screened area of the well is where the development takes place because this is the area where water will enter the well.  With development complete, a permanent pump can be installed and the well can be put to use.
    
6. PUMP AND TANK INSTALLATION
   Upon well completion, the static water level in the well is measured.  With the well yield and static water level known, a pump can be selected using pump curves and charts.  Pump size will also depend on customer needs based on number of bathrooms, etc.  After pump selection is complete, a bladder storage tank can be sized to match the pump performance.