How do drillers know where to drill for water?

Many factors must be considered before deciding where to drill a water well. The most important is to decide how the well will be used. If the well is for drinking water, then local geology, hydrology, and state regulations are important to know. Contact the department in your state government that regulates and tracks water and natural resources. They should have information on licensed drillers and any required groundwater withdrawal permits. They can also provide guidelines for required distances from septic or water treatment systems, well construction, water testing, and well purification and maintenance. 

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States also have databases of previously drilled wells that can be used to estimate required well depth and possible pumping rates. For information on local geology or hydrology, contact your state geological survey or your local USGS Water Science Center, which can also help you find the appropriate state agency.

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Drilling for water can be a challenging job in many areas due to the uncertainty in the presence of water and the depth of the water table.

The first step is to study the local geology using the available geological maps to look for structures that will likely host water.

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A classic example of such structures is a layer of permeable rock (such as sandstone or fractured limestone) underlined by impermeable levels (such as clay ). The water will accumulate within the permeable layer.

Sometimes the permeable level is sandwiched between two impermeable levels and the water in it can be pressurized so that the well will spontaneously flow at surface. It is an "artesian" aquifer. The recharge of such aquifer happens from lateral formations that convey the infiltrated rain water towards the permeable level.

Geophysics methods can be used to identify the presence of water at depth. They are based on the changes in electric conductivity caused by the water.

Finally bore holes can be drilled to assess the geological sequence of the strata and to identify layers potentially able to host an aquifer.

It is fair to admit that some degree of luck is often associated with finding water mostly in complex and challenging geological settings.

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