Water sources are essential to promote cool water in the garden. How easy they are to find depends on factors such as depth, location or soil conditions.
Regionally dependent: groundwater depth
When building a well, the depth is crucial to guarantee problem-free use of the pump. Not every pump reaches the groundwater table and can pump the water upwards. For this reason, it must be clear beforehand how deep you need to drill. This can already be seen from the operating depth of the individual pumps:
- up to 10 m: centrifugal pumps, domestic waterworks or automatic machines
- over 10 m: deep well pumps
For particularly low wells, you can even use a classic garden pump. The depth at which the groundwater is located depends on several factors. The region has the greatest influence. While in coastal areas you can reach the water after just two to three meters, it is much more difficult in the mountains. Due to the formation of mountains, the groundwater table flows into the valley. For this reason, wells in mountainous regions are usually built in the valley, as the distance to the groundwater table is significantly smaller. The layer structure of the floor must also be taken into account. This is ideally designed from top to bottom as follows:
- Earth
- Sand and clay
- usable groundwater resources
- clay
- Sand or gravel
- usable groundwater resources
- clay
- Sound
- impenetrable rock layers
In the mountains, many of the first layers are missing and only hard soils with lots of rock are present. In Germany, the first groundwater source is usually reached at a depth of four to five meters and is therefore the best depth for the well. The second can be between eight and nine meters or significantly deeper. Of course, these values should not be seen as a standard, but only as a guide. Since the groundwater supply is available in all regions of Germany, you just have to drill deep enough until you come across water.
Determine groundwater location
It's not just the depth of the groundwater that is crucial when you think about its use. Equally important is a suitable location on your own property that offers direct access to the deposits. As explained above, groundwater reserves accumulate over a large area. However, not all places are equally serviced, especially if you live in the mountains. For this reason, good research is important before you start digging a well. There are 3 methods to get enough information about the available spots for the well.
Conduct test drilling
If you live in the lowlands or on the coast, you can do test drilling on your own to find a suitable location for your well project. For this project you will need one of the following tools:
- Hand auger
- electric auger
A handheld auger should only be used if the soil on your property is not overly compacted. Since you have to operate the drill purely using muscle power, heavy soils are extremely strenuous. If you use an electric drill, the condition of the soil does not matter. Drill the device directly into the ground at the desired location, making sure to keep it straight. You should only drill at an angle of 90° for the test to be successful. As soon as you detect water, you know exactly that the groundwater level is not too low.
Note:
You can rent earth drills from hardware stores or specialist companies for test drilling. The prices for a period of four hours are between 20 and 30 euros, which is completely sufficient.
Looking for wells
One of the easiest methods is to find a well in your community. You can count on a sufficient groundwater level if there is already such a structure near you. You can find these, for example, on the market square or town hall square in small communities, in allotment gardens, usually with a pump mechanism included, or at one of your neighbors. It is particularly advisable to ask your neighbors about the required drilling depth, as the same conditions are likely to apply.
Tip:
You can also contact a well driller to find out about the deposits and their depths. In most cases, the specialists know about it and, if in doubt, can help you with an analysis of the soil.
Obtain expert information
If the methods already mentioned did not work or only worked poorly, you should seek professional support. You can find out about the availability of regional groundwater from various institutions and providers and therefore be on the safe side. These include:
- Stadtwerke
- Water associations
- Water Authorities
- State Office for Energy, Mining and Geology
- Administration of the municipality or city
Note:
You can also get an overview of the groundwater using hydrogeological overview maps of your region or federal state. These show where water is available and whether you have to contend with an unfavorable location in the mountains.
Myth of the water vein
The divining rod. It is considered the epitome of the measuring instrument for finding water veins in the ground. Unfortunately, if you are thinking about using dowsing to find a water source, you will be disappointed. The Reason: The entire water vein concept is wrong. Groundwater resources do not occur as a single underwater flow, but rather as a continuous area that can occur at multiple depths. They can be compared to very large lakes that are located between the different layers of the earth. For this reason, groundwater is actually present everywhere in German-speaking countries, which makes the search for it much easier. Much more important is the depth of the water source, which determines the cost, effort and type of well.
Note:
Another myth related to water veins in the ground is that of earth radiation, which disrupts sleep or is said to cause physical pain. From a scientific point of view this is not possible.
