Where to drill a well on your property

Deciding where to drill a well on your property means balancing three things: water, protection, and practicality. A spot with great geology is no good if it sits downhill from a septic field or where a rig can't reach. This checklist covers the factors to settle with your driller and your permitting authority before anyone starts drilling.

1. How far must a well be from septic and other hazards?

Local codes often set minimum separation distances from hazards such as septic drain fields, fuel tanks and animal enclosures. NGWA Well Owner's Guide (2021) The numbers vary by jurisdiction; read how far a well must be from a septic system for examples and how to confirm your local rule. EPA advises checking with the local health or environmental agency that nearby activities are a safe distance from the well. EPA: Protect Your Home's Water [NGWA-GUIDE source note] [EPA-PROTECT source note]

2. Why is higher ground the best place to put a well?

Locating the well on higher ground is generally better because it minimizes the potential for standing water around the wellhead. NGWA Well Owner's Guide (2021) Guidance for inspectors adds that the well should be uphill from contamination sources and that soil around the wellhead should be graded to shed runoff. Water Systems Council: wellcare Guide to Evaluating Water Wells (for home inspectors) [NGWA-GUIDE source note] [WSC-INSPECTOR source note]

3. Can a well go in a flood-prone area?

If any part of the property floods, keep the well out of it. Where that can't be avoided, the casing should extend one to two feet above the highest recorded flood level. Water Systems Council: wellcare Guide to Evaluating Water Wells (for home inspectors) A well that does flood should not be used until a contractor has cleaned and disinfected it. EPA: Protect Your Home's Water [WSC-INSPECTOR source note] [EPA-PROTECT source note]

4. Choose the spot most likely to yield water

Within the area that meets the rules, pick the location with the best chance of water. That usually means looking at nearby well reports and asking the driller what formations produce locally. In fractured rock, a hydrogeologist may recommend a specific spot. See how drillers find water.

5. Make sure the rig, and future service, can get there

A drilling rig is a heavy truck that needs a firm, reasonably level approach and overhead clearance. Ask the driller to visit and confirm access, and think ahead: pump replacement later requires lifting equipment over the well. Avoid locations under power lines, over buried utilities, or where a future driveway, building addition or patio would cover the wellhead. Call your area's utility locate service before any digging.

6. Think about the water line and power

The pump needs power and the house needs a water line from the well. A shorter run usually means less trenching and less pipe, but never at the expense of setbacks or drainage. Add these items to your budget with the complete well installation cost checklist.

7. Confirm with the permitting authority

Rules on location, permits and notices come from state and local authorities and differ widely. Ask the office that handles private wells where you live whether a permit, notice or site approval is needed before drilling. Water well drilling licenses and permits explains how these requirements usually fit together.

Common well placement mistakes

• Choosing the spot closest to the house before checking setbacks. A short water line is cheaper, but the location has to meet separation distances first.
• Forgetting the neighbors. A neighbor's septic system, fuel tank or livestock area counts too.
• Burying the wellhead. Building a deck, patio or garage over the well makes pump service difficult and can trap surface water. The well cap should stay accessible and above grade; NGWA's owner checklist says to keep the well top at least a foot above ground. NGWA (Wellowner.org): Homeowner's Maintenance Checklist
• Ignoring drainage. A spot that collects runoff after storms can carry contamination down the outside of the casing.
• Skipping the record check. Nearby well reports can show whether one part of the property is a better bet; see how to find water well logs.

Does well location affect cost?

Yes, in a few ways. A longer distance to the house means more trench and pipe. A spot the rig can't reach easily may need site preparation. And a location with poorer water prospects can mean a deeper well or a second attempt, which usually costs far more than a longer water line. Price the trade-off with the well drilling cost calculator.

Site checklist

If you are still deciding whether to buy a property, these checks belong in your due diligence; see buying land without a well.