Quick answer:
Turn off the pump at the breaker right now if you have no water or sputtering faucets. Running a pump dry destroys it within minutes from overheating. With the pump off, you have time to diagnose the actual problem. Most wells that appear to have run dry have not — the most common cause is temporary drawdown where the pump outpaced the aquifer's recharge rate for a few hours and the water will return on its own. The second most common cause is the pump set at the wrong depth for the current water table, which a contractor can fix in one visit without drilling. True permanent aquifer depletion is real but accounts for a small fraction of sudden dry well calls. This guide walks through each of the four distinct scenarios, how to distinguish them, and the correct response to each.
The most expensive mistake well owners make is calling a driller before confirming the diagnosis. Deepening a well costs $3,000 to $10,000. Lowering a pump costs $300 to $800. Waiting 24 hours costs nothing. The right first step determines everything.
Do These Two Things Right Now
Before diagnosing anything, do these two things immediately.
Turn off the pump at the breaker. Your submersible pump is cooled by water flowing past it. When the water level drops below the pump intake, the pump pulls air instead of water. Without water cooling it, the motor windings overheat within minutes. Pump replacement costs $1,000 to $2,500 installed. Turning the breaker off prevents a temporary water shortage from becoming an equipment failure. Turn it off now and leave it off while you work through the diagnosis.
Source temporary water. The diagnosis and repair process may take anywhere from a few hours to several days. You need drinking water in the meantime. Fill containers from a neighbor, local fire department, grocery store, or use bottled water. Do not pour outside water into your well casing — your well is connected to an aquifer, not a storage tank, and introducing foreign water can contaminate the system.
Warning Signs Your Well Is Running Low: Catch It Before Complete Failure
Most wells give a progression of warnings before complete failure. Recognizing these early buys time to diagnose and act before you lose water entirely.
Stage 1 — Early warning (days to weeks before failure):
Pressure drops slightly when multiple fixtures run simultaneously. The pump runs noticeably longer than usual after heavy use. Water takes longer to recover pressure after a shower or laundry cycle. These are the first signs the water table is approaching the pump intake.
Stage 2 — Mid-stage warning (hours to days before failure):
Pressure drops perceptibly during single-fixture use. You hear the pump cycling on more frequently than normal. Water occasionally sputters briefly at faucets during the tail end of a draw. The pump may make a slightly different sound during operation — a higher pitch or intermittent clicking as it briefly pulls air.
Stage 3 — Imminent failure (minutes to hours before):
Faucets spit air and sputter noticeably. Water pressure drops mid-shower or mid-cycle. Water turns slightly cloudy or carries fine sediment — the pump is now drawing from near the bottom of the water column. The pump runs continuously without building pressure. These are the last signals before complete loss.
What to do at each stage:
At Stage 1: Reduce demand. Stagger high-use activities. Check your well log for the original static water level and consider having a contractor measure the current level.
At Stage 2: Immediately reduce demand to essentials only. Turn off irrigation. Do not run laundry or dishwasher. Have a contractor scheduled. Begin sourcing backup water.
At Stage 3: Turn off the pump at the breaker now. Do not run it again until a contractor has confirmed water is available. At this stage, continued pumping will destroy the pump within minutes.
The Four Scenarios: Which One Do You Have?
Every dry well situation falls into one of four categories. They look nearly identical from inside the house — no water from the tap, sputtering, or very low pressure — but have completely different causes and completely different fixes. Jumping to a solution without confirming the scenario wastes money and sometimes makes the problem worse.
Scenario 1: Temporary Drawdown — Aquifer Outpaced, Will Recover
What it is: The aquifer around your well is a finite reservoir that recharges at a specific rate. If you pump water faster than the aquifer can refill — running multiple showers, filling a pool, running irrigation for hours, or having high household demand during a dry stretch — the water level around the pump drops below the pump intake. The well is not dry. The aquifer still has water. The water level just needs time to recover without further pumping.
Who gets this: Any well owner who had unusually high water demand in the hours before losing water. Also common in homes with low-yield wells where normal daily demand occasionally exceeds the recharge rate.
How to confirm it: With the pump off, wait 4 to 24 hours. Do not use any water during this period. After waiting, turn the pump on briefly and try a faucet. If water flows normally, even briefly, the water level has recovered. This confirms temporary drawdown.
How to estimate your well's recharge rate: Before calling anyone, this 30-minute test gives you the single most useful piece of information about your well's actual yield.
