Step One: Evaluating the location before purchase.

Is there a previous well? Sometimes an existing well can offer a lot of information about the potential for water accessibility as well as a potential source of water. Ace Water Well offers rehab services for older & neglected wells and has a good success record with repairing wells that were once thought to be abandoned. If anything, it might inform you of the static water depth, also called first water or the top of the local water table, of the area. Rehabbing an old well can reduce your potential investments required for the property by many thousands of dollars.

What was the land previously used for? Some land use can leave the ground at a little more high risk for water usage and contamination issues. Animal feed lots, old burn pits, waste water lagoons, septic systems, and old burn pits are all things to consider when looking at a property where you want to utilize the ground water supply. Look for signs of chicken pens, stables, and feeding troughs. Even a discontinued septic system or old waste lagoon isn’t something you will want to place a water well nearby. By drilling code, a feed lot or waste water lagoon needs to be at least 300 feet from the new well location. These rules are in place to prevent the real possibility of ground water contamination, so knowing a little background on the property usage and being mindful of such things is important before jumping on a land purchase with risky ground water access.

Step Two: Calculating Costs

In Oklahoma, drilling permits are generally not required for residential wells. The standards for non-permitted domestic water wells are the responsibility of the driller. This is why it is important to choose a driller with a good reputation and track record. The old adage of “You get what you pay for” really comes into play when choosing the right driller. Prices can vary with season and material costs in the market, so everything shared in this guide is a best guesstimate based on reports from customers and a variety of direct market data collection sites. Definitely get direct quotes before moving on any investment.

The drilling cost is usually calculated and charged by the drilling feet, or the total depth of the final well. This is not a fixed element in the estimate, which is why it’s always good to estimate a little high when preparing a budget. In the year of 2025 the average well drilling costs in Oklahoma ranged from $25 – $50 per foot. Many drillers also have a 100 foot minimum requirement. So if a well needs to be at 75 foot depth for good quality water, they will still charge for 100 ft to cover the costs associated with bringing the rig onto the property and the setup time involved in the project. So if they are charging $40/foot, your 100 foot well is going to run you $4000, which typically includes the price for the drilling and the casing, pack gravel, and annual seals that are poured at the proper depths. That price will leave you with what is typically a 4” straw going into the earth with a quality amount of water at the bottom to draw from, usually 30 – 100 ft of water is common for a domestic well. The depth of water isn’t quite as important as the GPM (gallons per minute) that the well recovers at. At the time of drilling, the driller will be pushing high pressure air down the well and determining how much water comes up the top tells him the average GPM recovery of the well. This is an important number and will be a deciding factor on the size of the system you can install in the well and the amount of water you can use regularly. 

Step Three: Get an early idea of depth and GPM for a specific area

There is no definitive way to know what quality of water a specific spot in the ground will produce. That said, there are still old men who will use divining rods and tell you they know better, but without having to ask the four winds where the water is, you can do a little research online and get a general idea of the type of water in your area. Although not definitive, this will give you an idea of the area and a starting point to base estimated budgets for a project.

The OWRB, the Oklahoma Water Resource Board, keeps a record of drilled wells which contains information on the total depth and GPM at that depth at the time of drilling. You can navigate on their map to your specific address, or GPS coordinates and look in the surrounding area. Click the link below to navigate the OWRB Logged Wells Map. 

You will want to focus on the green dots, as those are drilled water wells. There are many other types of drills for other purposes and might not give you as useful information, so focus on the green dots when collecting information. There is a search button on the map to locate an address, or you can click the target button to pin your exact location where you are standing if you are on your cell phone at the property and use that to navigate the area looking for nearby logged wells. Clicking a well will give you the detailed information about who drilled it and who the property owner was at the time. It will also tell you the total depth, first water, and Approximate Yield (GPM). These are key pieces of information. It’s important to not assume that a nearby well will guarantee the same results. Wells can vary greatly just a few hundred feet from each other, so try to accumulate data from a handful of nearby wells going in every direction. If you don’t find a lot of wells in the area, within a few miles radius, that could be a red flag and something to discuss with your chosen driller.

