Back in 2010 I drilled a water well in our garden – exclusively for irrigation purposes. In our area the groundwater level is very high, starting at around 1.5 m depth, so the well only needed to go down to 4.6 m. The soil is coarse gravel, which makes drilling easier but requires extra care when installing the filter pipe. The well is still running perfectly in 2026.
Drilling Your Own Garden Well
The project kept me busy for about 6 months of leisure time – I deliberately took my time. Total costs came to around 1,000–1,500 EUR. For certain steps, having one or two helpers on hand is absolutely essential.
What You Need
- Hand auger / well drill bit, ⌀ 20 cm
- DN150 well pipe (1 m slotted filter screen pipe)
- DN200 or DN250 drain pipe (KG pipe) as auxiliary casing
- Weights to press the auxiliary casing into the gravel while rotating
- Rope and pulley / block-and-tackle to pull the casing pipe
- Filter gravel (washed, free of sand and dust)
- Angle grinder to cut teeth into the pipe end
- Drill for handle holes at the upper pipe end
- Submersible pump, 1″ hose, steel cable, flow switch controller
- Helpers for pulling the casing and filling filter gravel
Preparation
- Remove topsoil down to the gravel layer and create a working shaft you can stand in.
- Drill with the hand auger until you hit groundwater.
- Once you reach groundwater, gravel starts collapsing into the hole – from this point on, all drilling happens inside the casing pipe.
- Use an angle grinder to cut teeth into the lower end of the casing pipe so it can bite into the gravel.
- Drill two opposing holes near the upper end of the casing pipe – these allow you to rotate the pipe in the borehole using a rod.
Drilling
The drilling itself is a repetitive process, working your way down metre by metre:
- Press the casing pipe into the gravel using weight and a rotating motion.
- Use the hand auger inside the casing to loosen and remove material.
- Extract the auger by bracing it against the casing pipe – never pull the casing itself upward at this stage.
- Once a pipe section is fully drilled through, attach the next casing segment (screwed or riveted) and continue.
Patience is the most important factor. Rushing risks borehole collapse or a stuck casing. I spread the work over 6 months, drilling whenever conditions and time allowed.
The Critical Step: Pulling the Casing While Filling Filter Gravel
This is the most demanding part of the entire project. It requires careful planning, a well thought-out workflow – and helpers.
Once target depth is reached, lower the well filter pipe (DN150) into the casing. Then the real balancing act begins:
- Pour filter gravel (washed, sand-free) gradually into the annular gap between the casing and the filter pipe.
- Simultaneously pull the casing upward using the pulley – section by section, in sync with the gravel fill.
- The filter pipe must not be pulled up along with the casing – it needs to stay in position, held by its own weight and ideally a light safety restraint.
The filter gravel prevents the well from silting up and ensures only clean water enters the filter pipe. Skipping or rushing this step leads to sand deposits in the pump over time.
Setup and Equipment
Two points are critical when installing the pump for long-term reliability:
- The pump hangs approximately 1 m above the well bottom – keeping it clear of any silt accumulation.
- Even at low water levels, the pump must remain at least 2 m below the water surface to prevent running dry.
Our setup since installation:
- Submersible pump (model to be added) – approx. 450 EUR in 2010
- 1″ hose from pump to control unit
- Flow switch / pump controller (approx. 50 EUR in 2010) – see also our HL DSK8 pump controller repair guide
- Steel cable for pump suspension
- 1″ and 1/2″ fittings
Note: Our well water is used exclusively for garden irrigation, not as drinking water. If you intend to use well water for drinking, have it tested by an accredited laboratory and check your local regulations.
Updates
2021: I built and installed a professional stainless steel well head cover. Full build guide here: DN 150 Stainless Steel Well Head.
2026: The well is still running flawlessly. The concrete shaft has held up very well. No silting issues – the filter gravel has done its job.
Summary
Drilling your own garden well is a significant undertaking, but very achievable if you take your time, work carefully and make sure you have help for the critical casing-pulling step. The investment of around 1,000–1,500 EUR paid for itself many times over through years of free irrigation water.
Questions or your own experiences? Leave a comment below!
