Resources & Links

The following links may be useful should you need any information about ground water or water well drilling:

• BC Ground Water Association 
• BC Water Resource Atlas
• Well Tag Number Search

Deep Water Wells vs Shallow Wells

Many Canadians get their water from water wells; many of these are located in farms and properties in rural areas where city water supplies are unavailable. This makes a good water supply vital for these homes and businesses, but do you choose a shallow well or a deep well? Both have a great many variables, such as cost, flow level, condition during drought or flood, and water quality. This short article aims to show the differences between the two.

Shallow Wells

Shallow wells are ideal if your water source is close to the surface. A professional water well driller can check your water table and identify the optimum depth to which the well should be dug, usually from 25-50 feet below ground level.

Some of the benefits of shallow wells is that they are less expensive to build since there are lower labor and material costs. Typically, a well pump for a shallow well is not submersible, which means it needs to be placed above the ground, usually in a well house. Fortunately, this means it is easier to access and service should any maintenance be needed.

Additionally, shallow wells tend to have lower levels of naturally occurring minerals, like magnesium and calcium – which can cause hard water – as well as manganese and iron.

A drawback of shallow wells is that they do carry the risk of running dry, especially in dry climates or during drought conditions.

And of course, because they’re close to the surface, they can be prone to contamination from fertilized fields, septic systems, and other human activities. Shallow wells need to be treated and inspected occasionally to make sure the water is clean and safe.

Deep Wells

If your water source is much deeper, or if your property sits on rocky terrain, you may have to dig a deep water well. These wells tap into the water table deep below the ground, and can go up to 1000 feet below the surface. Deep wells tend to have lower potential surface contaminants because of the distance from the surface, but can have higher natural mineral concentrations, so you may need to install a water softener to reduce water hardness.

Some of the cons to deep water wells include their cost: they need significantly more labor and heavy equipment to construct, and the pump used to get the water to the surface is typically of the submersible type, which means that if problems occur, the pump needs to be hauled to the surface for maintenance.

There are benefits to deep water wells too. They are less susceptible to drought or water supply issues since their depth typically extends down below the level of any receding water levels, the equipment used for deep wells is less visible than with shallow wells, so a well or pump house isn’t required, and the water tends to require less monitoring for quality and flow.

Deep Well or Shallow Well: Which should I choose?

The correct answer will vary depending on the needs of your property, the depth of your water table, and the size of your budget.

Deep wells are more protected against drought and contaminants, they also cost a lot more to build. If your water level is close to the surface, a shallow well would cost you much less to drill and install.

Ideally you need to team-up with a professional company like Corley Drilling who can survey your land and help determine the best options available to you depending on your resources.