Part 1: Digging a 9ft Well With a Shovel

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I can't believe it, we are actually digging our well ourselves! It has been a crazy experience so far and we hope it works out in the very end. In this first part we dig down almost nine feet, hitting water at six feet.
This process was a lesson in the value of pressing onward against the grain in a positive way. We found quite quickly that the state government strongly discourages a landowner to dig their own well, though the law clearly allows it. We asked for some advice from a local well driller who encouraged us to go forward with this project. I am so glad that we did.
Please don't use this video to dig your own well, I would be very scared to think of anyone using this as their only resource for digging a well.
Part 2
• Part 2: Digging a 9ft ...
Part3
• Part 3: Digging a 9 ft...
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Music:
Kinn állok a teraszon - instrumental mix by duck (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. dig.ccmixter.org/files/duck/28268

[@forcesightknight]

A few tips from another guy that's done this job. The heavy pry bar is your friend in heavy hard pack. Get hard clay wet prior to digging, use dish soap to help break it up. A dirty water pump with a metal attachment will allow you to dredge deeper once water started to seep in. Use that water to your advantage. Use nylon mesh to cement the area below water table to prevent cave in, the orange stuff works fine. Chicken wire and metal fencing corrodes and rusts, you don't want that. Great digging, it gets chilly down in that whole once the water starts in, stay safe. Short update, depending on size of hole, you may want a short shovel. So many cheap ones that break off low on the neck, they work great when your down in the hole.

[@Simplegroundlife]

This is great insight. Thanks for sharing it with me and the rest of us.

[@letoidgaming609]

New texture pack looks really realistic.

[@pabracadabrapalakazampabra1455]

THIS ISN'T MINECRAFT!!! It's 3D Terraria. Idiot

[@donvergaz]

that mud was my tablet when i was a kid

[@AskYaMommyBoutMeBoi]

Kids now enjoy showers and doing their hair!

[@tessuzo2336]

Blessed man. Please be safe for your family too. Love your kind advice for young guys watching you do this.

[@Giganfan2k1]

Man that is some easy digging. Where I am at its all rocks and clay. Great to hear your state still allows you to make your own well.

[@hughragg7753]

Same as me👌

[@jondoes8222]

Im digging in red clay soil which sticks together and probably safer from collapsing. Im down 3 feet so far. Im using a punch iron pole and then digging out the sides.

[@TheJurgys]

This is awesome Jared! Excited to follow along your journey. We really need to come visit your homestead!

[@Simplegroundlife]

The Jurgys Thanks! You two are welcome anytime. I'll have more to see and better places to stay as time goes on.

[@therrienmichael08]

In my research how the old timers used to do it was use boards and cross bracing to prevent cave ins.

[@marilynreno7510]

What would that look like Michael? tell me more please.

[@stupiddumb182]

@@marilynreno7510 they would have boards along the side so that it makes a wall

[@simpleforging3339]

I like your choice with the keltic music. Very timely with the well diggin demonstration. I just bought a property that shows nothing but field, woods and streams but it contains the location of the original 250 year old grantees homestead. You can see the sparse remnants of an old orchard and the folks who sold the property pointed out the location of an old hand dug well. Only problem is I'm not full of piss and vinegar anymore so I'll happily pay someone to drill a well for the made in Maine Simple Pump. Great video, thanks for doing this.

[@heathersmurthwaite3431]

You guys are a great working team! It was so much fun with you narrating the digging of your well!

[@Simplegroundlife]

Thank you, I'm glad you think so. I hope my videos get better and better.

[@joshuaarrowsmith4019]

@@Simplegroundlife well done man! how long did it take you? ; - D

[@alo904]

Good work brother .. hardworking man providing water for ur own family ❤️

[@deewhyy7012]

Hey man. You’re living the Dream. 👍🏾

[@roblena7977]

Hey man, I just wanted to say thanks. I just dug a 7, maybe 8 foot well. When I reached 5 feet I thought back to the look in your eye when you said how dangerous it was. It's really fucking cool when you do that first bucket of water. Don't think I'll forget it.

[@mauriristola3282]

I’m watching a guy dig a hole in the ground.

[@theoneandonly15]

You are currently watching a man descend as he works his way downward to achieve what is called a hole with the height of 274.32 centimeters.

[@koboldprime2257]

re-watch it with "diggy diggy hole" as a soundtrack, you are _WELLcome_

[@srpskaball]

And im pround of it

[@nisbend]

...and loving it

[@LolitasGarden]

"Well" done. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

[@unconventionalme8048]

You're awesome man! so glad I found your channel. Such a good nature!

