Modern homeowners prefer to drill wells on their plots instead of building wells. However, both sources of water supply must be built in those areas where there are underground aquifers, therefore, before starting drilling, you need to find this place.
Location of aquifers in soils
In most cases, the very first aquifer is located at a depth not exceeding 5 meters (although there are exceptions). The water extracted from such a depth is not used for cooking or as drinking water, it is suitable for technical purposes. This is due to the low quality of water, the presence of harmful substances and impurities in it.
The second layers with a depth of up to 20 meters are more suitable for the use of water for domestic purposes, although to use it for drinking, it is necessary to install filter systems when arranging wells.
The drilling depth to the 3rd, limestone aquifer is very large, and it is not advisable to arrange this type of source for house-side wells (although this solution is practiced for several owners in suburban cottage towns).
In order to accurately and correctly determine the depth of the aquifer, and, accordingly, with the type of equipment, the diameter of the casing, drillers most often perform test drilling.
When determining the location of water carriers, it must be taken into account that the horizons can have not only a horizontal arrangement, they go deep into the soil, rise up in places. In addition, the volumes of water in the layers can vary from 1-2 m³ to tens of cubic meters.
All this suggests that in order to accurately determine the location for a future well, it is best to use several methods at once.
Basic methods for determining aquifers in areas
Despite the emergence of new ways to determine the occurrence of water carriers, modern instruments and tools, the use of old "folk" methods, and old recipes for finding water, is quite effective.
Method #1: Natural Phenomena
A good result when searching for water in the territories is given by observations of natural phenomena, by studying the signs, it is easy to recognize and identify the area under which the waters lie.
The soil under which the source is located, most often, is characterized by high humidity, abundant dew in the morning, evaporation when the temperature rises. Early in the morning fog always swirls over such areas, the grass has a more intense green color, and grows much thicker.
When determining the place under which the aquifer is supposed to be, it is very important to pay attention to the relief features. This is due to the fact that underground horizons with volumes of water follow the line of the ground relief. Thus, water can most likely be found in lowlands, in ravines, depressions. And, on the contrary, it is useless to look for it on the hills and slopes, hills.
Method #2: Plant Definition
It is easy to determine the depth of water resources by the varieties of plants growing on the ground.
There are even certain plants that accurately indicate the presence of an aquifer, and accordingly help in the problem of how to determine the aquifer when drilling a well. When searching for water by plant species, it must be taken into account that the presence of one or more plants does not indicate the occurrence of aquifers, this may be due to random growth. You need to pay attention only to large groups of plants.
The most "aware" plants that "report" about the occurrence of water, as well as the depth of its location are:
thickets of cattail testify to the occurrence of water at a depth of about a meter;
sandy reeds report the depth of the water carrier in the range of 1.0 - 3.0 meters;
if black poplar grows on the site, then the underwater source is no deeper than 3 meters;
Sarsazan bush of the Amaranth family was noticed in areas under which the aquifer lies at a depth of about 5.0 meters;
wormwood often grows in areas with low humidity, which indicates a depth of groundwater of 6-7 meters (sandy wormwood indicates even a great depth - up to 10.0 meters);
alfalfa takes root even on dry soils, and is not demanding on moisture, so the water source under the plantation of these plants can be at a depth of 15 meters.
Of the general signs of the location of water, which plants indicate, one can note the features of the root system. So grass with small roots indicates a shallow depth of aquifers, and thickets of bushes and shrubs, groves of trees with long roots indicate that the water is deep underground.
Method #3: The Old Pottery Method
The ancient "pottery" method has been used for a long time. To determine the location of an underground source, absolutely dry earthenware was exposed overnight in areas where an underground aquifer was assumed, upside down. A sign of the presence of a source in this place was the appearance of liquid under the dishes.
