Dumb questions from a well newb.

I have a water well at my residence and it is located to the side of the driveway about 5' away from my property line. The plumbing for the well comes out of the ground about 2' high. Problem is that I would like to expand the driveway (widen it), but the wellhead would be right in the middle of where the expanded driveway would go.

1. Can a wellhead be buried or made to be level with the ground?

2. Can a wellhead be moved?

1. On the well I had put in a few years ago, they said all well heads now had to be above ground, and encased in concrete.

2. Since your pump and pvc are attached, I would doubt it...but I'm no well digger.

Short answer is no. Your wellhead is the top of a well that goes straight down into the ground. You cannot simply move the well.

You could theoretically dig down and flange it off, run a horizontal pipe and put in a new wellhead, but by the time you do all that, you'd save money to cap it and drill a new well.

Thanks. Unfortunately, those are the answers I expected. I have a plumber coming out to the house later this week for some other work. I will see if he has any creative ideas.

Extend the pipe and use it as a structural beam for the new awning over your expanded driveway.

Check with the Railroad Commission but don't tell them where you live.

I think you're prolly stuck with it. If the submersible pump ever goes bad or they need to work it over, then it would be a problem.

this ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

should the pump ever go out (well, when the pump goes out) you would have to dig up the new drive to access it.

got a pic of it? if it is just the head you may have an option but I need a picture of it.


and the reason your head is above ground is to prevent groundwater contamination, aka the krap that is on the ground.

A non-submersible well jet pump might get you where you want to be. A friend of the spousal unit had to reroute a well line that was in the way of a barn expansion they did a few years ago.

Can you expand the driveway the other direction?

Ya, it was kind of hard to picture with my description. Going the other direction isn't an option. Let me know if this pic doesn't show for you guys. The well head is under the plastic rock:

https://goo.gl/photos/o7JUCaH22LCeG4gd9

I'm curious about the non submersible pumps. I will ask my plumber about that.

Everything I have read up to this point said the same--can't bury the wellhead. I should have popped off the wellhead cover for the pic.

You can put a flange and blind it off below the concrete. Use a metal cover. If you ever want to use the well again, just uncover it and get to using it. I would pull the pump or clean it before you go to use it again though.

no, you can bury it but you have to have access later if you need to pull it, this can be done with a manhole, concrete pipe stood on end etc.

the reason I asked for a picture is to see if your pressure tank and related gear was at the head.


when you bury it you have to leave the top of the pipe above any groundwater accumulation, this can be your head sticking up a foot or so above dirt but still below grade, may need a small sump pump to keep the hole drained.


what you would end up with is a manhole cover in the driveway, pull to access pump etc.