DIY guideWater supply

Drilled or dug well? How to tell

A narrow pipe with a bolted cap is a drilled well; a wide concrete ring under a heavy lid is a dug one, which is shallower and needs more care.

7 steps

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In the yard, look for a pipe or a ring standing out of the ground, often near the house.
A steel or plastic pipe about as wide as a coffee can, with a bolted cap and a small vent, is a drilled well. It runs deep.
A concrete or tile ring about as wide as a kitchen table, under a heavy concrete lid, is a dug well. It's shallow.
Never lift the lid or lean over the opening: it's a deep drop, with bad air at the bottom.
The driller's well record, your purchase papers or a home inspection report often say which it is, and how deep.
Rain and runoff reach a dug well more easily. Test its water a few times a year, and after a flood or a heavy rain.
Keep the ground sloping away from it, the cap or lid on tight, and downspouts, fuel and weed killer well away.
A cracked or loose lid or cap, a gap around the casing, or water pooling at it: drink bottled water and ask Handyman for a well pro.

Handyman says: Cracked lid? I'll find a well pro.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.