Use your average total depth to budget your drilling costs and your average of the GPM to plan how much water you may have access to on the property in question. These are assumptions and need to be taken into consideration with the lay of the landscape elevation and even the type of vegetation on the property. At some point, you will want to meet with a driller on the property to determine the precise location of the drill and discuss the potential outcomes and desires for water quality. Other data that isn’t logged or well established, except through Well Technicians with years of experience is the type of water quality, acidity, hardness, and other possible complications that can happen in each area of Oklahoma. 

Step Four: Contact A Driller

When choosing a driller, look for customer reviews and recommendations from others in the area. You can also look at local logged wells in the area and see what drillers have recently been working in your area. Local knowledge of the geology is very helpful with knowing expectations and water quality. The OWRB lists all current license holding drillers in the state through their web portal found here: https://owrb.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/bd1c2b2ca95f4e5f99d0fc92956ea276

Work with your driller to understand the risk and likely outcomes of a drill job on your location. On the day you meet with your driller on location, either for an evaluation or to begin the drilling, communicate your desired use for the property and where you would like to locate the well head and other components of the water system. If this is done during a consultation before the drilling begins, it’s a good idea to mark the desired locations with flags or pipe in the ground and take pictures to document the state of the property. The driller will need to be able to safely access the location with very heavy equipment. Trees, powerlines, and the structural layout of the ground will all be factors they may have concerns over for specific locations. Confirm that your desired location will meet their needs and mark and document those arrangements. At that point, you can schedule the drilling, but be aware that due to the size of the equipment and the dangers of having drilling equipment hoisted into the air during lightning storms, their schedules are sometimes more fluid than rigid and you may need to allot them a larger window of time to complete the drilling during rainy or stormy seasons.

Final Note: Drill before you build

If you are building in an area where municipal water is not a reasonable option, it is of utmost importance that you plan and drill your well before getting too deeply invested in the property. Knowing you have access to a clean sustainable water source is pivotal before laying the foundation for a home. You don’t want to build a home only to later learn the water supply under you is going to require a heavy investment of filtration or massive storage tanks to provide enough GPM for your water needs. It’s just wise to confirm your water source before moving forward on other investments.

The post Oklahoma Water Well Drilling Guide appeared first on Ace Water Well Service.

What we want to focus on in this article is the other type of frost free hydrants that are installed out in a yard, plumbed in from under ground. Often referred to as a horse head hydrant because of the signature look of hydrant head. It’s important to understand a few distinct differences about these faucets that you can typically find in your yard around the wellhead, tied into the main home water line, or specifically placed with individual water lines ran under ground. These faucets completely rely on the frostline under soil to function year round without freezing or busting pipes. To do this, they have built onto them a weep hole down at the base of the hydrant that is meant to be buried 18 inches under ground. This weep hole ensures that every time the faucet is turned off, the water above the weep hole can drain out into the surrounding soil bed. Safely emptying the pipe of water, leaving it ready for the next cold freeze.

There are a few things concerning these hydrants that home owners need to be made aware to prevent issues or waisted time and resources.

Frost Free Hydrants are not a sanitary source of drinking water

Due to the nature of how the weep hole functions, the water supply is briefly connected to the earth where it drains out. This port is closed when the hydrant is opened, but not without drawing in a small amount of dirty water. You will sometimes see the first bit of water that comes out of the hydrant will be much dirtier than the flow following. Although it cleans up quickly, it’s still a contamination point that renders these access points susceptible to a small amount of contamination that consumers need to be aware of. It’s also not a good collection point for bacteria samples.

Open Position: Water flows around the plunger.

Closed Position: Water weeps over the top of the plunger.

