A new water well allows you to have fresh water in your home without having to deal with city water bills. And the process seems simple. Simply get the right permits and have a well drilling company go to work. While the process is straightforward, you do have to create a plan and make sure the well's location is appropriate. Not only does the well need to be in an area where it's easy to access the equipment for maintenance, but it also needs to be in an area that keeps both you and the well water safe.
Simple Physical Support
One reason why wells need to be drilled away from the home — and from any other structure on the property, including older wells — is simply physical support. The land between the well and the structure would be relatively narrow and thus more prone to failure. That can range from sinking to outright collapse, both of which are not only dangerous to you and your family but also destructive to the structure's foundation. Keep in mind that you want to place the well away from driveways, too. That's because the weight of the vehicles you park there can also affect ground stability if you start drilling wells that are too close.
Potential for Contamination
Contamination can come from anywhere. Your house, your car, your workshop, and even garbage cans can all send debris into the well. Younger kids can throw things into it, and pests and wild animals can get into the well. Locating the well farther away from your house, driveway, and other structures reduces the chances of runoff sending oil droplets into the well, for example. This is another reason why you don't want to locate a well near where you park your car.
Kids' Perception of Danger
Wells are inherently dangerous to little kids because they don't fully realize how deep the well is. Cases of kids falling down abandoned wells have peppered news reports for decades. As such, you need to locate the well away from the house to show kids that the well isn't a place they should play around. If you drill the well close to the house, the child may think that the well is safe. To prevent this problem, locate the well away from the house to illustrate to the child that this is not something they should go near.
The well drilling company will help you choose a spot. They'll need to check for utility lines underground, the perimeter of any drain field, and the perimeter of any foundations, and then they can suggest locations to you. Contact a water well drilling company for more information.
