Shallow well depth?

**Spurtle** · 08-23-2006, 08:16 AM

I am trying to drive a shallow well in Clay County, FL (N.E. Florida just Southwest of Jacksonville). We seem to be having a huge problem getting below the 18' point. Once we get there it just stops moving completely. We have tried driving galvanized with a steel point, that just bent. We have switched over to 2" PVC and trucking in water with a pump and jetting out the pipe, it drops to about 18' and just stops like we are hitting bedrock. I stopped jetting on Sunday and checked the water level today (Wednesday) with a string and weight and it seems that the bottom 5' of the pipe is still full of water. Is it possible that this 18' well will produce enough water for irrigation? Shouldnt the water have drained from the pipe by now if it was not below the water line?

Any suggestions on moving through this impossible layer at 18'? We have relocated 2 times now thinking that we were just hiting a rock but the new location is about 20' from the previous location.

**speedbump** · 08-23-2006, 09:59 AM

Here in Hillsborough county; where I live anyway and for several miles in all directions you hit this hard black sand. It is super fine but it is so compacted that when dug it breaks up into rocks. You can break one with a sledge hammer with one good blow. You will not drive pipe through this stuff without a well drilling rig of some sort. While they were digging a pit behind me, I watched the trackhoes trying to penetrate this stuff. They have to scratch it with the teeth. They can't penetrate it until they have scratched almost all the way to the bottom of it. You may be hitting the same stuff or similar.

The fact that water is in the pipe can mean a lot of things. If you think it may pump, put a hand pump on top of the pipe and give it a try. It will either pump water or kick back at you.

If you want a real well, you will have to call the local Well Driller.

bob...