Modern water seekers have perfected this ancient method. To determine the underground source, use well-dried silica gel in the oven, which perfectly absorbs moisture, and a clay pot. The silica gel is placed in a pot, the throat is tightly covered with a cloth, and weighed. After that, the container is buried in the ground to a depth of 1.5-2.0 meters, and left for a day. After a day, the container is dug out and weighed again. The increased weight indicates the presence of an underground source (the greater the amount of moisture absorbed by the silica gel, the greater the weight, the closer the aquifer to the surface of the earth).
Sometimes silica gel is replaced with finely crushed ceramic bricks, ceramic dust.
Method #4: Pendulums and Frames
The use of frames and pendulums when searching for water in the areas has not lost its relevance today either. This method is based on the principle of dowsing, and only professional dowsers, people with developed psychic ability, can search for water using this method.
Aluminum (copper, steel) wire frames with curved edges and an elderberry branch handle, as a rule, are 35-40 cm long. Branches of viburnum, willow, and vine branches can also serve as frames.
As a pendulum, a small load of copper, steel, aluminum, bronze is used in the form of a ball, cone, suspended on a thread 20-30 cm long.
Some people who always have water in the tap at home think that it is everywhere, and it is enough to make a well in any area and use crystal clear water. In reality, the situation is completely different - some could not get to the water, for others it is not even suitable for washing, and the garden watered with it has become like a scorched limestone desert.
Such a topic, how to find water for a well, is relevant both for people who are just going to drill a well, and for those who already have it, but there is a desire to rectify the situation.
Let's look at various ways that can help solve this difficult task.
How are aquifers located in the earth?
- Upper (or riding) water. This aquifer is located near the surface of the earth. This location makes it relatively easy to get it, but most often it is impossible to drink from this source, since this water is poorly purified and saturated with various harmful substances, and is suitable only for technical needs and watering the garden. In the hot season, when watering is especially needed, the water in this aquifer may dry up, and appear only after the autumn rains.
- Ground water. This layer is below the first waterproof layer. In such a well, water can fluctuate within small limits, and its chemical composition is quite stable. Often the water in this aquifer is under pressure, and when the drill enters it, it can go out with pressure.
- Artesian water. It is called so because its extraction comes from deep, artesian wells. To get to this aquifer you will have to work hard, since these layers go at a depth of more than 40 m. Such layers run in a horizontal plane, so your well will most likely be the same depth as its neighbors. In most cases, clean water comes out of it, but in some cases additional treatment may be required.
According to these data, it becomes clear that only the last 2 methods are acceptable for obtaining drinking water, but since people have different needs, we will consider how to find water for a well, trying to determine as accurately as possible where it can be located. Let's dwell on some methods that give the most accurate result.
Observation method
In the old days, people did not have such accurate instruments as they have today, nevertheless, they determined the location of water with great accuracy, but not because of any outstanding abilities, but only thanks to observation.
It is well known that before some kind of cataclysm, animals behave differently, because, unlike humans, they have the ability to better perceive natural changes. The same applies to the sense of water.
- Field mice avoid the proximity of water, and therefore make their nests on the branches of bushes and trees.
- A horse in extreme heat is trying to get water from the ground, and will do it in the place where it is possible to get to it.
- Dogs, fleeing from the heat, dig holes in such places, in which they then lie down.
- Chickens do not lay where they feel the proximity of water.
- Geese specifically choose places where there is an intersection of aquifers.
- Field mice avoid the proximity of water, and move to the branches of bushes and trees to make nests in the ground.
- Midges huddle together and form "pillars" in places where the moisture level is higher.
Natural phenomena and plants as indicators
- Trees such as alder and willow grow only in moist soil. The crown of a tree copies the root system, and if it is tilted to the side, then it is more humid there.
- Apple and cherry trees get sick on wet soil, and their fruits often rot.
- In summer, you can watch the fog - in the evening it will be the thickest, and swirling in the place where the groundwater is closest to the surface.
- Where moisture-loving plants thrive means that their root system is in moist soil.
The combination of these factors will help you choose the most suitable place for the well.
A scientific approach to finding water
In addition to observations, various devices can also be used to search for water. Let's see how you can search for water using items.
