What Is An Artesian Well?
“Artesian” comes from the name of the town of Artois, France (which was called Artesium by the Romans.) During the middle Ages, the artesian wells drilled here were well known.
There comes a time in Yakima County when you might need to find a borehole that you will use for your business, or at home. In that situation, you could encounter an artesian aquifer, which is also called a flowing Artesian Well. This is relative to a borehole, except that it tends to be more natural. Groundwater springs out on the surface of the land. The common difference is the process or mechanism in which the water flows on the surface. Artesian Well is an aquifer that springs out of the ground, due to the pressure underground, from a geologic layer of porous and leaky rocks like limestone or sandstone. The pressure build up will force the water out, and it will flow with a force or height that will depend on the pressure underground
How Is An Artesian Well Created?
Artesian wells in Yakima County are found in inclined confined aquifers sandwiched between layers of rock or overburden that are impermeable or have low permeability. Water enters the exposed portion of the aquifer at high elevation and passes slowly down through interconnected spaces. The water held in these spaces is under pressure due to the high elevation from which the water has originally come. If a well is drilled from the land surface through the overlying impermeable layer, the pressure inside the aquifer will cause the water to rise in the well. In areas where the pressure of the aquifer is great enough, the water rises above ground level resulting in a flowing artesian well. The maximum flow or pressure of the water will be the one that will be equal to that under the ground.
Do I Need A Pump?
If it is a pump for boosting the flow of water, then it might not be necessary. This is because an artesian aquifer is a well that will not need a pump to spring the water from underground. The pressure from the geologic layer will automatically pump the water out underground. The flow of water will be swift, and there will be no need of a pump.
Conclusion
An Artesian Well in Yakima County is not something you can engineer.
IS IT LUCK OR IS IT A DISASTER LURKING?
You may be the lucky homeowner in Yakima County that finds a useable Flowing Artesian Well, though in most cases it can and will present major problems for not only casing completion but the sealing of the well and borings. Uncontrolled flows can cause land erosion and land subsidence, which pose safety concerns. It can damage drilling equipment and structures along with the waste of groundwater and is often difficult or impossible to regain control.