Turn off the pump and wait until water pressure returns fully — at least 2 hours. Note the time. Turn the pump on and fill a 5-gallon bucket repeatedly, timing each fill. Keep filling buckets and dumping them (outside, away from the well) until the pressure drops noticeably or the pump begins to sputter. Count total gallons pumped and total time elapsed. Divide gallons by minutes. That is your pump's output rate. The point at which pressure dropped is approximately when your pump outran the aquifer's supply.
Now turn the pump off again and wait exactly 60 minutes. Turn it back on and repeat — count how many gallons flow before pressure drops again. Divide by 60 minutes. That number in gallons per minute is approximately your well's sustainable recharge rate. If it is below 1 GPM, you have a low-yield well. If it is under 0.5 GPM, you need a storage cistern system.
This test gives your contractor extremely useful baseline data and may save you a diagnostic service call.
The recovery timeline: Most residential aquifers recover to usable levels within 2 to 8 hours of stopping pumping. Slower aquifers (under 1 gallon per minute recharge) may take 12 to 24 hours. If water does not return after a full 24-hour rest, move to the other scenarios.
The fix: Reduce demand. Spread high-demand activities across the day. Stagger showers, laundry, and dishwasher use by at least an hour. If this happens repeatedly, your pump output rate may exceed your well's sustainable yield and you may need a pump cycle controller or storage tank system. This is a low-yield well management problem, not a drilling problem.
Do not call a driller before trying the 24-hour rest. This is the single most important advice in this article. A driller who arrives before you have confirmed recovery has an incentive to recommend drilling. Many homeowners have paid $5,000 to $10,000 for a new well when waiting 24 hours would have resolved the issue.
Scenario 2: Seasonal Water Table Drop — Will Recover With Recharge
What it is: Groundwater levels are not static. They rise and fall with seasons, precipitation patterns, and regional pumping activity. In most of the United States, groundwater levels peak in March and April after winter snowmelt and spring rain, then decline through summer and fall as vegetation draws moisture from the soil and precipitation decreases. Shallow wells in unconfined aquifers are most vulnerable. A shallow well that has reliably produced water for 10 or 20 years can fail in an unusually dry summer or during a regional drought.
Who gets this: Owners of shallow wells (under 100 feet) in areas with distinct wet and dry seasons, particularly the Northeast, Southeast, and Pacific Northwest. Also owners of dug wells and bored wells, which are almost always shallow. Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation reported over 400 wells running dry in fall 2025 — four times the rate of any prior year — almost entirely shallow dug and spring-fed wells during an unusually dry season.
How to confirm it: The seasonal pattern is the key diagnostic. Has your well produced water reliably in past years? Has the dry period corresponded with dry weather or preceded by a dry summer? Do neighboring wells show similar issues? A contractor who measures your static water level and finds it lower than your well log's original measurement but still showing water in the casing (just below the pump intake) is confirming seasonal drawdown, not permanent depletion.
The fix: Conservation is the immediate measure. The permanent fix is either lowering the pump to access water at the current lower water level (if the well is deep enough), or installing a storage tank and pump cycle controller that maximizes use of water during the aquifer's natural recovery periods. In most cases, normal precipitation eventually restores the water table. The question is how to manage in the meantime.
The low-yield management option: A storage cistern of 1,000 to 2,000 gallons with a slow fill rate that matches the aquifer's recharge rate provides on-demand water pressure from storage rather than directly from the well. The well fills the cistern slowly; a booster pump draws from the cistern to supply the house. This completely decouples the household demand rate from the well's recharge rate and is the correct long-term solution for shallow wells in areas with seasonal water table variation.
Scenario 3: Pump Set at the Wrong Depth
What it is: Your well may have more water than it has for years. The problem is that the pump cannot reach it. This scenario has two versions:
Version A: Water table has dropped over time, pump is now above it. The pump was set at an appropriate depth when installed, but the seasonal or long-term water table has declined below the pump intake. The pump draws air. Water is present in the well below the pump — the pump just cannot reach it.
Version B: Pump was never set at the right depth. Pump intake should be set at roughly 70 percent of the available drawdown depth — deep enough to always be in water even during maximum pumping, but not so deep that it draws sediment from the bottom. An incorrectly installed or replaced pump that was set too shallow will hit air during any significant draw, even when the aquifer has water.
