Waterhole: How to Dig Your Own Well [Paperback]

Bob Mellin (Author), Martha Weston (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1992 | ISBN-10: 093590221X | ISBN-13: 978-0935902211

A step-by-step guide on how to dig your own water well using a hand auger. Includes information on location, drilling method, casing, pumps and plumbing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is a simple guide to a simple task: digging a hole in the ground and taking water out of it. It will help you make informaed decisions on where to dig your well and how to do it the right way. Topics discussed include: environmental impact, tools & materials, costs, benefits, picking the spot, preparing the site, digging the well, casing the well, sealing the casing, capping the well, pumps, disinfection, water storage, maintenance, and abandonment. A bibliography and appendix offer additional resources. -- From the publisher

About the Author

Bob Mellin has dug dozens of wells as deep as 30 feet using this method. His college education includes engineering and business degrees.

Product Details

• Paperback: 75 pages
• Publisher: Balboa Pub Co (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 093590221X
• ISBN-13: 978-0935902211
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed, Readable, and Fun, December 20, 2000

By 

Robert Plamondon (Blodgett, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Waterhole: How to Dig Your Own Well (Paperback)

Why drill your own well? Because it's useful to have free water where you need it, especially if you have no water on your property or are using expensive city water to maintain a large garden. Bringing in a professional well driller can be expensive, and, besides, why should he have all the fun?

Unlike old-fashioned, large-diameter wells that put you in the bottom of a hole that might collapse, modern wells are small-bore affairs, and you stay safely up on the surface.

WATERHOLE describes with perfect clarity the process of digging a modern four-inch-diameter well using only hand tools. In doing so, he not only shows you how to drill your own well for practically nothing, but he gives you a complete course in doing so safely and correctly, so you end up with a well that's safe to drink from and doesn't vector contaminants into the water table.

He then shows you how to install PVC pipe as a well casing and how to select and install your pump. This slim little volume has everything.

The text is fun to read and is lavishly illustrated.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Drilling your own Well, December 23, 2007

By 

Kerry D. Whitford (North Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Waterhole: How to Dig Your Own Well (Paperback)

Very helpful book for the person wanting to know how to drill shallow (25 foot well). However, I think it could have had more details, especially about the type of well screen, and more about developing the well.
Also, the method he describes, digging with an Auger,did not work very well in my sand/clay. I find it much easier to dig as far down as possible with Auger, then drive it down with a metal drivepoint. Also remember that you must have a very low water table for this to work.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Basics, and a bit myopic, June 17, 2008

By 

Clinton Labombard (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Waterhole: How to Dig Your Own Well (Paperback)

This book is for shallow wells and although it does show you how to produce a working, safe well, it doesn't go into any other methods or types of wells. If you live in an area with a high water table then this method for this type of well is sufficient, but if you have other needs you'll need to find better information than this book can deliver.