Module 3 — Design and Construction of Water Wells
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Well Completion
Once the well has been drilled and the equipment is in place, there are several
procedures the licensed water well contractor must complete before the well is ready to use.
The driller is responsible for:
Developing the well
Disinfecting the well
Conducting a yield test.
Well Development
Well development is the process of removing fine sediment and drilling fluid from the
area immediately surrounding the perforations. This increases the well’s ability to produce
water and maximize production from the aquifer.
If the aquifer formation does not naturally have any relatively coarse particles to form a
filter, it may be necessary for the driller to install an artificial filter pack. This pack is placed
around the screen or perforations so the well can be developed. For example, this procedure
is necessary when the aquifer is composed of fine sand and the individual grains are uniform
in size.
It is important to match the grain size of the filter pack material with the size of the slot
openings of the screen to attain maximum yield from the well. Typically the slot size of the
screen is selected so that 85 percent of the artificial pack material will remain outside of the
screen after well development.