ronfellows
New Member
I just had a professional well driller install a new well for an existing 12 zone irrigation system in North Texas. Each zone has the typical 5-6 rotors and/or sprinklers. I believe each zone currently uses about 15-20 gpm at 60psi.
Here's my problem.
The new well is 70 ft deep and has a new Goulds 1.5 HP submersible pump at 60ft. The static water level is at 45 ft. When the well is turned on I get about 30 gpm for one minute and then the water output drops to the refresh rate of about 2 gpm. With a gate valve, I can limit volume to the required 15 gpm and enjoy the sprinklers for about 2.5 minutes .
I should mention that about 10 homes in our development have recently had the same driller put in new wells. Eight homes have wells that are producing 80 gpm, two of us at 2 gpm, and one dry well. All of the wells are 110 to 175 ft deep except the two of us that are getting 2 gpm that are at 70 ft. All of the wells are within an area of two city blocks.
The driller has suggested that he drill a new 5†test well next to the old well and go down to 170 ft to see if we can find more water. If more water is there, he will drill it out to an 8†well, install the casing and pump and all should be OK.
My question is this:
I think the odds are good for drilling down to 170ft to improve the refresh rate and hopefully will improve the volume to usable levels.
If the worse case happens and we find no additional water and maintain just the 2 gpm refresh rate, won’t the new well now have 100 ft of additional water storage in the well (compared to the first well)? If the pump is then moved down to 160ft, my hope is that I should be able to pump out 15 gpm for about 15 + minutes before the well is pumped out. With the 20 gal pressure tank and a CSV valve installed, hopefully I will be able to extend this even further.
The current well has the micro screening pipe at the bottom 20 ft. Would it improve our chances if we add additional 20ft sections of the screen pipe to provide a wider vertical surface area for water to enter the well?
I am sure you are wondering why the first well is only 70 ft when every other well is over 100 ft. My well was drilled first! They thought it was producing 35 gpm when the blew out the well and so they stopped drilling. By the time the well casing and pump was installed (a week later), it was producing only 2 gpm .
The new test well should be drilled on Thursday. If we don’t find additional water, should I have the driller drill out the test well to 8†anyway, install the 40-60 ft of screen pipe, casing and pump?
Any ideas and suggestions would be appreciated.
Here's my problem.
The new well is 70 ft deep and has a new Goulds 1.5 HP submersible pump at 60ft. The static water level is at 45 ft. When the well is turned on I get about 30 gpm for one minute and then the water output drops to the refresh rate of about 2 gpm. With a gate valve, I can limit volume to the required 15 gpm and enjoy the sprinklers for about 2.5 minutes .
I should mention that about 10 homes in our development have recently had the same driller put in new wells. Eight homes have wells that are producing 80 gpm, two of us at 2 gpm, and one dry well. All of the wells are 110 to 175 ft deep except the two of us that are getting 2 gpm that are at 70 ft. All of the wells are within an area of two city blocks.
The driller has suggested that he drill a new 5†test well next to the old well and go down to 170 ft to see if we can find more water. If more water is there, he will drill it out to an 8†well, install the casing and pump and all should be OK.
My question is this:
I think the odds are good for drilling down to 170ft to improve the refresh rate and hopefully will improve the volume to usable levels.
If the worse case happens and we find no additional water and maintain just the 2 gpm refresh rate, won’t the new well now have 100 ft of additional water storage in the well (compared to the first well)? If the pump is then moved down to 160ft, my hope is that I should be able to pump out 15 gpm for about 15 + minutes before the well is pumped out. With the 20 gal pressure tank and a CSV valve installed, hopefully I will be able to extend this even further.
The current well has the micro screening pipe at the bottom 20 ft. Would it improve our chances if we add additional 20ft sections of the screen pipe to provide a wider vertical surface area for water to enter the well?
I am sure you are wondering why the first well is only 70 ft when every other well is over 100 ft. My well was drilled first! They thought it was producing 35 gpm when the blew out the well and so they stopped drilling. By the time the well casing and pump was installed (a week later), it was producing only 2 gpm .
The new test well should be drilled on Thursday. If we don’t find additional water, should I have the driller drill out the test well to 8†anyway, install the 40-60 ft of screen pipe, casing and pump?
Any ideas and suggestions would be appreciated.