How to confirm it: A contractor measures the static water level (depth to water with the pump off for several hours) and compares it to the known pump depth. If the static water level is below the pump intake depth, the pump needs to be lowered. If the static water level is above the pump intake but the well still loses water quickly, the pump may be set at a depth that allows drawdown to exceed the intake level during pumping.
The fix: Lower the pump. A contractor removes the pump, extends the drop pipe, and reinstalls the pump at a greater depth. This typically costs $300 to $800 in labor depending on well depth and pump type. It is the fastest and cheapest solution when it is the correct diagnosis. The caveat from Penn State Extension: lowering the pump in an existing well is often a short-term solution if the underlying cause is a genuinely declining water table. Confirm the diagnosis before deciding whether lowering is a long-term fix or a bridge to a more permanent solution.
Do not lower the pump to the very bottom of the well. Sediment accumulates at the well bottom. A pump set too deep draws sand and silt into the pump, destroying the impellers. A contractor will set the pump with appropriate clearance above the bottom, typically at least 10 to 20 feet.
Scenario 4: True Aquifer Depletion or Permanent Yield Loss
What it is: In some situations, the water that previously supplied your well is genuinely gone or reduced to an insufficient level. This can result from regional aquifer depletion (the High Plains Ogallala Aquifer, parts of the Southwest, Central Valley of California have experienced documented multi-decade decline), drought that has reduced a shallow aquifer below recoverable levels, structural well problems including clogged screens or collapsed casing that have reduced the well's ability to draw from the aquifer, or a neighbor drilling a new deep well that intercepts the same water-bearing formation.
According to USGS data on groundwater decline, estimated groundwater depletion in the United States during the 20th and early 21st centuries has totaled approximately 1,000 cubic kilometers, with the rate of depletion accelerating since 1950. Regional depletion is real and increasingly common. But it is still far less common than temporary drawdown as the cause of any individual dry well event.
How to confirm it: This scenario is confirmed by elimination. If the well does not recover after 24 to 48 hours of rest, if the static water level measured by a contractor is significantly lower than the original well log measurement, if neighboring wells are showing similar problems without explanation, and if lowering the pump does not resolve the issue, you are dealing with genuine yield loss.
A well contractor can measure the current static water level and compare it against the static level recorded at construction. A decline of more than 20 to 30 feet from the original static level, combined with no recovery after rest, is a strong indicator of long-term aquifer change rather than temporary drawdown.
The fix options: Multiple paths exist, from least to most expensive.
Well rehabilitation: Clogged screens, mineral buildup, and iron bacteria can reduce well yield dramatically. A licensed contractor can clean or redevelop the well using techniques including chemical treatment (acidizing), high-pressure jetting, or mechanical brushing. If the yield decline is from well fouling rather than true aquifer change, rehabilitation can restore flow.
Hydrofracturing: For wells drilled in bedrock, high-pressure water injection into the bore can open existing fractures in the rock and create pathways for water to enter the well. Success rates range from 60 to 90 percent. Cost is typically $2,000 to $7,000. It is significantly cheaper than drilling a new well and worth attempting for bedrock wells before committing to a new drill.
Lowering the pump or deepening the well: If the static water level is still present but lower than the pump can reach, lowering the pump is tried first. If the well is not deep enough to lower the pump sufficiently, deepening the borehole to reach a lower water-bearing formation is an option. Deepening costs $3,000 to $10,000 and is not guaranteed — deeper drilling in the same location does not always find water.
New well: When the existing well cannot be rehabilitated, deepened, or made to access water reliably, drilling a new well in a different location is the solution. Average cost is $5,000 to $15,000 depending on depth, geology, and region. A licensed well driller can advise on the most promising location based on local hydrogeology. The old well must be properly decommissioned according to state regulations.
The Diagnostic Timeline: What to Do and When
| Time Since Losing Water | Action |
|---|---|
| Immediately | Turn off pump at breaker. Source temporary water. |
| First hour | Check pressure switch, breaker, and pressure tank (rule out equipment failure before assuming dry well) |
| Hours 1 to 24 | Pump off, no water use. Wait for recovery. |
| After 24 hours | Try pump briefly. Water returns: Scenario 1 (temporary drawdown). No water: continue |
| Day 2 | Note weather history, recent usage, neighbor well status. Call a contractor for static water level measurement |
| Contractor visit | Static level measured. Pump depth confirmed. Scenario 2, 3, or 4 diagnosed |
| After diagnosis | Lower pump (Scenario 3), manage conservation (Scenario 2), or evaluate rehabilitation/deepening/new well (Scenario 4) |
Rule Out Equipment Failure Before Assuming a Dry Well
Before assuming the aquifer is the problem, check these equipment failures that produce identical symptoms. A well that appears dry from inside the house may have full water pressure available — the pump or electrical system simply cannot deliver it.
