What is a Hard Rock Well, how is it constructed?
A Hard Rock Well is drilled, for the most part, in solid granite. Picture drilling a hole through “El Capitan” in Yosemite National Park. In our service areas the granite formation, like “El Capitan”, is usually encountered within 20 to 40 feet of the grounds surface. This top 20 to 40 feet of unconsolidated surface formation is cased off using steel, or PVC, well casing. A cement type seal is poured between the outside of the well casing and the drilled hole to prevent surface runoff and contaminents from entering the well. In most Hard Rock Wells only the top, unconsolidated formation needs to be cased, and thereafter, the solid, hard rock formations support the drilled hole. Water in a drilled well is measured by gallons per minute (GPM). Water is found in cracks and fractures that occur in the granite and other hard rock formations. These fractures can be dry, produce a gallon per minute or 100’s of gallons per minute. The number, size and location of fractures vary from well, to w
