Deepening wells
Well deepening when a well runs low
More depth is one answer, but we always check it's the right one before we drill.
Nanaimo Well Drilling deepens wells that have run down, because a well running dry is not always too shallow. We add depth only after we rule out a pump set too high, a clogged screen, or seasonal draw. We follow construction standards in the Groundwater Protection Regulation and file your report with British Columbia for GWELLS within 90 days. In June 2026, we noted that 16 of 22 aquifers monitored by the Regional District of Nanaimo sat below normal.
If a well stops producing like it used to, water loss happens for several reasons, and shallow depth is only one. Sand blocks casing bottoms, iron slime clogs rock cracks, pumps hang too high, or dry weather lowers groundwater levels temporarily. Drilling deeper fixes only low water tables, so we inspect your well first to avoid unneeded drilling expense.
We charge deepening by the foot just like new drilling, so overall costs depend on how many metres we drill down. It saves you the cost of the casing, the surface seal and the site work already in the ground, because that's all still there from when the well was first drilled. That's exactly why we confirm the existing hole is worth keeping before we add to it.
What changed, and when
We start with a short history: when your well was drilled, how deep, what it produced at completion, when the shortfall started, and whether it follows the calendar. A well that fails every August and recovers every November has a seasonal problem. A well that has declined steadily across five years has a different one. We look up your original construction report in GWELLS and compare current water flow against the initial driller numbers.
The cheaper things that get ruled out first
Dirt and scale choking your well cut off flow even when the aquifer is fine, so cleaning the casing restores lost water. Iron bacteria and scale close off the fractures feeding a bedrock well. A pump set high in the casing runs out of water long before the well does, and lowering it costs a fraction of drilling. We check for clogged screens before scheduling a rig so you avoid paying to deepen a well that just needs cleaning.
When more depth genuinely is the answer
Rock wells draw water from isolated cracks underground, and those water-bearing cracks do not appear at regular intervals. Going deeper is a bet that another water-bearing fracture sits below the current bottom. Under Nanoose Hill in Aquifer 218, well depths range from 14 m to 186 m around an 80 m median, proving extra depth guarantees nothing. Drilling through sand and gravel is different because passing through water layers into tight clay below yields far less water. We analyse local rock layers and neighbouring well logs before advising you to drill any deeper.
Deeper is not automatically better water
Going deeper into rock layers can tap mineral-heavy water that shallow layers never contained. Near Cedar and Yellow Point, deeper wells show high sulphur, fluoride above drinking guidelines, old trapped saltwater, and sea water intrusion. In Errington, tests showed fluoride up to 2.90 mg/L and total dissolved solids averaging 542 mg/L in 2015. Tapping extra water with bad minerals creates new problems, so we test your water in a lab as soon as deepening finishes.
Updating your well record and meeting current standard requirements.
Altering well depth means re-applying provincial construction rules, including surface seal standards, whenever casing or screens change. We disinfect the well afterwards. We send the report to the Province within 90 days to update GWELLS, so a future buyer looks up the well that actually exists on your property.
What deepening work covers
Diagnosis before drilling
Water level, pump position, downhole condition and the completion record read together.
Cleaning and rehabilitation first
Sediment, scale and bacterial fouling addressed where those are the cause.
Deepening
We drill by the foot deeper into existing wells only when local rock layers justify adding extra depth.
Seal, disinfection and record
We re-apply surface seal standards, disinfect the hole, and file the updated construction report with the Province inside 90 days.
How we decide if drilling deeper makes sense for your property.
- 1
History and record — we read the GWELLS report and the completion yield, and ask you when the shortfall began and whether it follows the season.
- 2
Water level and pump position — we measure both, because a pump sitting above the current water level explains a great many dry taps.
- 3
Downhole condition — we assess sediment, scale and bacterial fouling, and try cleaning first where that is the likely cause.
- 4
Drill deeper — we drill deeper into your well only when local rock data indicates water-bearing cracks sit beneath the bottom.
- 5
Seal, disinfect, report — we update surface seals, chlorinate the well, and file the completion report with the Province within 90 days.
Underground water layers in this area show signs of long-term stress.
In June 2026, 16 of those 22 sat below normal. In Errington, Aquifer 220 shows water drops of 0.32 m per year over five years and 0.11 m per year across 325 wells. Deepening your well does not stop regional groundwater declines, but it gives your household extra storage in the hole.
People also ask
Can any well be deepened?
Not every one. Casing size, hole condition, and underlying geology dictate whether our rig can drill deeper into your current well. Small casings or wells hitting the bottom of water-bearing sand are usually candidates for drilling a new well instead.
Will deepening a well increase the flow?
Sometimes. In bedrock, yield comes from fractures, and a deeper hole may or may not meet another one. In sand and gravel deposits, going past the water layer into clay below usually decreases total water output.
Does deepening a well need to be reported?
Yes. Altering well depth triggers Groundwater Protection Regulation rules like surface seals and disinfection, with reports filed in GWELLS within 90 days.
What if the well only runs dry in summer?
Low summer flow usually indicates seasonal water table drops rather than structural failure in your well casing. Provincial monitoring showed sixteen of twenty-two local aquifers sitting below normal water levels in June 2026. Storage and a cycling change often solve a seasonal shortfall for less than drilling does.
Related: well rehabilitation and cleaning, a pump that has stopped delivering, drilling a new well instead, and water wells at Errington and Coombs.
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