What a pump running dry sounds and acts like: Before you can rule out equipment failure, know what pump distress actually sounds like. A pump that is running dry or near-dry makes specific sounds: a higher-pitched hum than normal, intermittent clicking or chattering as it briefly pulls air bubbles through, and in advanced stages, a grinding or rattling sound from impellers spinning without water to cool and lubricate them. The pump may also run continuously without building pressure — the motor is working but not moving water. If you press your ear against the drop pipe or the pressure tank and hear anything other than a steady low hum followed by silence when pressure is reached, the pump is struggling.
The pressure switch. The pressure switch tells the pump when to run. A failed switch may not signal the pump to start, leaving the system depressurized even though the pump and water supply are fine. Check whether the pump is running at all by listening at the wellhead for the pump hum. If you hear nothing with water demand present, the pressure switch may be stuck open. A pressure switch replacement costs $45 to $75 in parts.
The circuit breaker. A tripped breaker at the main panel cuts power to the pump. The pump cannot run. The system pressure drops. Open the panel, find the breaker labeled for the well pump, and check whether it has tripped. If it has tripped repeatedly, an electrician needs to investigate the cause rather than simply resetting it.
The pressure tank. A failed pressure tank can cause the system to appear to have lost water when the issue is actually a waterlogged tank providing no drawdown storage. See the well pressure tank guide for the bladder failure diagnosis test.
Sediment in the pump inlet. If the water that did come through before loss was cloudy or contained sediment, the pump screen may be clogged with sand or silt drawn from the bottom during low-water conditions. The pump may still be running but unable to pull water through the blocked inlet.
How to Measure Your Static Water Level
The static water level — the depth to water in the well when the pump has not run for several hours — is the single most diagnostic measurement for a dry well. It tells you whether water is present, how deep it is, and whether the water table has changed since the well was drilled.
What you need: An electric water level sounder (depth gauge), available at well supply stores and online for $100 to $300. Or a weighted string or measuring tape with carpenter's chalk coated on the bottom 10 feet, dried before use.
The chalk tape method: Coat the lower 10 feet of a measuring tape with carpenter's chalk and let it dry completely. Lower it slowly into the well through the well cap access port until you feel the weight touch something or the resistance changes. Pull it up and look for the wet/dry line on the chalk. Measure from the wet line to the mark at the top of the casing. That measurement is your current static water level depth.
Important: This measurement must be taken after the pump has been off for at least 6 to 12 hours. Measuring during or just after pumping captures the pumping water level, not the static level, which will read significantly deeper and not reflect actual aquifer conditions.
What to compare it to: Your original well drilling report (well log) lists the static water level at the time of construction. Compare your current measurement to that number. If the current static level is deeper by 20 feet or more, the water table has declined. If it is similar to the original, the aquifer is stable and the problem is likely pump depth or temporary drawdown.
If the Pump Already Ran Dry Before You Could Turn It Off
If the pump ran dry for an unknown period before you discovered the problem, the question before restarting is whether the motor sustained heat damage.
What to inspect: Touch the pressure tank and the drop pipe above it. If they are unusually warm — warmer than ambient room temperature — the pump has been running and generating heat recently. This does not confirm damage but indicates the pump ran recently under stress.
The 2-hour cooling test: With the pump off, wait at least 2 hours before attempting a restart. This allows any heat in the motor windings to dissipate. Modern submersible pumps have thermal overload protection that shuts down the motor when it overheats — the motor may restart on its own after cooling if the overload tripped rather than a winding failure occurring.
The restart test: After 2 hours with power restored, attempt to start the pump briefly. Listen at the wellhead or pressure tank. If the pump hums and pressure builds normally, it survived the dry run. If the pump hums but pressure does not build, the pump may have lost prime or sustained impeller damage. If there is no sound at all, the motor may have burned out or the overload is still engaged.
When to call before restarting: If you suspect the pump ran dry for more than 30 to 60 minutes, have a contractor assess before restarting. The cost of a diagnostic visit ($100 to $200) is far less than the cost of burning out an already-damaged motor by running it a second time. A contractor can measure current draw (amperage) against the nameplate rating — a pump drawing more amps than rated has motor damage and will fail again.
