Water Well

Everybody needs water, and water wells are the main supply to communities that range from individual residences to entire cities. In the event that maximum water needs to be extracted from the subsurface, horizontal wells install a significant amount of screen directly within the water-bearing zone to provide as much yield as possible.

A water well is a structure created to access groundwater in underground aquifers. It typically consists of a drilled borehole, within which a well is constructed to extract water using a downhole pump. This water is then used for private residences, communities, and manufacturers for their daily operations. If a water well, or water supply well, is being installed, the goal is to remove as much water from the ground as possible. Through the precision of horizontal directional drilling techniques, a horizontal well can place a significant amount of screen footage directly within the water-bearing zones.

Since many water wells are installed vertically, it may seem odd to consider a horizontal well for this application. Vertical wells, however, are only able to install a limited screen within the target water-bearing zone.

As most geologic layers tend to be vertically condensed and laterally expansive, the amount of water that a vertical well can extract is limited. Horizontal wells, on the other hand, can place significant lengths of screen laterally within the aquifer, even if it is only a few feet thick.

By stretching the screen over a long lateral distance, as opposed to a single vertical point, the drawdown effects are more evenly distributed across the aquifer. As a result, a horizontal water well can help maintain a stable water supply, particularly in weaker water-bearing zones. In the alternative situation, where the aquifer is bountiful, the increased screen capacity allows for maximum yield. This can lead to reduced energy costs and a more sustainable water extraction rate as the water is removed uniformly over hundreds of linear feet of screen.

Water wells are an integral part of water supply for towns and cities, but also for many manufacturing purposes. To get the most water out of the aquifer, horizontal wells are at the forefront of water well technology.