Deeper Shallow Wells
These days, drilling a water well, no matter how small or large, is an opportunity to our company, not just another job to get paid for. We have always drilled down to the marl layer looking for the best layer to set a screen and gravel pack. The Lowcountry marl layer is pretty consistent at 70 ft, and certain colors of mud may indicate even less shallow marl. There are exceptions to this that I could name, but they aren’t common. The idea behind drilling down to the marl is to ensure that we did not miss a significant water bearing layer. James Island is a perfect example of this.
On James Island, water will sometimes begin at 15 ft and be as deep as 80 ft. After this, typically a casing is needed and a deep well may be constructed down to a limestone aquifer to 560-600 ft. The water is always too salty to use for almost anything except oysters or boiled peanuts! So the shallow layer is utilized, and a 40-60 ft well is most usually the most reliable.
We drill into Limestone quite commonly on James Island, and this well pictured below, was drilled to 55 ft and produced more than 20 gallons per minute. This is a picture perfect reliable well. Low iron content, no sand content at all, and plenty of recharge to keep this well active for many years to come. When we dream of good water and good flows, we dream of James Island!