- Silica gel, salt, or crushed brick. This method is only suitable for dry soil. One of the above materials should be poured into an unglazed clay pot, and weighed on an accurate balance, and the data recorded. Bury the pot wrapped in gauze half a meter into the ground, and after a day remove it from the ground and weigh it again. A large weight gain indicates the proximity of water.
- Glass jars. In the morning, place them down in your area with their necks in those places where, according to sanitary standards, you can make a well. After a day, check which of them has condensate. Its presence and quantity indicates that the water is shallow.
There are also many non-scientific methods that you can experiment with if you wish.
Video
This video shows another scientific approach to finding water.
To determine the correct aquifer when drilling a well, considerable experience and knowledge will be required. The reason is simple. Water is available almost everywhere, the question is at what depth does the aquifer lie and what is the quality of the water at different depth levels.
Water depth
Usually, there are several levels containing water. The amount, saturation and composition that forms the aquifer is determined by the type of terrain.
So, in arid southern regions, the first aquifer can be located at a depth of 25 meters. The next aquifer is already an artesian source, requiring passage of tens of meters deep. The drilling depth of an artesian well can reach 100 meters. Passage to such a depth requires serious expenses, in arid areas the attitude towards water sources is reverent, and in a number of places the death penalty is due for damage to a well or well.
For the construction of artesian wells and the use of deep water sources, a special permit and a huge number of sanitary requirements are required. Recently, a huge number of companies have appeared on the market, calling their wells "artesian" without the slightest technical reason. Simply because it is known that an artesian well is the most economical and has the highest water quality. Do not be too lazy to study the legislation, especially regarding the use of strategic subsoil resources, and it will become clear to you that mass drilling of artesian wells is impossible in principle. Both technically and legally.
Surface groundwater
In swampy lowland areas, such as in St. Petersburg, the first aquifer may be less than a meter deep in the soil, or may even be on the surface. This is the so-called groundwater, which is heavily polluted and has not undergone proper purification, but it has enough oxygen and nutrients for the reproduction of microorganisms, bacteria, and algae. A high-standing aquifer appears on clay and loamy lands, as a result of the presence of a waterproof clay layer, along which rainwater flows without penetrating deep into the soil. Groundwater is unsuitable for drinking purposes.
The next aquifer is usually located at a depth of 3-5 meters. The water in it is suitable for domestic needs, watering the garden, plants. Water suitable for drinking purposes usually lies deeper, at a depth of 8-15 meters, where powerful sandstones are located, providing good cleaning and filtration.
Construction of wells in unsteady terrain
Deep water sources are more stable, clean and can be withdrawn.
The upper aquifers must be passed as quickly as possible and immediately strengthen the mine while drilling. This must be done to avoid soil erosion and to prevent the formation of quicksand, which can damage the equipment. The presence of quicksand during drilling shows good saturation of the soil with water, although it requires additional cementing and strengthening of the walls of the mine. It is impossible to determine the presence of quicksand before the start of work. Indirectly, large quicksands can be determined by the type of terrain. The presence of ravines, gullies, dips, may indicate that the presence of large quicksand is possible. But with modern drilling technology, the passage of quicksand is not a serious problem. But for water intake, it is better to choose a different layer.
Abyssinian wells
If you are arranging the well yourself, for example, using the Abyssinian well technology, you should not go deeper than 5-8 meters. You can determine the main aquifer, focusing on the neighbors who have already drilled. The depth at which the main aquifer is located is approximately the same for sites located in the same area and at a similar height.
But even in this case, the upper aquifers must be ignored as too polluted and unreliable.
Depths of 5-8 meters in water-saturated areas are usually sufficient. So, for example, in the Leningrad region, in the city of Pushkin, at the moment there are 3 Abyssinian wells, punched more than 120 years ago. Filters are regularly cleaned and replaced, and clean water continues to flow. In fairness, you can see that initially about 10 wells were punched. Without proper maintenance, the rest of the Abyssinian wells ceased to function, buildings were built in their place, gardens and parks were planted. The technology of self-drilling a well can be viewed in more detail already on a specific example of an Abyssinian well - a needle.