Interim Water: How to Get Through the Wait
Whether you are waiting for the aquifer to recover, waiting for a contractor, or waiting for a new well to be completed, you need water. Here are the practical options.
Bottled water: Fastest and most reliable for drinking and cooking. Cost is real but manageable for a few days.
Water hauling: A water delivery company can bring a tank truck to your property and fill an above-ground storage tank or cistern. Cost ranges from $100 to $400 per delivery depending on volume and distance. Do not have them pour water into your well casing. The well is not a storage tank. Foreign water introduced into the casing can introduce bacteria, contaminate the aquifer, and potentially damage the pump.
Neighbors and community: Many rural communities have informal arrangements for water sharing during well outages. Local fire departments sometimes allow residents to fill containers.
Conservation priority list during an outage: Drinking water is the absolute priority. Toilet flushing can be managed with a bucket of gray water from other sources. Bathing can be reduced to essentials. Laundry and dishwashing can wait.
Long-Term Solutions for Low-Yield Wells
If your well has a pattern of running dry in summer or during any sustained demand, the well has a yield problem. These are the permanent solutions.
Pump cycle controller: A device that limits how long the pump runs per cycle based on the well's actual recharge rate. Prevents the pump from outrunning the aquifer. Cost: $200 to $500. Best for wells with consistent but slow recharge.
Low-water cutoff (pump saver): An automatic switch that shuts off the pump before it runs dry. Installed in the pump control box. Protects the pump from overheating damage during low-water events. Cost: under $150. Not a yield solution, but a critical pump protection measure for any low-yield well. Oregon State University's Well Water Program specifically recommends this for any well with a history of running dry.
Storage cistern system: A large above-ground or buried tank (500 to 2,000 gallons) that the well fills slowly at its natural recharge rate. A separate booster pump supplies the house from the cistern at full pressure. This completely decouples household water demand from the well's recharge rate. Cost: $2,000 to $8,000 installed depending on tank size and system complexity. The correct long-term solution for wells that cannot meet peak household demand.
Well rehabilitation: Cleaning, acidizing, or redeveloping an older well can restore 20 to 50 percent of lost yield in some cases. Worth attempting on wells over 15 years old before committing to deepening or drilling.
Hydrofracturing: For bedrock wells. Injects high-pressure water to open fractures. Success rate 60 to 90 percent. Cost $2,000 to $7,000.
Well deepening: Access to a deeper, more stable aquifer. Not guaranteed to find water. Cost $3,000 to $10,000. Only appropriate after confirming the current aquifer cannot supply adequate water.
New well: The last resort when all other options fail or when the well is too old to rehabilitate. Cost $5,000 to $15,000.
When to Call a Contractor and What to Tell Them
Call a well contractor when the pump-off recovery test fails — the well does not return water after 24 hours of no use.
What to tell them when you call:
- Your well's total depth and original static water level from the well log (find this in your home records or through your county health department)
- Your pump's current set depth if known
- Whether the loss was sudden or gradual
- Whether you had unusually high water use in the hours before the loss
- Whether neighboring wells are experiencing similar issues
- Whether the dry period coincides with an unusually dry summer or drought conditions
- The age of the well and pump
A contractor with this information can arrive with the right equipment and a diagnostic plan rather than spending the first hour collecting information you already have.
What a contractor should do: Measure the current static water level. Compare it to the original well log. Determine whether the pump intake is above the water level. Recommend the least invasive and least expensive fix that addresses the actual diagnosis. Be skeptical of a contractor who recommends drilling a new well on a first visit without first ruling out temporary drawdown, pump depth issues, and well rehabilitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean when your well runs dry?
When a well runs dry, it means the pump is pulling air instead of water because the water level has dropped below the pump intake. This can have four distinct causes: temporary drawdown where pumping outpaced the aquifer's recharge rate for a few hours, seasonal water table decline from drought or dry season, the pump set at the wrong depth for the current water level, or genuine long-term aquifer depletion. The most common cause is temporary drawdown, which resolves on its own after 4 to 24 hours without pumping.
What should I do immediately when my well runs dry?
Turn off the pump at the circuit breaker immediately to prevent pump damage from running dry. Source temporary drinking water from bottled water or a neighbor. Do not pour water from outside sources into the well casing. Wait 24 hours with no water use to test whether the well recovers on its own. If it does, the problem was temporary drawdown. If it does not recover, contact a licensed well contractor for a static water level measurement and diagnosis.