Frost Free Hydrants need to be disconnected from hoses when not in use

When you turn off the water at the faucet head, the water in the pipe and any hoses connected will attempt to drain back into the ground through the weep hole. This means that if you leave an 80 foot hose connected, pointing up hill from the hydrant, the entire line of that hose plus what is in the frost free hydrant will need to run out through that weep hole. Leaving long hoses connected can cause this process not to work correctly. Having extra splitters with cut off valves will cause the same issue and the water won’t be able to flow back because of the vacuum created. It is best practice to completely disconnect these faucets when not in use, especially when it gets closer to winter time. And remember that leaving a hose connected and placed into a container of water, like a pool or livestock troughs, has the protentional to siphon the water from the container and drain it all back down through the weep hole.

Frost Free Hydrants drop a high volume of water

Your water well has a limitation when it comes to the “gallons per minute”, abbreviated to GPM. Each well, at the time it is drilled, is documented to recover at a specific GPM. The system is setup with this limitation in mind, but what can sometimes happen is a home owner, later down the line, will add a frost free or two in areas for convenience. The thing to keep in mind is that these hydrants can drop 18 GPM each as they can be plumbed in directly on the main line into larger pipe that carries a direct and fast flow of water. There are many water wells that work perfectly well to manage a home’s water use but can’t maintain 18 GPM for more than a few minutes. If you leave on of those hydrants open flow for a long period of time, you can damage your equipment and well. If you don’t know your well’s recover rate, it’s best to limit how much you open flow a frost free hydrant. When it comes to filling pools, ponds, or large troughs, try to limit the flow with a fixture on the end of the hose or by not fully opening the hydrant.

In closing, a frost free hydrant is a valuable part of a water system and doesn’t need to be insulated or protected from the elements. But due to how they work, it’s important to remember how they weep and drain. If you leave a hose connected, don’t be surprised if you have a large puddle forming under your frost free as all that hose water drains back to the weep hole. And never use multiple faucets to fill a pool more quickly, or you might be causing far worse problems for yourself.

If you have a frost free that isn’t working right or want to see about adding on to your property, give Ace Water Well Service a call and let us make sure you are taken care of right.

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Having a water well system can be a real asset for a home, lowering the cost of water usage as well as providing a clean life sustaining water source for your family. As the owner of a natural resource like this, there are some responsibilities that come with it. The maintenance of the equipment as well as the safety of the water supply is the home owners responsibility. Things like annual water tests for bacteria and routine monitoring and maintenance of your equipment is something to consider when owning a water well. This quick guide is designed to help you have a basic understanding of the elements involved in most ground water systems.

Notes about your system:

The following notes are questions you should answer before taking ownership of a water well system. Keep these notes handy in case of an emergency. This along with an understanding of the equipment terminology will help you get the quickest response and support when calling a professional service to help you, should your water well need servicing.

How do I shut off the water supply to the house?

Where are the breakers and which breaker controls the pump?

If a leak in the home should occur, you will find this information helpful to shut off your water supply and the power to the pump to prevent damage to the system and property from a water leak. Shut off the water at the first sign of a leak and shut off the power to the well at the first sign of a malfunction to avoid causing more damage to your system.

Basic System Elements & Terminology

Pressure Gauge

Helpful to identify water usage, water pressure, and potential leaks. An accurate gauge is important for diagnostics and knowing that your well is running correctly.

Pressure Switch

The pressure switch determines when the pump is powered on and off. Switches can vary in pressure ranges and design but function relatively the same, turning on the pump at a low pressure point and turning the pump off at a high pressure point.

Pressure Tanks

Your pressure tank uses air to store potential energy in the form of pressure. When you first turn on your water, the air pressure is pushing the water through your lines until the pump is engaged to supply more pressure. A well maintained pressure tank is essential for a healthy functioning water system. The tank should be professionally checked annually for proper air pressure, leaks, and corrosion.

Valves

The plumbing around your water well or pressure tank can vary drastically from system to system. It is a good idea to have your system inspected and explained to you what each valve does and when to use them. Valves are helpful for diagnostics and quickly shutting off water supply to parts of your water system. Valves should only be installed by Water Well Professional because a valve in the wrong location can cause a world of problems.

