Joe Samples Well Drilling has been providing quality groundwater in East Tennessee for over 68 years. We realize the importance of not only obtaining, but also protecting one of our most precious resources -- WATER. Serving 8 counties in East Tennessee, we have gained the knowledge, experience,
and expertise necessary to serve your groundwater needs.
Water Well Drilling
Drilling a water well has many benefits to you as the homeowner and your property. Drilling a well will raise your home’s value and also increase your independence from government water sources and enable you to have control over your private water supply and the assurance that your water is safe.
Well Location
State regulations require that the well location must be at least:
- 25 ft. from property lines
- 50 ft. from septic tank, sewer lines, and drain fields
- 5 ft. from building foundations
- 100 ft. from animal pens (feed lots)
The above picture is a great example of a good level site to be able to drill. It is also an example of poor site access with no proper road for ingress/egress. Without a road, properly graveled, additional equipment is needed to get the equipment to the spot and back out. This only increases the cost of the overall process.
The above picture is a great example of an improperly constructed roadway. The weight of our equipment cannot be underestimated. This is one of our smaller service vehicles but an improperly constructed roadway resulted in stuck equipment and additional costs to retrieve the vehicle.
The above picture is a good example of properly prepared site access and site preparation. Solid roadway with gravel base and a flat drilling site ensures your well is drilled without incurring unnecessary costs in relation to site ingress/egress.
The Drilling Process
The drilling method Joe Samples Well Drilling performs is called air rotary. This is made possible by a large compressor which is mounted on a rotary drill rig. The air rotary method of drilling uses compressed air to power a bit that is working in a rotary motion. When down pressure is applied to the drill stem, hammer and bit (via large hydraulic piston) the bit is compressed and begins to hammer many times a second. This hammer/rotary motion chips or grinds away at the formation to gain footage. Water is also sent down the drill stem under pressure to help cool the bit and wash the cuttings to the surface.
The actual drilling process begins by boring through loose and broken formation in order to find solid bedrock. Once solid bedrock is found, .188 wall steel casing is installed in order to prevent contaminants from entering the well and to insure the structural integrity of the borehole. Casing will not be required for the full well depth, only to solid rock. Your casing will then be externally sealed with a NSF approved material called bentonite. This material is used at the bottom of the casing as well as the top 10 feet of backfill. This will form a protective barrier against contaminated waters entering your well from the surface or undesirable aquifers.
A smaller drill bit is then inserted inside the casing and the search for water begins. Once the desired amount of yield is obtained, the well is then developed in order to clean the well of drill cuttings and to circulate the water supply. After completion of the drilling and development of the well, the well is then sanitized to insure that bacteria were not introduced during the drilling process. We then place a watertight well cap on the top of the well casing to further protect your water supply.
A well log is then completed to provide detailed information about formations encountered and water-bearing zones. Our technicians use this information to size a pumping system that is specific to the parameters of your well and designed to meet your water usage demands. Once your water system has been designed, we will provide you with a cost estimate and also schedule an installation date.
The drilling method Joe Samples Well Drilling performs is called air rotary. This is made possible by a large compressor which is mounted on a rotary drill rig. The air rotary method of drilling uses compressed air to power a bit that is working in a rotary motion. When down pressure is applied to the drill stem, hammer and bit (via large hydraulic piston) the bit is compressed and begins to hammer many times a second. This hammer/rotary motion chips or grinds away at the formation to gain footage. Water is also sent down the drill stem under pressure to help cool the bit and wash the cuttings to the surface.
The actual drilling process begins by boring through loose and broken formation in order to find solid bedrock. Once solid bedrock is found, .188 wall steel casing is installed in order to prevent contaminants from entering the well and to insure the structural integrity of the borehole. Casing will not be required for the full well depth, only to solid rock. Your casing will then be externally sealed with a NSF approved material called bentonite. This material is used at the bottom of the casing as well as the top 10 feet of backfill. This will form a protective barrier against contaminated waters entering your well from the surface or undesirable aquifers.
A smaller drill bit is then inserted inside the casing and the search for water begins. Once the desired amount of yield is obtained, the well is then developed in order to clean the well of drill cuttings and to circulate the water supply. After completion of the drilling and development of the well, the well is then sanitized to insure that bacteria were not introduced during the drilling process. We then place a watertight well cap on the top of the well casing to further protect your water supply.
A well log is then completed to provide detailed information about formations encountered and water-bearing zones. Our technicians use this information to size a pumping system that is specific to the parameters of your well and designed to meet your water usage demands. Once your water system has been designed, we will provide you with a cost estimate and also schedule an installation date.