Simple water well cost

[jkslvr]

Finally might be getting some sort of bonus at work, and considered having someone drill a simple well on my land, nothing special. What came to mind was those turn of the century pump types. Just a water source. Just in case.

Anyone have any experience with the per foot cost of having a well drilled? Just a rough idea. I was told by a neighbor that it was about 200 feet to water.

Thanks

[theGinsue]

Whiel I can't help you with what the associated costs are, I'm glad to hear that you are looking to use a "turn of the century" pump.

From a survival preparedness perspective, the electric pumps are not the smart way to go. You (anyone) need some way to pump the water in case no electricity is available.

[Irving]

Solar jack pump.

[TFOGGER]

Solar jack pump.

Or a windmill.... they've been watering livestock for a lonnnnng time...

[theGinsue]

I agree that both solar and windmills provide the ideal solution (both are very quiet and utilize the resources we have plenty of here in CO - sun and wind. I'd be more inclined to go with the windmill as we always have wind but some days aren't sunny enough to get much charge on the solar panels (then again - I may not have any idea what I'm talking about. I'm sure plenty of folks on this site will tell me how successful their solar panels are for them. But, what I've seen first hand with my buddies solar panels during hunting season is that on very cloudy days they don't charge his batteries as well.).

The problem with using a windmill isn't the lack of wind, but the moving parts; they will eventually wear and break.

I think the best solution is a combination of both solar and windmill.


ETA: Ref Stuart's comments below: The good thing about wind power is that the wind loves to blow here @ night when you can't get the sun to re-charge the batteries. If you have wind power, you can use the pump at night without too much of a drain on the batteries.

[Irving]

Well, I think Colorado averages nearly 360 days of sunshine a year. I'd say it depends where the OP lives. If he lives up in Pawnee, he'll have wind at the end of nearly every day, and plenty of sunshine. But if he lives in a neighborhood in Wheat Ridge or something, he'll hardly have wind for pumping and might even have shade from a neighbor's home.

[offgrid]

$100 per foot +/-. You are going to have to get a permit from the state of Colorado, a well driller will not drill your well without a permit.

Windmill water pumpers are very expensive, tower, foundation.....

As others suggested, if you want a independent well/pump, look at the solar direct pumps. With this type of system (Windmill also) you should be pumping into a cistern, then pressure pump from there, a 2000 gallon tank would be nice. If you are on a sloped lot/land, you can bury the cistern above your home and let gravity do its thing to get pressurized water into your home. With a cistern there is no need for a high capacity pump, a gallon a minute or less pump would be sufficient. 6 hrs average sunlight a day, 300 gallons pumped a day. The direct solar pumps have been around for a long time, it's a very simple system.

[jerrymrc]

$100 per foot +/-.

I hope you mean $10?

[Wulf202]

"If you figure about $18 to $20 per foot for a completed well with casing and pump you will be pretty close. Most wells in the surrounding mountain areas west of Trinidad are between 400 to 800 feet deep on average. Recently I have heard the cost to drill an 800 foot well is about $15,000 not including the cost of installing the pump and that pump for an 800 foot deep well could cost between $6,000 and $12,000 depending on pump size and other factors."

http://www.adobegold.com/property-in...do-water-info/

[theGinsue]

Holy cow.

It sounds like well drilling is a very lucrative business.