Something I have stumbled upon a lot in my research on this website is a Sandpoint Water Well! What is this type of well that utilizes our North Idaho towns name, and is it something that was invented in our town, or is it just by chance that this well has the same name as our town.
So what is a Sandpoint Water Well? A Sandpoint (Sand Point) water well is a simple, easy to install water well that does not go nearly as deep as a standard well. This type of well can be installed in hours, rather than days! However it has some downsides including its efficiency in getting large amounts of water, and that it can fail easier than a standard well.
Sandpoint well vs Water Well
A Sandpoint (aka Sand Point, or Driven Point Well) well is generally used where a water table is considerably higher than normal, and you are able to gather water at that higher point! These wells don’t require heavy machinery, are installed quickly, and can get you up and running with a well within hours.
However these types of wells are considerably less reliable, as they rely on a higher water table, rather than the lower down aquifer. If this higher water table that you are tapping into lowers at all (which is normal) you can be without water until that water shows back up.
Alternatively, a normal water well is drilled much further down into the ground into the aquifer, which results in a much more reliable water source throughout the year. The major downsides to this though, is that it requires heavy machinery, is much more expensive, and of course is much more time consuming.
Not every location can have a Sandpoint well, and water wells are generally much more successful to install!
Pros & Cons of Sandpoint Well
Pros
- Easy to install
- Inexpensive to install
- You don’t have to drill very deep
- Can be used in a pinch
Cons
- Taps into unreliable water source
- Sand can move around and make well unusable
What is required to install a Driven Point Well (Sandpoint well)?
Some major requirements for installing this type of well is a high water point, within 25 feet of ground level or so, and a sandy soil (the namesake of the well type). These two things allow for the smaller equipment to be able to create this temporary well, and allow you to get water quickly.
Where was the Sandpoint well invented?
From what I can see, the Sandpoint (Sandpoint, Driven Point Well) was not actually invented in the North Idaho region, however it does appear it can be utilized here! The “sand” in the name refers to the need for sand to build the well, and the “point” in the name refers to the drilling into the earth with a point.
It doesn’t refer to its invention birthplace unfortunately (at least from what I can find).
Frequently Asked Questions
Sandpoint wells (Driven Point Wells) can be an awesome alternative to a standard well if you are not needing something for a long period of time! These can get you water in a pinch, which can make all of the difference if you don’t want to spend thousands on a standard well.
Sand Point wells (Sandpoint wells) don’t have any specific expiration date, and will last as long as that high water mark stays in place.
As long as the water is flowing at the point you drilled down to, a Sand Point well will continue to work! You will need to start worrying if the freezing point gets down to the distance you drilled your well.
Conclusion
So there you have it! I am by no means an expert about these types of wells, or wells in general, however I thought it would be fun to at least look into this type of well, as it bears the name of our amazing town here in North Idaho.
A Sand Point well is just that, a shallow well that is inexpensive and easy to install, however has the downsides of being seasonal and reliant on an unreliable water source.
