Just realized most new wells in Rockingham County are hitting less water than 20 years ago

I was reading through some state well reports the other day, and it hit me hard. The average depth for a new drilled well in Rockingham County went from about 350 feet back in 2000 to nearly 500 feet now, but the gallons per minute they're pulling is actually lower. I saw one figure that said about 30% of new wells tested under 3 gallons per minute last year. That's barely enough for a normal family home with sprinklers. I talked to a well driller over in Raymond who said he's going deeper and deeper because the shallow aquifers are getting tapped out from all the new developments. Makes me wonder how long before towns start limiting new construction based on water availability out here. Anyone else seen these state reports or heard from their local driller about what the actual numbers look like in your area?

2 comments

2 Comments

ericgonzalez10d ago

Wait, 30 percent tested under 3 GPM last year? That's terrifying honestly.

williams9010d ago

Doesn’t that basically mean we're just chasing water down deeper instead of actually fixing the problem? Feels like at some point the math just won't work anymore.