Wells & Hand Pumps โ€” FarmPal

Drilled, driven, or dug wells tap groundwater for the most reliable year-round supply on a homestead. Paired with a solar or hand pump, a well delivers true water independence even when the grid and the sky fail.

Cost Range
$1,500-15,000 drilled; $300-1,500 driven/sandpoint; $200-800 hand pump
Water Yield
1-20+ gallons per minute depending on aquifer

Key Points

  • ๐Ÿ’งThree well types: dug (shallow, hand-built), driven/sandpoint (20-50 ft, soft soil), drilled (any depth, professional)
  • ๐Ÿ’งStatic water level and recovery rate matter more than total depth
  • ๐Ÿ’งAlways pair with a manual backup pump (Simple Pump, Bison) for grid-down resilience
  • ๐Ÿ’งAnnual water test for bacteria, nitrates, arsenic, and total dissolved solids is non-negotiable
  • ๐Ÿ’งWellhead must be at least 100 ft from septic, livestock, and chemical storage

Installation Steps

  1. 1Research neighbors' well logs at your state geological survey for depth and yield expectations
  2. 2For shallow water (<25 ft): drive a sandpoint well DIY with a 1.25" galvanized point and sledge
  3. 3For deeper water: hire a licensed driller โ€” they pull permits and log the aquifer
  4. 4Case the well with PVC or steel; grout the annular space to prevent surface contamination
  5. 5Install a pitless adapter below frost line so the line runs underground to the house
  6. 6Choose pump: submersible (deep wells), jet pump (shallow), or solar DC pump for off-grid
  7. 7Add a pressure tank (20-80 gal) sized for pump cycling โ€” bigger tank = longer pump life
  8. 8Mount a hand pump in parallel for emergency draw without electricity

Practical Checklist

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Supplies

Safety Steps

Testing & Verification

Tips

  • ๐Ÿ’กA solar submersible (Grundfos SQFlex, Lorentz) needs no batteries โ€” pumps when sun shines into a cistern
  • ๐Ÿ’กShock-chlorinate annually: 3 cups unscented bleach per 100 gal of well water, let sit 12 hrs, flush
  • ๐Ÿ’กPitcher pumps work only to ~25 ft of lift; below that you need a deep-well piston pump
  • ๐Ÿ’กDocument static level monthly during dry season โ€” a falling trend means drawdown
  • ๐Ÿ’กPair a well with a cistern: pump fills cistern slowly, household draws from cistern at high flow