In our experience here at Barefoot’s Well Drilling and Pump Service, many people’s idea of what a well is and what it looks like is firmly stuck in the 1800s. Modern wells look very different from the ones you might be imagining—for example, we no longer need to draw water up by hand in a bucket but instead can rely on automated pumps to move water directly into our taps. In this article, our team will focus on gravel-packed wells, providing an overview of how they work so you can update your mental image of what a well is.
- What is the purpose of gravel pack? The purpose of the gravel in gravel-packed wells is to improve the flow of water into the well pipe. It does this by creating a larger surface area for water to seep through. The gravel creates larger gaps for water to seep into from the soil, and then the well pipe sucks this water up into your plumbing system.
- How does a gravel-packed well work? Gravel-packed wells consist of a long well pipe that descends deep into the soil until it reaches layers of water-bearing sand in the water table. However, if the pipe mouth opened directly onto the sand, then water would seep into the pipe very slowly—too slowly to provide a consistent supply. Our team solves this issue by placing gravel down below the mouth of the pipe, which encourages faster water flow and thus solves this issue.