How do I find water on my land before I pay to drill?
There is a free public database that will tell you the depth, yield and geology of every permitted well near you — often dozens within a mile. It costs nothing and it beats the stick every time.
What actually works
Performs at chance under controlled testing. It appears to work because in much of the country a well drilled anywhere finds water eventually — the stick gets credit for the aquifer.
$300–800 per dry holeFree, public, and searchable in most states. Pull the logs for your section before you talk to a driller. A dry or low-yield hole costs hundreds to thousands.
Late-summer green patches, rushes, and persistent damp spots on a hillside are real evidence of shallow water. Look when everything else is brown.
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where to drill a well · water witching · dowsing for water · divining rods well · find groundwater · how deep is water here · well driller dry hole