[@David-kd5mf]

I have been thinking about digging a well. Thanks for making the video.

[@jamesdylanburge]

Nice job! I love to dig too. This was a very inspiring video.

[@eirikmurito]

Land of the free. Needs approval from government to dig a hole in the ground..

[@ogisaac4205]

Father America said no digging in his lawn

[@fingr2420]

Saying this is just to "dig a hole in the ground" is a little reductive. As I understand it, if you mess this up you may permanently contaminate the underground river with clay. Maybe not for shallow wells like this particular one, but using a hand auger past the first few layers of soil you may end up doing some real damage if you don't know what you're doing. I think that's what government is good for if nothing else - i.e. making sure that everyone keeps to a certain standard, so as not to ruin the land for everyone else, whether it's your neighbors or eventually the next land owner. If you lived next to a lake where you got drinking water and fish, you wouldn't want a neighbor to start dumping his latrine in there.

Lol they could hit cables or pipelines you know...

[@eirikmurito]

@ "but what if this happens" "what if that happens" (add offensive voice)

[@coronavirus5885]

crap

[@razamspaz]

You're my kind of weird buddy! Digging your own well? F YEAHHH

[@jondoes8222]

I am too. I want to see if i can do it. I have a 25 foot cistern that was dug in 1900 and plastered up with cement. It did no cave in. I have clay soil and it will hold together unlike sandy soil. Im 69 years old and im determined to do it.

[@kittycatopal]

Jon Does omg DO IT!

[@picklebrick6939]

You’re my biggest fan Want to don’t know why I love digging

[@supergalaxybro4656]

I dont think you said that correctly

[@StanVanGundy1]

This camera quality is premium

[@wojomojo]

Just found your channel, and good video! Love your positivity. Subscribed.

[@crazyisthename148]

Awesome video I love doing out door projects keep it up brother

[@amberg7111]

Awesome video thank you may God bless you and your family !

[@Locutus]

No such thing as god.

[@sugiuesakusen2584]

Good Job,Well done you reached the water.

[@calebayres6559]

wow you are very fortunate to have such awesome soil!!!

[@dananelson3534]

That was good clay if you could make an impression as easy as you did. My understanding is that everything deeper than four feet should be shored up for safety's sake. Glad you found water and lots of it.

[@JoseOrtiz-im5wu]

Dang it , that is a lot of work. Now you got me hooked.

[@Simplegroundlife]

Yes it was. And welcome!

[@beggsnachin]

Howdy from SW Washington. Stumbled upon your video as I was looking up regulations for digging a well in WA. We bought property with 1. Irrigation rights in the deed from the creek (selling point, since I have a hobby farm), and 2. A spring well. It's been difficult in summer, it likes to run dry. I think the sides did collapse a bit, it's hard to tell. It seeps, and not fills, I think, similar to what you've got going on, here. We have been fiddling around with various things for three years now, trying to handle the load of doing laundry, watering a few cows and a garden, and not losing the prime on the pump in the pumphouse because of low water. Ugh... And sediment. Let's just don't even get started about sediment. The cost of having someone come drill a well was quoted at $15 thousand. Then we got talking to farmer neighbor old timers here and there were some suggestions I won't name here. But I got to looking at what's legal, because everybody knows how WA LOVES to tell you what you can do with your own land (and yet they still have no problems collecting those taxes... hmm...) , specifically places that have a creek or wetlands. My Dad finally got tired of Thurston County and moved East, thanks to those excessive wetlands and other restrictions. Land you cannot use and still have to pay taxes on... ya, no. Eastern Washington is MUCH less ridiculous, but every area has their drawback. I've been looking at all sorts of things, like tapping (or is it capping?) a spring, since we have plenty of those here, and that's basically what our well is, a seep from a spring. We have a whole hillside that spits out water in various places all year long. Less in summer, but still a steady seep. I have been repairing the existing irrigation ditches put here by the original farmers before us, and finding that a two foot ditch fills with water overnight. So, at least here, it doesn't seem to matter if it is a round hole in the ground for a seep well, or a long, shallow ditch. The water comes, and the bigger area for collection, because the ground has water everywhere, the more water you get and faster. Also, I see that the water is in the upper layers of the soil and if you get down to the clay bed, there isn't so much water. There seems to be a layer of clay down deep and the water flows on top of it in the ground and then pops out at these various "springs". I'm just trying to water my garden and livestock seperately, so that I can do laundry and not have the water quit, or not be able to take a shower after I do laundry or fill the cow water trough. I only have 3 cows. lol So I have been a bit chicken to put film footage about this whole water business on YT, because, as you noted, legality issues everywhere. I'm not doing anything illegal and don't intend to. But also, there are scads of just nosy, tattle tale people with nothin' better to do having a cow about stuff that is none of their business. Already experienced some YT lashback about a video of mine using a weaning nose ring on our calf. I showed that we removed it because it wasn't a good option, but people freak out anyway. Such is the nature of the online beast. Ayways, thank you for the video. It is nice to find information for our specific ground type in the same geographic location. Have been finding info for places like Tennessee and so on, where they don't bother you so much about just trying to provide for yourself. They have rocks. Not a single rock on this place, here. All clay.

