- 1). Choose a location for the well and set the drill rig so that the auger is directly over the spot. Prepare all the augers and the drill bit. Set the augers in stacks near the rig so that they are easy to pick up when you are ready to attach a new auger to the rig. If you are using 5-foot auger you will need 11 auger flights to complete the 50-foot well. Always have one extra auger flight to help you set the well at the proper depth. The extra flight will allow you to drill to 50 feet with auger above the hole to guide the material installation.
- 2). Attach the lead auger and drill bit to the rig and drill to 50 feet, adding a new auger flight when you are within a foot of the ground. The driller's helper will assist the installation by helping the lead driller attach the augers and shoveling the soil cuttings away from the borehole and into 55-gallon drums. Store the soil cuttings in the 55-gallon drums for off-site disposal or spread the soil on site after the well installation is complete.
- 3). Assemble the well screen and casing in sections by screwing the threaded ends together. The well materials will be easier to handle if you complete the assembly as you lower the casing into the well. Place the well screen and casing into the borehole through the hollow inside of the augers so that the screen and well point are at the bottom of the borehole. Alternatively, you can fully assemble the screen and casing and use the drill rig to lower the materials into the borehole.
- 4). Pour sand in between the casing and the inside of the augers so that it extends at least two feet over the top of the well screen. For example, if your well screen is 20 feet high, you will need to place 22 feet of sand around the well. Use a measuring tape to gauge the height of the sand. As the sand fills the annular space, slowly raise the augers so that the sand falls and completely fills the area between the well material and the surrounding soil.
- 5). Install bentonite pellets or chips on top of the sand following the same method used for the sand placement. Place at least 2 to 5 feet of bentonite on top of the sand. Pour water over the bentonite pellets or chips and allow it to hydrate for a few minutes to an hour before continuing. Bentonite is swelling clay that will seal the well from runoff in the upper soil layers.
- 6). Pump cement grout into the remaining annular space using a tremie pipe and grout pump. Remove all of the augers from the ground before or during this process so that you do not cement the augers into the ground.
- 7). Install a well cover over the well to protect the casing from damage and set the cover in a concrete pad.
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