Will my well refill itself?
In most cases, yes. The majority of wells that lose water have experienced temporary drawdown — the pump outpaced the aquifer's recharge rate. The well refills when pumping stops. Typical recovery time is 2 to 8 hours for normal-yield wells, up to 24 hours for low-yield wells. Seasonal water table drops also recover as precipitation returns. Only wells in areas of genuine long-term aquifer depletion or with structural problems do not recover without intervention.
How long does it take for a well to recover after running dry?
Most residential wells recover within 2 to 8 hours after stopping pumping during a temporary drawdown event. Low-yield wells under 1 gallon per minute recharge can take 12 to 24 hours. Seasonal water table recovery after a dry summer can take weeks to months and requires the return of normal precipitation patterns. Permanent aquifer depletion does not recover on its own.
How much does it cost to fix a dry well?
Cost depends entirely on the cause. Waiting for temporary drawdown to resolve costs nothing. Lowering the pump to reach a lower water table costs $300 to $800. Well rehabilitation (cleaning and redevelopment) costs $500 to $3,000. Hydrofracturing a bedrock well costs $2,000 to $7,000. Deepening an existing well costs $3,000 to $10,000. Drilling a new well costs $5,000 to $15,000. Confirming the diagnosis before proceeding is the single most important cost control measure.
Can a dry well be fixed?
In most cases, yes. Temporary drawdown resolves on its own. Pump depth problems are fixed by lowering the pump. Well fouling from mineral scale and bacteria can be rehabilitated. Bedrock wells can often be hydrofractured to increase yield. Only in cases of severe, permanent regional aquifer depletion is a well truly unfixable, requiring drilling in a different location or alternative water supply.
How do I know if my well is permanently dry or just temporarily low?
Turn off the pump for 24 hours and see if water returns. If it does, the dryness was temporary. If it does not, have a contractor measure the current static water level and compare it to the level recorded when the well was drilled. If the current level is significantly lower and does not change after several days of no pumping, and if neighboring wells show the same pattern, the water table has declined. A single dry period during an unusually hot, dry summer with full recovery after rain does not indicate permanent depletion.
Should I pour water into my well to refill it?
No. Never pour water from any outside source into your well casing. Your well connects to an underground aquifer and is not a storage tank. Introducing foreign water can introduce bacteria and other contaminants into your water supply, potentially contaminating the aquifer. It can also damage the pump and well casing. Get water for household use from bottled sources or water haulers who deliver to above-ground storage tanks only.
Glossary
Static Water Level
The depth to water in a well when the pump has not been running for at least 6 to 12 hours and the water has returned to its natural, undisturbed equilibrium. Measured from the top of the well casing. The most important measurement for diagnosing dry well problems. Compared against the static level recorded in the original well drilling report to assess whether the water table has changed.
Pumping Water Level
The depth to water in the well while the pump is actively running at a constant rate. Always deeper than the static water level because pumping creates a cone of depression. The difference between static water level and pumping water level is the drawdown.
Drawdown
The temporary drop in water level inside the well caused by pumping. Measured in feet. Drawdown = static water level depth minus pumping water level depth. Excessive drawdown that approaches the pump intake depth causes the pump to pull air. A well that consistently produces more drawdown than its recovery rate can support will run dry under sustained demand.
Well Yield
The rate at which a well can sustainably produce water, measured in gallons per minute (GPM). Determined by the aquifer's permeability and the well's construction. A well with a yield below 1 GPM is considered a low-yield well and requires special management strategies to match household demand to the well's natural recharge rate.
Aquifer Recharge
The natural process by which precipitation, snowmelt, and surface water seep into the ground and replenish groundwater. Recharge rate varies by geology, soil type, and seasonal precipitation. In unconfined aquifers recharged primarily by local precipitation, drought reduces recharge and the water table falls. In confined aquifers with distant recharge areas, local drought has less immediate effect.
Hydrofracturing
A well rehabilitation technique used for bedrock wells in which high-pressure water is injected into the borehole to open or extend fractures in the surrounding rock, creating additional pathways for groundwater to enter the well. Not the same as hydraulic fracturing (fracking) used in oil and gas extraction. Success rates of 60 to 90 percent for increasing yield in fractured bedrock aquifers.
Related Guides
Get Expert Well Help
Connect with qualified well professionals in your area. Free quotes, no obligation.