[@mavicityrelayson2924]

Holes! ^_^ Thank you for this. I hope I can do this on my own.

[@robinschaeffer6252]

That is very dangerous, especially when the ground is saturated. You should have used WELL RINGS and added them as you dug deeper. They would line the walls of the well (which is needed) and kept you safe.

[@wailnshred]

Anything deeper than 4 feet should have shoring or be sloped back to prevent cave in. There should be a ladder so you can get out, too. Dirt is heavy! If it buries you, you can be crushed no matter how fast you are dug out.

[@nomad100hd]

A guy I used to work for died that way.

[@timothytallent2427]

you didnt listen to a word he said

[@ecozones2d627]

but this is hardcore, like "there will be blood", a hardcore business, lol, thx for the info im digging right now i think i will find it at 1.80m

[@thegeneral3094]

Some one I know once dug a hole in his garden

[@floofitoaster2168]

Love the flute music, keep it up bro👍

[@derektaylor4142]

I watched this video and it gives me the idea to make a tornado bunker for my family with just my two sisters and a couple of shovels

[@dichebach]

Worked for a water department in the Midwest as a teenager. We spent summers replacing old lead pipe from the mains to the meters. A lot of the digging was with back hoe but also a lot of shovel. Just about the deepest hole I ever worked in was 8 feet trench, and yep, it collapsed, and yep, one guy got buried. Part of his face was uncovered and he was freaking his shit out, we dug him out and it all turned out okay.

[@knightrider1545]

How long?

[@bulinaahfarms]

Tnx man....good work. I believe I can start my project now

[@Simplegroundlife]

Good luck! Happy digging!

[@jack-oceoce2917]

Good luck 🥳

[@LibertyGarden]

Good job on the well. I can't even dig a 3' hole in my clay soil. It's hard as concrete.

[@Simplegroundlife]

+Liberty Garden Thank you and yes, it was a really easy dig compared to other digs. It would be a different video if I were digging in your soil. I probably wouldn't find water so close to the surface. I'm thanking heaven for the conditions we have so I could get that far in a day.

[@calmperson101]

Yay for well action!! hopefully you are not too sore afterwards :D I can't wait to see the next installment :P

[@fk8248]

reminds me of my mentally "slow" friends...how to turn a 4 minute video into 15....jeez Luiz we all got lives, do we really have to watch 10 minutes of nothing? how boutique some editing?

[@fk8248]

would have been a good video too...if I wasn't bored to death listening....to nothing....

[@stormcloudstormcloud7565]

Good for you be careful!!!

[@cherieschofield3978]

Middle Way to

[@franciscod.bonifacio7446]

I admired people like you you simple amazing

[@Simplegroundlife]

Thanks

[@mike1968442]

I need a well dug. The music goes well in our southwest home.

[@travelwithtom77]

Well done man ! I hope you are doing well 😊!

[@Simplegroundlife]

Thank you. I am doing well and still enjoying the place out here.

[@StephenS-2024]

Great video buddy. Thanks.

[@jamesgolding680]

Brilliant video !!!

