More than 15 million U.S. households use well water for their water needs, and chances are that if you buy a rural property or build a home in the country, you will need a well, too. If there is not an existing working well on the property, you will need to find a company with the best well digging services to dig a well for you.

In the olden days, people dug their own wells by hand. In fact, it’s only been within the past 100 years or so that digging a well has required a professional. Commercial wells and even some residential ones may have to go down hundreds or even a thousand feet or more, which requires special skills and equipment. Shallow wells can be dug by hand, but anything over about 30 feet deep requires an electric pump to get the water to the surface, which is why most wells are dug by professional well drilling companies. Also, most jurisdictions these days have strict regulations about well drilling and installation. Companies doing well drilling services have to be cognizant that they are getting good water sources and that they are not degrading water sources used by other property owners.

In addition to digging wells, most well drilling companies offer other services. For example, they might install septic tanks and water storage tanks or do basement sump pump installations. These add-on services are often what distinguishes the companies with the best well digging services from those that aren’t as good.

One thing to keep in mind when having your well drilled is that though the professionals will take care of all that’s involved with digging and drilling your well, once it is installed it is your responsibility to take care of it and monitor it to make sure it doesn’t go dry. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that your well will always have water in it. If your area goes through a drought or if development brings more houses to the area, it could lower the groundwater table enough that you will need to have your well deepened or have a new one dug. In that case you will want to once again look for a company with the best well digging services.