Couple of questions about installing well tiles

Hey everyone,

I'm looking to dig my own shallow well with my backhoe. I have a pretty free flowing natural spring on my land. Couple questions:

1. If the rock and sand vein appears 3' below the surface, how deep should I make the hole?
2. How many inch of crushed rock bedding should I place?
3. How many inches of well tile should surface above the water line?
4. What should I backfill around the sides of the well tile(s) with?

Thanks,
BK

I have never DUG a well even though lots of people called me a Well Digger. I can tell you that once you hit a vein of water that is made in sand, that is as far as your going to dig. It will keep caving in as fast as you can take it out. So that answers your how deep question. The rest of them, you have as much knowledge as I do.

If it were me, I would put in a well point. You will get more water out of that than you will from a dug well.

That helps. Thanks Speedbump!

I actually talked to a local well driller this weekend and heres what he said to do:

With your hole dug, pump it out with a sump pump. Next drop 6 inches of crushed 1" rock into the well hole. Next lower your well tile into the hole. Put the gasket ring on the well tile rim. Lower the next well tile down. place a gasket on that rim. Bore a hole for the hose/wire. Hook up the submersible pump. Lower your tile cap down. Backfill with sand around the tile.

Sounds easy doesn't it.

First of all, if your able to pump the well hole dry with a sump pump (10 gallons per minute with a 15 foot lift maybe, that's not much of a well.