[@arnoldromppai5395]

in our much younger days we hand dug wells 20 to 50 feet, total craziness and all for very small money, at least you have a good solid wall around you, but keep in mind looks can be very deserving and turn real bad real fast, my land is hard red clay you cant even begin to dig even an out house hole by hand, I had a big excavator dig down 38 feet and was still in the wettest red guwy clay you ever seen I ended up having it drilled, 60 feet in red clay, though 12 feet of cores gravel 17 feet into bed rock the drill bit dropped into a 18 inch cavity in the rock, right were 3 big vanes cross, {just as I witched them} I had them drill down another 14 feet for a sump, in 30 years have never had water problems, no iron just crystal clear spring like water, what I love about my land an why I bought it when I was 18, nno building permits needed for anything, build what I want were I want, the only permit I would need is if I had hydro put in

[@Simplegroundlife]

+Arnold Romppai That sounds like a good well. I definitely have good soil for digging, I've also experienced hard soil in my life, we are blessed here. The thought of building without permits does sound wonderful. I'm afraid that this world is now one of permits in most places now. Fortunately I am having a better time of it than I expected.

[@kjsouthall252]

Your video and well are amazing, but please be careful in your future digging. A hole like this - if it caves in while you're digging - can turn into a tragedy. That said this is a great video, thanks for documenting what you accomplished.

[@brokeboybrady]

“Oh WELL I’ll get back to it!” No pun intended 😂🤔

[@ecozones2d627]

Satisfaction! Great vid!

[@travelwithtom77]

You did it well !

[@kingrulez3584]

Im digging a bunker and im going to use a 55 gallon barrel as a cason to hold up the walls because i live in Mississippi and the ground is gravel. I have to dig about 75 feet to the east from where i started to get to the right location. By my current speed, my estimated finish time is 3 weeks till i have to start moving east since i can only work on the weekends

[@countrysoul2592]

I just dug a well 20 feet deep with a post auger. Lots of exercise. Hit water in about 14 and went down to 20. I used a 6 inch casing. It is about 3 or 4 gallons per minute

[@lukidwiputra4644]

Well thx mate, now I'm planning to dig up sand hole in saudi and gonna fill it up with soil and compost to found out whether can it grow tree or not.

[@georgecroney6168]

Any luck?

[@michaelharten9633]

Well done!

[@theplowandfluteproject5269]

Great video 😁 How did you know where to dig for water?

[@ELIRAXPRT]

you are nuts! I think i'd hire this out or get an auger of some sort before I'd got in a hole like that

[@jimmyromanous3674]

you are right that was very dangerous, luckily for you the soil is tight, the hole is small and circular.

[@johnmacatee8047]

Excelent! Thanks

[@alsmith5714]

Amaaazing!..great job/video

[@pekarb1us]

Had fun watching your vid...currently digging a hole for septic system 8ft wide x 9 ft deep...

[@Simplegroundlife]

That's a good size hole. I admit I used a backhoe for a good part of my septic install. Be careful with the soil in a hole that deep too.

[@michaelstrickland4237]

Hope your well is still in service to this day.

[@krayzieka]

hello have you ever dig soil under the house? is it the same way as this? I need to dig 7 ft to fix my broken pipe thanks

[@subramanianrajiv3989]

I dug a vel you are so awesome

[@lucaslou5]

How did you know where to start digging?

[@Nderak]

How did you get out of the well…

[@glenngoodale1709]

Two thumbs up from me!!

[@zachd150]

Lots of "pitfalls" in the regulations on digging holes.

[@timothylinder9818]

I bet you slept great that night. My dad love the pick axe too like Pal Bunyan😁

[@demonprincess5634]

good to know about the law, I'm wanting to get some land in washington.

[@beggsnachin]

People in the country want to stay... country. Just an FYI.

[@tericar9604]

how did you know how deep the water would be?

[@earlwright3613]

how are you gonna use your shovel when you get down a ways was my question when you said 3'

[@westindhaynes]

Jared, how were you able to get out of the almost 9 foot deep hole? I didnt see a rope or a ladder.

[@Simplegroundlife]

+Westin Haynes I'm sorry that I didn't have any footage of that. I dug a few footholds in the side of the well just to get high enough to get my arms out and then I pulled myself from there.

[@jondoes8222]

I started on mine today. I have a question...When i hit water, will the water come on up in the hole? If i hit water can i start rocking the wall up?

[@steveball6304]

What part of washington? I’m from the pierce county area.

[@ryloncross6207]

Good job

[@Simplegroundlife]

Thanks

[@ecozones2d627]

im doing the same, im at 1´50 meters, but i have a 60% of rocks in my terrain so the thing is beeing harder

[@popcats96]

I have a huge digging project to do myself, but the red clay around here is very hard. A pick sticks into it like wood, and shovels scrape little bits at a time.

[@IrvingRLucas]

How many hours consume of digging, 3 feet in diameter by 9 feet depth?