The Pump & Electrical Support Boxes

The pump on most modern water well systems is a submersible pump deep under the ground in your well. It will sometimes be supported by a control box, SubDrive box, fuse box, quick disconnect, or breaker box type electrical system. Pumps can be monitored by professionals using these electrical signals to identify the health and functionality of the pump as well as locate electrical problems that can prevent the pump from operating effectively.

The post Quick Guide To Water Well Systems For Home Owners appeared first on Ace Water Well Service.

A traditional water well system relies on a pressure switch to determine when to engage the pump and build proper water pressure into the system. This pressure switch is essential for your system to run and it’s important to note two things about a pressure switch in order to best maintain it’s functionality in freezing temperatures.

1. The pressure switch operates mechanically. Meaning that there are moving parts, which can be effected by freezing temperatures.
2. The pressure switch generally comes off a tee from the main flow of water. This can mean that although water pressure goes up the pipe to the switch, the flow of warmer water through the pipe when you trickle your taps won’t cause enough water to travel through that tee and up the pipe to prevent freezing of that water.

The pressure switch is essential to maintaining water flow. If the mechanical pins are frozen or the pipe is frozen below the switch causing it to not read the appropriate pressure your pump won’t be kicked on and your water will stop. Once the water stops flowing, other parts of your water system are in danger of freezing, causing busted pipes and leaking fittings. It’s something we see again and again. So you will hear us get very preachy in the winter months about applying heat to your pressure switch.

What’s the best way to heat your pressure switch?

I have comprised a list below with pros and cons about each solution.

Force Fan Space Heaters:

This is the solution we recommend the most. It applies gentle heat and blows it in the direction its facing. It is easy to identify if the heat is working. Most modern force fan heaters have a safety switch that prevents them from working if they get knocked over, so it needs to be in a secure area away from animals and livestock. These heaters can get the job done even in less than ideal spaces.

Radiating Oil Heaters:

If you have a well insulated space, these heaters do a fine job and are more cost effective than force fan heaters. The space does need to be well insulated, but heat will slowly build and maintain adequate temperature.

Heat Lamps:

Heat lamps are a reasonable solution for small spaces that are decently insulated. The danger of a heat lamp is when it is to close to objects it can cause problems. The most common heat lamp is a clamped on fixture and we have seen situations where the lamp moves and no longer heats the proper area or over heats elements causing other damage.

Heat Tape:

Heat tape is helpful for long stretches of exposed pipes, such as under a mobile home. Heat tape does not help prevent the mechanical components of the switch from freezing, so it is not adequate alone as a solution for preventing freezing.

Whatever heat source you choose, a quality well house goes a long way to make your heat source work optimally. If your well house is old and falling apart, we offer a pre built well house at a variety of sizes that will better secure your water well system. It’s a good idea to address the well house before winter sets in. Give us a call to get a quote and get your system inspected. It’s always best to make sure your system is working well before relying on it to get you through a long cold winter. If it hasn’t been inspected in the past year, give us a call.

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What is Total Coliform?

Total coliform refers to a group of bacteria that are naturally present in the environment, as well as the intestines of warm-blooded animals, including humans. While most coliform strains are harmless, their presence in your well water can indicate a pathway for more harmful bacteria, viruses, or pathogens to enter your water supply.

Coliforms generally should not be found in treated drinking water or deep groundwater sources like wells and aquifers. Their detection serves as a warning sign that disease-causing organisms could have also contaminated the water.

Common sources of coliform include soil runoff, septic system leaks, animal waste, or cracked well casings that allow surface water infiltration into the aquifer. Even a small crack or defect can provide enough of a pathway for coliform and other contaminants to enter over time.

Why Test Annually

Annual testing is recommended because new pathways for contamination can open up even in deep, properly constructed wells. Factors like aging components, ground shifting, surface flooding, or well system damage can compromise your water quality over time.

