It’s amazing how many people in the world do not get the privilege of clean drinking water. With all the water well drilling services that work, you would think that everyone would be covered but it’s not true. Even here in America there are those who don’t have that kind of access. There are people who live in the outskirts of cities or that own land that actually take care of their own water well drilling instead of trying to connect the city’s water. This is done for several reasons.
- The city’s water system can be polluted or contaminated.
- It saves a lot of money to have your own well.
- The city doesn’t service that far out.
There are several advantages to having your own well, but there are also some disadvantages. Let’s lay them out and see which one wins.
Advantages
- Free Water
It will cost you to install your well initially, but after that, the water that you get from the ground into your well and therefore home, is relatively free. You will not have a monthly water bill, fees, charges or costs at all. Some states will actually offer a tax credit for having the well. - Reliable Water
If the water table fits, the well can be drilled. Because of that, the well can be made close to your house. City water usually has to travel a long way to get to your home. The traveling equals money. It also doesn’t guarantee that you will get water. If there is an obstruction in the pipes or a burst water main, it could affect your ability to get water and these things are entirely out of your control. Your access to a well is purely in your control and you don’t have to worry about those things anymore. - Good Water
Contrary to popular belief, well water is usually filtered naturally which preserves the minerals without the chemicals that are in city water. It actually tastes better and is quite a bit more refreshing than city water, most people will agree.
However, having a water well drilled onto your property isn’t without it’s downfalls:
- Some Cost
The initial installment will cost you a lot of money. This can be worth it because of how much you will save in the long run but be prepared to spend a lot of money during the water well drilling part. There will be costs though. For instance, you’ll need to maintain and upkeep the well. You might also have to get a water softener or a filtration system depending on the quality for the water. - Contaminant Risk
There is some risk involved with well water as well. Because the hole of the well is usually open, there’s the chance of introducing contaminants into the groundwater. You’ll need to invest in a sanitary seal in order to keep your water safe over the long run. Designing a roof and a fence for the well would also be helpful. - Not a DIY
As many tutorials are out there for how to drill or dig your own well, you really should have skilled and qualified professionals do the job for you. You might think it would be a pretty fun project but the truth is, you will probably end up frustrated and stuck, coming across an issue that your YouTube tutorial didn’t cover. This can lead to start dates being pushed back and more money being spent to fix your building errors. There is a lot of technical and mechanical equipment needed during the construction and you probably wouldn’t even be licensed to use it anyway.
There are different types of wells that could be dug in order to overcome some of these disadvantages but as with everything, you will never be left with purely good things. However, the benefits of well water definitely out way the obstacles that you may encounter. You should make sure that you are adequately prepared for what you are going to go through in the initial stages. This way, once the water well drilling is done, the septic system running properly and the seal engaged, the quality of the water you will receive will make all the work totally worth it.