Ah, the dug well.
Some have had excellent usage with a dug well. Used by some for many years. Spring fed? Well, could be. Water table could be high and natural. Nothing wrong with a dug well. For a few, a long dry Summer can lessen the water in the dug well. But even artesian wells do go dry.
Drilled well and artesian well are the same as far as I can see. Although 50 years ago most of the artesian wells were done by "pounders". I think that there is only one "pounder" left in all of New Hampshire. Pounders, they say do a better job. But take much longer.
Someone above stated to get this done in the purchase and sale agreement. If that can be done then get a drilled/artesian well completed before purchase.
I have had 3 wells drilled/artesian not on same property of course. Be forewarned and do some homework about well drillers. Most are honest. Been around for decades. Have a perfect reputation. So keep that in mind with this story. I had a retired elderly contractor do some digging for me. He was a retired well driller. But he kept one tractor/backhoe and did smaller digging jobs. No well drilling at the time I spoke with him. I mentioned to him my first artesian drilled well here in the Lakes Region. I was uninformed at the time. The well driller (not the retired guy) kept drilling and drilling and drilling. And of course charging me by the foot. "No water" he kept telling me day after day. He did eventually find water. But it was quite nerve racking with phone calls from well driller to me asking me what "I" should do. Should I tell him to keep drilling or should he stop and begin all over again in a different spot? That's what he asked me. Of course, I must pay for every foot in every hole water or no water.
Now when I told this story to the retired well driller he just laughed out loud. He could not contain himself. "Powered cement" was his response. I asked what does that mean. His story was that all/some/few well drillers keep powered cement hidden and that if they hit water on the first day - they can't make enough money on that well. So they must drill for at least 3 days. The powered cement goes down the well to prevent water from flowing. I was incredulous. He is making up this story, right? OK. This true story is over 25 years old. Well drilling equipment has vastly improved over the years. Drill bits are sharper faster and last longer today. Was this old retired well driller making up this story? He was not drilling a well for me. Maybe he had a twisted sense of humor.
But what I have done since is obtain a fixed price for a drilled/artesian well for all subsequent wells. You had best read up on flow rates and such. All of my fixed price wells have operated flawlessly. Very few well drillers will give you a fixed price though. Read the contracts that most well drillers offer you. Most guarantee nothing. And you must pay for every foot whether there is water found or not. With a fixed price, you don't pay unless water is found. And the well driller provides all underground pipes and inside home tanks.
Was that old retired well driller telling me a ficticious story . . . or not?
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