Testing once per year acts as an early warning system to detect any emerging contamination issues before they potentially cause illness. This allows you to disinfect the well, identify and fix any defects, or take other corrective actions.

What Else to Test For

While most counties require annual testing for total coliform, it’s also recommended to test for:

• E. coli bacteria (presence indicates fecal contamination)
• Nitrates/Nitrites (sources include fertilizers, septic systems)
• pH levels (a measure of acidity or alkalinity)
• Total dissolved solids (magnitude of any contaminants)
• Any localized contaminants of concern in your region

By taking an annual “snapshot” of your well water quality through comprehensive testing, you can verify its safety and take action if any contamination is present. Catching issues early protects your health.

Total coliform detection doesn’t necessarily mean your water is unsafe, but it raises a red flag that your well system requires further evaluation and corrective measures. Make annual testing a priority to ensure your private well water remains clean and problem-free.

The post The Importance of Annual Water Testing: Understanding Total Coliform appeared first on Ace Water Well Service.

Proper Construction & Licensed Professionals

Drilling and installing a new water well system is a large investment. You definitely want to utilize well established drillers who are properly licensed. In Oklahoma all Water Well Drillers and Service Technicians, Installers, and Operators are licensed through the Oklahoma Water Resource Board (OWRB). A properly licensed driller will ensure that your well casing is installed correctly in such a way to prevent your well from contamination by surface water.

System Maintenance & Equipment

As a private well owner, you are responsible for the upkeep of equipment that makes up your complete system. This might include filtration, but almost always involves a pressure tank, pressure switch, piping, electrical, and pump. Systems with a pressure tank should be evaluated at least once a year by a knowledgeable professional to ensure equipment is working within correct parameters. The life of your equipment can vary depending on its manufacturer and supporting infostructure and environment in the well. It is recommended financially to set aside funds each month to prepare for a complete system replacement. Knowing the age of your system, the quality of environment in the well, and the manufacture of the equipment can help a professional to advise you on when to expect a system to need new equipment.

Water Testing & Treatment

As a well owner, you are responsible for the safety of your drinking water. It is recommended by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that you test your water every year. A water test involves collecting a sample in a sanitary sample bottle and taking it into a DEQ testing laboratory. Results usually come back within 24 hours. The primary tests of concern for annual testing are total coliform and E-coli. For newly drilled wells, further tests may be recommended for things like heavy metals, water hardness, sulfates, nitrates and nitrites. Contact your local DEQ office for more information.

Following Public Safety Standards

Although your water source may be labeled “private”, it is important to understand that your well connects you to the same aquifer as your surrounding community. Thinking of it as an underground river of natural clean water and each well is a straw running into that clean water source. We are all responsible to make sure that our “private” wells are not contaminating the “public” water resource that is the ground water aquifer. There are some basic safety standards that help prevent contamination such as, making sure your well casing extends 12” above the surface of the ground. This is to prevent plant life, animals, and flowing water runoff from entering the well. Your well also needs a protective cap. Ideally, a watertight sanitary well cap, but at least a secure well cap properly sized for your casing. Keep plant growth trimmed around the well cap to prevent vines from making their way into the casing. You also want to make sure your system doesn’t leak back into the well. Each system should have at least one check valve down above the pump. If you notice air in your lines or see a loss in pressure, this could mean a malfunction in your check valve or a leak in pipe down hole. It is important to address those issues quickly so as to avoid allowing water from your system to re-enter the aquifer.

Plugging Abandoned Wells

Any time a well is no longer in use, it must be treated and protected the same as a functioning well until it can be plugged by a licensed professional. Abandoned wells can be a danger to people, animals, and children on the surface, but they are also a common contamination point for our ground water resource. If you want to maintain an old well as an option for future use, you must maintain it as if it is your water source and keep it clean and sealed while not in use. As soon as you have determined that a well is no longer viable for your water needs, it needs to be plugged. Decommissioning old wells is a very important element of protecting our ground water resource for future generations.

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