How to Drill a Water Well With a Post Auger

Call the local utility companies and ask them to mark your property for underground lines. Choose a well location that's at least 3 feet from all underground utilities. You can also request utility marks through a location service.

Press the auger handles together to open the bucket, then insert the blades into the ground at the well location. Push the handles apart to close the bucket and trap the soil between the blades. Pull the post auger from the ground and open the bucket to release the soil on a plastic sheet situated near the well location. Continue to dig until you reach the water table. When you reach the water, the soil will be very wet and the sediments may appear soupy. Wear safety equipment during the installation activities.

Extend the borehole using the post auger into the water table approximately one-half to two-thirds of the length of the well screen. This method allows you to bracket the water table with the screen. If you want the screen to submerge below the water table, dig the borehole to a depth equal to or greater than the length of the screen within the water table. For example if your well screen is 6 feet long, dig 3 to 4 feet into the water table to bracket the water, or 6 to 7 feet into the water table to submerge the screen.

Screw the well materials together so the well point is at the bottom, followed by the screen, then the casing topped with a well cap. The well cap will keep the inside of the well clean as you complete the installation process.

Place the well materials into the subsurface so the well point rests at the base of the hole.

Insert sand into the annular space between the well materials and the inside of the borehole. The sand should extend approximately 1 to 2 feet above the top of the screen. Use a weighted tape measure to determine the height of the sand in the annular space.

Place 1 to 2 feet of bentonite on top of the sand. Hydrate the bentonite with water to cause the clay to swell and seal the well from surface contamination.

Pour grout into the remaining annular space from the top of the bentonite to the land surface using a tremie pipe and funnel. Cover the top of the well with a wellhead protective casing to ensure that the well is unharmed during inclement weather or landscaping activities.