A well in a country house is sometimes the only source of drinking water and you want the quality of the water in it to be good. Therefore, already at the stage of searching for water, it is necessary to know at what depths the best aquifers are located. To get to them, you need to explore the entire area and choose the best place. Consider how to find water for a well in various ways.
Water is retained in the ground thanks to impervious layers that do not allow it either to the surface or deeper. The main component of the layers is clay, which is highly resistant to moisture. Sometimes there are also stones. Between the clay layers is a sandy layer that holds clean water. This is the aquifer, which must be reached in the process of digging a well.
In some places, the sand vein can be thin, in others - huge. The largest volumes of water are obtained in places of breaks in the waterproof layer, which is not located strictly horizontally, but with elevation changes and bends. And where the clay makes a curvature, changes the direction of height, peculiar gaps are obtained, which are filled with wet sand. These places are so saturated with water that they are called "underground lakes".
How does water quality depend on depth?
When digging a well, you can stumble upon an aquifer very quickly - already 2-2.5 meters from ground level. It is undesirable to take drinking water from such aquifers. Due to the proximity to the soil surface, rain water, melting snow, and sewage runoff penetrate the vein from above, polluting the water and significantly deteriorating its quality. For specialists, such surface veins are designated by a special term - top waters. In addition, these layers are quite unstable. If the summer is hot and there is no rain, the water from the high-water lakes disappears, which means that it will disappear in the well. So in the most "peak" summer season, summer residents can be left without water, and until the fall.
The optimal depth at which to search for water for a well is 15 meters. At this depth there is a line of continental sands containing very large volumes of water. And a significant thickness of the sandy layer contributes to the maximum cleaning of the aquifer from all kinds of debris and "chemistry".
Search for an aquifer by observation methods
To find water, it is not necessary to invite specialists. For many centuries, people in the villages managed on their own, using observations of nature and animals.
Fog Observations
In the warm season, inspect the site early in the morning or late in the evening. Where groundwater is close, fog forms near the ground. And by its consistency, you can determine how deep the aquifer is located. The thicker the fog, the closer the water. Fogs caused by moisture rising from the ground do not stand still, but come out in clubs or spread near the soil itself.
Animal behavior in heat
Field mice will not nest on the ground if water is close. They will transfer their housing to tall plants, tree branches.
If the owner has a dog or a horse, then in the summer, when it's worth the spec, you need to observe their behavior. From thirst, horses begin to look for water in the soil and beat with a hoof in a place where the level of humidity is highest. Dogs try to bring down their body temperature at least a little, so they dig holes in damp places and take refuge in them. Moisture, evaporating, cools the ground, so animals tend to lie down at these points.
Dogs sense close water and dig holes in these places to shelter from the heat.
Poultry is also a good indicator. The chicken does not rush where it feels the proximity of water, but the goose specifically chooses places where aquifers intersect.
In the evening, when the heat subsides, you can watch the midges. They begin to bunch up and form "columns" over the wettest places on the site.
Exploration drilling method
Assortment of indicator plants on site
From time immemorial, plants have been informing humans about the depth of the aquifer. Moisture-loving will never live in places where the groundwater is very deep. But if coltsfoot, hemlock, sorrel, nettle are rampant in the country, then there is enough moisture in the soil.
By plants growing in the country, you can determine at what depth the aquifer passes
Alders, willows and birches grow well in moist soils. If their crown is tilted to one side, then this is where the aquifer should be looked for. Apple trees and cherries will never grow well in places with close groundwater levels. The fruits will constantly rot, and the tree will hurt.
Practical methods for finding water for a well
In addition to observations, various devices can be used for searches. Consider how to search for water for a well using items.
Arranging glass jars
In the morning, arrange glass jars of the same volume throughout the area, turning them upside down to the ground. The next morning, check which ones have condensation. The more it is, the closer the aquifer.
