How to drill your own water well • Hacker News Board

Re: How to drill your own water well

#41

Post by praptak » Fri, Aug 25, 2023, 8:22 AM UTC

In Poland it's quite common for people to just hand dig their wells, using concrete rings for the reinforcement of walls. It's legal up to 30 meters depth and up to 5 m^3/day water yield.

Article (in Polish but there's pics): https://darmowyporadnik.pl/artykul/36/budownictwo/kopanie-st...

Edit: Or maybe I should say "it was" - most new wells are just a vertical steel pipe with a submerged electric pump rather than big concrete rings. These are obviously much more convenient and safer.

Re: How to drill your own water well

#42

Post by EliRivers » Fri, Aug 25, 2023, 8:35 AM UTC

K0balt wrote: post #37

killingtime74 wrote: post #14

This ignores the most difficult part...getting a permit

And today I am reminded that people in many places must get the state’s permission to build, repair, or improve their shelter, to grow food, to collect rainwater, to dig a well. On property they “own”. You’re literally asking the states permission to have the basic things needed for human survival- shelter, food, and water. While this makes sense to me for a business or an organisation, it strikes me as unconscionabl…

On property they own

Ownership that is regulate and enforced by the state; if you own it according to the rules, you use it according to the rules. If you want to do something else, you can step outside the rules and best of luck to you.

Re: How to drill your own water well

#43

Post by tamimio » Fri, Aug 25, 2023, 8:42 AM UTC

4gotunameagain wrote: post #40

tamimio wrote: post #30

The problem is if that leads to water contamination, all it takes some of these homemade drillers to contaminate it “by mistake” with gasoline, oil, or even chemicals, with all what it means to environment and people using the same water.

Did you read the article? The method uses no gasoline, oil or chemicals.

I did, but accidents happen, those are usually farmers and aren’t trained engineers with all safety measures, someone could have an oil tank nearby and someone/car bump into it or similar scenarios.

Re: How to drill your own water well

#44

Post by mattclarkdotnet » Fri, Aug 25, 2023, 8:44 AM UTC

K0balt wrote: post #37

killingtime74 wrote: post #14

This ignores the most difficult part...getting a permit

And today I am reminded that people in many places must get the state’s permission to build, repair, or improve their shelter, to grow food, to collect rainwater, to dig a well. On property they “own”. You’re literally asking the states permission to have the basic things needed for human survival- shelter, food, and water. While this makes sense to me for a business or an organisation, it strikes me as unconscionabl…

Isn’t ownership of land regulated by the state pretty much everywhere?

Re: How to drill your own water well

#45

Post by 4gotunameagain » Fri, Aug 25, 2023, 8:51 AM UTC

tamimio wrote: post #43

4gotunameagain wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you read the article? The method uses no gasoline, oil or chemicals.

I did, but accidents happen, those are usually farmers and aren’t trained engineers with all safety measures, someone could have an oil tank nearby and someone/car bump into it or similar scenarios.

Someone could just as easily have an oil tank near a legally drilled well, and contaminate everything.

Re: How to drill your own water well

#46

Post by holoduke » Fri, Aug 25, 2023, 9:09 AM UTC

K0balt wrote: post #37

killingtime74 wrote: post #14

This ignores the most difficult part...getting a permit

And today I am reminded that people in many places must get the state’s permission to build, repair, or improve their shelter, to grow food, to collect rainwater, to dig a well. On property they “own”. You’re literally asking the states permission to have the basic things needed for human survival- shelter, food, and water. While this makes sense to me for a business or an organisation, it strikes me as unconscionabl…

Because you alter things outside of your perimeter. If you extract a lot of water you might cause issues at your neighbour.

Re: How to drill your own water well

#47

Post by pjc50 » Fri, Aug 25, 2023, 9:32 AM UTC

K0balt wrote: post #37

killingtime74 wrote: post #14

This ignores the most difficult part...getting a permit

And today I am reminded that people in many places must get the state’s permission to build, repair, or improve their shelter, to grow food, to collect rainwater, to dig a well. On property they “own”. You’re literally asking the states permission to have the basic things needed for human survival- shelter, food, and water. While this makes sense to me for a business or an organisation, it strikes me as unconscionabl…

It turns out that we live in a society. And these days the main risk to human survival before middle age is other humans.

Re: How to drill your own water well

#48

Post by amluto » Fri, Aug 25, 2023, 9:35 AM UTC

4gotunameagain wrote: post #45

tamimio wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did, but accidents happen, those are usually farmers and aren’t trained engineers with all safety measures, someone could have an oil tank nearby and someone/car bump into it or similar scenarios.

Someone could just as easily have an oil tank near a legally drilled well, and contaminate everything.

In California, that legally drilled well has a sealed cap and a concrete pad at the top. It’s quite unlikely for anything to spill down it unless there is a flood higher than the cap.

(Neither of these things is expensive.)

Re: How to drill your own water well

#49

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Aug 25, 2023, 9:46 AM UTC

bragr wrote: post #31

pbourke wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You will likely have issues if you ever try to sell property with an unpermitted well. FHA loans have restrictions on the well as do many local jurisdictions that may refuse to convey the property if the well isn’t up to code. My local jurisdiction won’t block the sale but will write an alarming letter to the seller. In the case of a new build or major remodel, you will not be able to get a certificate of occupancy w…

Yeah, it doesn't take a genius inspector to take the as built plans, the list of work permits, and see if that explains current state of the house. And then there's the whole issue of mandatory disclosure forms and how forthcoming you are on those and if whatever you put down aligns with the inspectors find.

[deleted]

Re: How to drill your own water well

#50

Post by JKolios » Fri, Aug 25, 2023, 10:00 AM UTC

K0balt wrote: post #37

killingtime74 wrote: post #14

This ignores the most difficult part...getting a permit

And today I am reminded that people in many places must get the state’s permission to build, repair, or improve their shelter, to grow food, to collect rainwater, to dig a well. On property they “own”. You’re literally asking the states permission to have the basic things needed for human survival- shelter, food, and water. While this makes sense to me for a business or an organisation, it strikes me as unconscionabl…

Or, you know, people understand that their actions have consequences on others and living in an organized society is far better than the alternative. We're not endlessly settling an untapped frontier that exists solely in our heads.