# Digging a shallow well



## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

Planning to dig a shallow well for irrigation purposes soon. The water table may only be about 15' down. I have two issues, 1.) a DC pump required, and 2) is the water table where I suspect it is. I have been told by neighbors that it is shallow. I'm planning to hand drill a well about 100' from a creek bed. Is it reasonable to assume the water table would be roughly the same level as the creek? See my sketch. 

Searching for a small DC pump for a shallow well, I don't need high pressure or even high volume, I just need to slowly fill a holding tank. I would love to just drive a steel casing to depth but the DC pumps I see don't have enough suction to pull the water out. I can only find AC which is not a option. Other option is a submersible DC pump, this I can find, but requires a drilled well with 3" ID min casing. Do-able just more work.
Any input is much appreciated. Zero experience with wells.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

Any reason you can't throw a pump directly into the creek?


Creek level is not an indication of water table. Often they are completely unrelated.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

As Joed says, no guarantee. Ground hydrology is a complex thing. There is a major highway that runs south from here that crosses a moraine that is roughly 100-300m higher than the surrounding terrain. Before they widened the highway, right where it crossed the height of land there was an artesian spring.


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## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

joed said:


> Any reason you can't throw a pump directly into the creek?
> 
> 
> Creek level is not an indication of water table. Often they are completely unrelated.


I did use a submersible pump in the creek last year and it mostly worked out fine once I got my screen methods correct and the pump hole deep enough. But it is a seasonal installation that requires pulling before freezing temps hit. But I will do it again if the well doesn't work out. I am just thinking a well would be more permanent and also provide cleaner and more consistent water.


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