Spreading salt or brick
We wait for a couple of days not to rain, and the soil becomes dry. We take dry salt or red brick crushed into small pieces, we fall asleep in a clay pot (unglazed). We weigh, record the readings, wrap everything in gauze or spandex and bury it in the ground for half a meter. After a day, we take out the pot, remove the material and re-weigh. The greater the difference in mass, the closer the aquifer. By the way, silica gel is also suitable from modern moisture accumulators.
Indication with aluminum or wicker frames
1 way:
- We take two pieces of aluminum wire 40 cm each and bend 15 cm at a right angle.
- We insert them into a hollow tube (preferably cut from elderberry and remove the core).
- We check that the wire spins freely in the tube.
- We take in both hands on the tube and go through the site. The ends of the wire should be turned left and right. If there is an aquifer under your feet, the wires will converge towards the middle. If water is found to the right or left of the person, the ends of the wires will turn in that direction. As soon as the aquifer has passed, the wire will again turn in different directions.
- Having found the place of aluminum closure, go again, but perpendicular to the direction in which you moved at first. If the place of closure is repeated, then dig a well there.
2 way:
- We cut out a branch from the vine, in which there are two forks on one trunk, going at an angle of 150 degrees to each other.
- We take it home and dry it.
- We arrive at the dacha, take the ends of the branches in both hands so that the trunk turns out in the middle and points upwards.
- We walk around the area. As soon as the trunk leaned towards the ground, water should be sought there.
The raised trunk of the vine will lean towards the ground as soon as it feels close water.
Vine and aluminum give a signal that there is water in the ground, but it may also be perched water, which is not suitable for a well. Therefore, after finding out places with high humidity, carry out preliminary drilling to understand at what depth the aquifer is located.
People are not fish, but water is a necessary condition for human life, as, indeed, for any other living being. And easy access to it, sufficient quantity and proper quality are the main conditions for comfort and a good standard of living.
On average, over 75 years of life, a modern citizen of developed countries, in one way or another, as drinking water or for household and hygienic purposes (washing, washing, toilet, etc.), consumes from 3.8 to 19 million liters of water. That is, from 138 to 694 liters per day. Residents of not too civilized areas spend many times less for their own needs - in 75 years, only 380 thousand liters of water, that is, about 13 liters (one bucket) per day.
B about Most of the territory of our country does not suffer from a lack of water, but there are many places in the world where life-giving moisture is, in principle, a rarity, and the shortage of drinking water exists not only in science fiction films about doomsday. According to the latest UN report, by 2030 more than half (67%) of the world's population will experience shortages of drinking water.
As the song from the famous Soviet film says: “No shave, no drink, no wash, no swim, a man without water - neither here nor there!”
So, consider the classification of groundwater. It should be borne in mind that, like any classification, it is conditional: there is no clear boundary between aquifers. And the thickness or moisture capacity of a particular layer depends on the geology of the site.
ground water
ground water make up the highest level of groundwater: they are located in the root zone - in the fertile layer, where the roots of herbaceous plants and the surface root system of trees are located. Soil moisture reserves are replenished with rain and melt water and actively evaporate into the atmosphere, that is, its volume is very dependent on the processes evaporation and transpiration.
The lower part of the groundwater zone is called suspended (vadose). The zone of suspended water is saturated and water begins to seep into the lower layers of the soil under the influence of gravity. This water is called gravity. If there was a lot of precipitation, for example, in the rainy autumn season or in spring with active snowmelt, the movement of gravitational waters intensifies. Soil waters are of great importance in plant life, but they are not used for human water supply needs.
ground water
The permeable rocks below the fertile layer form the first permanent aquifer. Usually, first aquifer constitute unconsolidated deposits. The water in this layer fills the pores between the rock particles: this is the level that is called in the professional slang of drillers "on the sand".Its saturation with moisture quite strongly depends on the amount of precipitation and temperature fluctuations - in rainless years, the groundwater level can drop significantly. In addition, groundwater can be polluted. That is why in cesspools it is forbidden to make leaky containers for sewage: in a pit without a bottom, pollution enters directly into the first aquifer.
