The cornerstone of the prepper mindset is the ability to foresee the unforeseeable. For most people, the idea that their world could disappear in a blink of an eye seems like nothing more than a bad dream. However, the key factor of being prepared includes having plans for scenarios that might seem very unlikely. These sometimes come in the form of the things that have to be done after the disastrous event, but sometimes, they include things that any prepper can accomplish whenever they like. Here, the process of making sure oneself and their family are prepared is very similar to the idea of living off-grid – the purpose is to have access to something essential without the help of anyone else, like the government or a private company.
In this regard, when it comes to the necessities of everyday life, there is probably no bigger one then water. In the regular environment, water is something that rarely comes across the minds of people who use it. After all, in most of the world, the water utility network has been around for decades if not centuries. Having access to running and drinkable water in any structure is no longer seen as a luxury, but an absolute necessity. Yet, this can all vanish in the case of an emergency or as an aftermath of a catastrophic event. The scenarios where water suddenly becomes scares are numerous and cover both man-made and natural disasters.
From terrorist cyber attacks on vital infrastructure to nuclear bombs and electromagnetic pulse (EMP), any of these things can knock down the grid that supplies the water. This would include a total system shutdown, not just for the distribution part, but also the treatment plants and water processing. In short, the water running freely would be gone anywhere between a couple of hours to a couple of weeks. Some scenarios would even include water being gone as a utility for good. That is why many decide to make their own permanent source of water by having a source that is completely off of the main grid. In practice, this means creating a well on the property and making sure it is operational. As one of the oldest means of reaching water, digging wells have been around for thousands of years. Here are the different types of wells that can be made by those who want to have a permanent off-grid water source.
Drilled Wells
Drilled wells are created using either drilling machines working on the rotary principle or a cable tools that operate on the percussion principle. Wells of this type that are made through unconsolidated material demand an installation of a special casing and also a screen that then stops the influx of sediment. Without the screen and casing, the entire drilled well could collapse. Wells of this type can be created up to 1,000 feet in depth. However, to stop any contamination from the upper layer surface water, the casing of the well has to be sealed up using either bentonite clay or neat cement. Clearly, producing drilled wells does require a concentrated effort and funds that will allow this effort to result in a permanent well.
Driven Wells
These wells are constructed by forcing a pipe of a small diameter into gravel or sand that should hold water beneath them. Often, a screened well point is present at the lower part of the casino before the actual driving begins. Driven wells have a number of advantages working for them. Firstly they are cheap and easy to construct. A method of using a hand-driven process can produce a well of about 30 feet in depth. Using machines for the driving process will nearly double that depth to about 60 feet. The downside of the process is the fact that these wells tap into the surface layers of water that will be easily contaminated by other water sources. This also stems from the fact that wells like this are not sealed using some type of grouting material. Because of this, this type of off-grid water source is great for its economic aspects, but will not produce the water of the best quality.
Dug Wells
Historically, when someone references a well, they were likely talking about dug wells. These structures were created using hand tools and manual labor of simply digging straight down until a water line was reached and its water submerged the entire bottom surface of the well. In the well, the interior wall was covered by tile, bricks, stones or other similar material that was designed to prevent its collapse. The top openings of these walls were also covered by some type of structure using stone, concrete tiles or the most popular option, wood.
Clearly, after many millennia of use across the world, dug wells have advantages among other different types of wells. They are easy to create because they only ask for a bit of knowledge about this process and plenty of manual labor. But, because of that manual labor, they have to be wide and this means that they come with a range of contamination sources from the surface water. Not only that, but unlike driven wells, dug wells will regularly dry out once the underground water presence drops below a certain point.
Using one of these well designs means having access to water even if the worst scenario takes place. Yet, these water sources come with their own disadvantages and these have to be recognized. Firstly, both driven and dug wells will not have a water source that is biologically safe and can potentially hold many hazardous materials. This means that the water must be treated using heat or a chemical process before it can be used for human consumption. Secondly, any well has to be not just built, but also maintained and regularly checked. This is a process that asks for both time and potential money expenditures. Aside from these factors that have to be in the mind of all those individuals who want to make their wells, it is still absolutely true that a structure like a working well will provide a secure and independent access to water.
I want to dig a well in my yard for gardening so thanks for sharing this. I like your point about how a dug well is easy to make. I will definitely consider this type of well so I can water my plants.
Thanks for the article!
Thanks for listing the types of wells. We’re thinking of hiring a well contractor to dig on our land. It’d be nice to know that we’re prepared for all kinds of emergencies.