[@paukenba]

6:18 the Hungarian lyrics translates to something like "I'm standing outside on the balcony, I don't give a f*** what the f*** is going on" :)

[@onintheexplorer]

I think it is near in river or sea, because the lower level of water in that place about 9 feet deep.. isn't?

[@bof8850]

4:06 to 4:12 right next to his right arm in the background there is a small dog.

[@skumomcbee1255]

I dig it.

[@brianfoley4328]

Nice soft dirt...come here to Colorado and try that...it'll be the five day video.

[@thecraftycorner4002]

How did you determine the location had water before digging?

[@Locutus]

I don't think he did per se. He had a well expert to help him, and the expert probably said the area to dig.

[@marsz9364]

how long did this take you to dig?

[@grahambird1570]

Im digging by hand and I'm 9 foot down . . . Scary . . . very scary down there, just got through the Clay and very wet now !

[@amberg7111]

Did you finish your well?

[@8luck679]

We need an update lol

[@outoftime788]

how did u get out of that hole

[@thegeneral3094]

Did I mention that my uncle doesn't like wells as much as me

[@j.a.n.6273]

How do you get out of the hole?

[@chomper4x4]

I drilled mine with 2''' pvc , a 1.5" trash pump, 140 gpm and a home made bit out of galvanized 2" coupler cut in a crown shape. Some days I did 10" some days 10 feet, sand stone and clay mostly, my neighbors well is wet at 60 feet ( my Goal depth). When It got to 85 feet deep my bit broke off, no water, that was 8 years ago. My experiment exceeded my goal of 60 feet by 25 feet, some day I might try again

[@originalgangsta5462]

How are you getting out

[@skylxr8038]

What camera are you using its looks amazing.

[@Simplegroundlife]

It's a Sony a6000. And thanks. The lighting was just right too this time

[@rafaeltorres4728]

I am new in your channel. Where in Washington are you? I lived in Cheney for a year. One of the best years in my life.. Washington has so many nice and kind people, also, what can you expect more in such a beautiful place? I mean, never in my life I saw so many beautiful landscapes. Greetings from Brazil.

[@Simplegroundlife]

Hello, it is nice to meet you. We are over west of Olympia. We really like it here and we are excited to live here. Welcome to the channel, I hope you enjoy!

[@scottstlaey4722]

How did you know that was a good spot to dig a shallow well?

[@IslandExoticsHomestead]

Wow you are a digging machine! How many hours were you digging? You must have some sore muscles after that.

[@Simplegroundlife]

+Tracy Good Thank you, you are right about sore muscles. But it was lifting the bucket that made me the most sore. I was digging for just over five hours, but the project took all day.

[@thecrazymayanthebeststshooting]

I’m going to do it

[@matsvineyard7564]

I have a question. Why do Americans always dig with a round shovel with no handle on the shaft? Firstly rounded shovels are designed to scoop loose stone/gravel. Secondly there is no grip without a t handle on the end. this always fascinated me. I thought it was just a hollywood idiom.

[@junkmail4613]

Mats Vineyard 6 days ago."I have a question. Why do Americans always ...." We American's have short square 'T' handled shovels (Check internet) We're just too dumb to use 'em. See, No kidding: www.google.com/search?q=short+T+handled+shovels

[@elijahsexton7472]

One word awnser....leverage

[@vanguardoftruth4166]

I do landscaping and I use a full metal spade with a sharp straight edge for digging. and then a square scoop shovel for cleaning out the spade has a handle

[@SaintCoemgen]

I agree. But, FWIIW, a spade/shovel with Y or D handle is more comfortable to use and is what I would recommend.

[@johnm6346]

I'll out dig all of you with a spade. Who needs a T handle unless it's for a sharpshooter.

[@VallyX17]

Whats the name of the music in the background? P.s i subscribed ur channel.

[@Simplegroundlife]

Thanks and welcome. The song is Kinn állok a teraszon. I have a little more info about it in the description of the video.

[@flexpubg1605]

How many time u take to dig 9 fit

[@eolgrillo]

2nd part?

[@reneebrown5598]

I wish I had that kind of soil. The top soil is deep there. Mine is inches deep. I'm working on feeding my top soil to grow a thicker layer.

[@grantchurchill7947]

You remind me of bob ross. Have fun with your well (:

[@kojomensah7474]

You could if also use yr roof to divert water to the well if they will allow you to do that