Groundwater, due to its relatively shallow occurrence, is easily accessible and widely used for the needs of private, villages and small businesses. Although, as mentioned above, on Internet resources where water extraction issues are discussed, groundwater is often called top water not intended for use as drinking water.
Groundwater is extracted with the help of small ones. These waters are non-pressure: the level in the well is set at the level of the groundwater table.
Interstratal waters
Below groundwater, separated from them by layers of impermeable or poorly permeable rocks that make up the impermeable layer, there is the next layer of permeable rocks, which forms second aquifer. It is composed of denser rocks in which water is poured into cracks, forming filled cavities. The supply of the second water horizon is carried out by seepage (infiltration) of groundwater through layers with poor penetrating ability. It also occurs in places where the water-bearing layers of interstratal waters come out closer to the surface, in breaks in the water-resistant layer of the upper water horizon.Their level is much less subject to fluctuations from the effects of precipitation or temperatures on the surface of the earth. Deep occurrence protects interstratal waters from pollution. Groundwater located at great depths, under aquicludes, may already have hydrostatic pressure. In this case they are called pressure. Interstratal waters are classified as renewable minerals, and therefore, to state property (Law of the Russian Federation "On Subsoil").
In addition to household purposes and technical water supply (for industry, land irrigation, pasture watering), groundwater is used for medicinal purposes ( mineral water), in the energy industry ( geothermal waters) and in industry - to extract valuable substances dissolved in them.
artesian waters
artesian waters- this is a kind of interstratal groundwater. Their difference is that they completely fill the aquifer and are under pressure in it. Pressure waters usually occur within geological structures having a concave structure - in troughs, flexures, forming artesian basins.
When opening such an aquifer, the water level rises above the level of the groundwater table, sometimes freely pouring out of the well in a fountain. Artesian waters, as a rule, are located at great depths - from 100 to 1000 meters. In some Internet sources, everything that has great depth is called artesian, which is not entirely correct. Initially artesian called exactly flowing wells, now the term "artesian" refers to all pressure waters.
Two upper aquifers are usually used for water supply. The water located on b about at greater depths, most often has an increased mineralization, and its extraction is associated with high financial costs.
Verkhovodka
And finally about pervodka. Experts and those interested in the issue of groundwater extraction do not recommend using perched water as a source of drinking water. And they do it right, because the perch is not a permanent aquifer. It appears seasonally, during the spring snowmelt or during the period of prolonged autumn rains.Verkhovodka is characteristic of clay and loamy soils. Its appearance is associated with the accumulation of water over soils that are poorly permeable to water: clayey soils swell from abundant moisture and stop letting precipitation water into the underlying soil layers.
Pit filled with "perch water"
Accumulations of water are formed on the surface of the earth in natural depressions, water appears even lower - a meter - one and a half from the surface. In sandy soils, perched water is rarer and forms locally, on temporary aquicludes - clay layers in the main sandy soil.
It is not worth using the upper waters for the needs of the countryside: they have a pronounced seasonal character, their number is not enough. And most importantly, such waters are polluted. Due to their shallow location, they have not yet had time to clear themselves, passing through a natural filter - the thickness of the earth. Verkhovodka can be used for irrigation by artificially deepening the natural depressions where it accumulates in the spring, as, for example, in the photo above.
Verkhovodka can be confused with a high level of groundwater. The first aquifer can start quite shallow from the earth's surface: in the northern regions - from 50 cm (in the tundra region). With the movement to the south, the depth of the aquifer increases: from 3-5 meters in the middle lane to 15-20 in the southern regions. In rural areas, far from highways and industrial zones, very often drinking water has a shallow depth. So, for example, in our village the public only has three rings.
That's all about what aquifers are. And for information about what is best for a summer cottage - or how deep you should dig or drill, how to determine the level of groundwater, as well as the legal aspect of extracting groundwater, read in other materials.
