For many homeowners, gazing at the monthly line item for water makes one wonder if there’s a better way. And that number continues to climb, especially in the heat of summer with the need for extensive irrigation of lawns and topping off swimming pools. The thought of drilling a well seems tempting enough, your own water source, no more payments, complete independence from municipal supply. Except that there’s an unreasonable amount of costs involved in setup and considerations in the long run that make this math far less appealing.
Paying for city water and drilling a well presents the possibility of comparing monthly bills to get the difference out of drilling a well. However, it does so much more than that. It attempts to get to the bottom of what people pay for with both endeavors and what can go wrong, ultimately projecting whether it’s worth it in the long run with drilling a well.
What You’re Paying for When You’re on City Water
It’s vital to note that municipal water isn’t just charging for the water. This monthly bill essentially takes into consideration everything from treatment facilities to infrastructure upkeep to water quality testing and the entire system necessary to ensure treated water comes out of the faucet.
For example, in Tampa Bay, the average family pays between $40 and $100 per month for water, largely dependent upon how much they use.
But here’s the kicker, it’s fairly predictable. Yes, the costs go up during irrigation season in the summer and go down in the winter, but not by much. The city takes care of everything: Treatment, pressure, quality testing and any main breaks that require emergency repair. The city handles everything beyond the meter. If something breaks before the meter, it’s their problem.
But those costs add up. A family paying city water $70 per month is paying $840 per year, $8,400 over ten years, and should they be heavy consumers (think enormous lawn and pool), it gets even higher. Many homeowners across the country report costs (in spring/summer) reaching $150 to $200 for a month for their water when factoring in extensive irrigation.
The Real Cost of Drilling a Well
Drilling a residential well is not cheap. Costs vary based on how deep one must go to drill for good water, the types of rocks or soil through which one must drill, and what kind of pumping system is required for the property.
In Florida, for example, if one has a shallow well (it means it only has to reach ground water at 25-50 feet), this typically only costs between $3,000 and $6,000 for all parts (drilling included) and installation (including pump). For deeper options that need to go 100 feet or more, it’s easily between $8,000 and $15,000 or more. Industrial options or certain properties in poorly constructed areas may dictate higher costs.
These costs include drilling itself, casing to keep the well from collapsing into itself, a submersible pump at that level, a pressure tank as far up as possible, electrical work and basic filtration needs. Most reputable well drillers in Tampa Bay start with an assessment of the site to gauge depth requirements and determine whether certain geological needs may increase or decrease project time or cost.
Unexpectedly, drilling itself doesn’t take very long, a few hours, even with the permitting process afterwards. The entire job from start to finish takes several weeks due to the scheduling aspect with other projects as well as inspections following efforts to do things like hit rock layers or moving one’s original location.
The Ongoing Costs That No One Tells You About
Once you have a well, there’s maintenance, especially with respect to pumps, that city-dwellers never have to contend. Submersible pumps tend to work for 10-15 years before replacement at $800-$2,000 with time and effort.
Pressure tanks eventually fail. Water quality changes necessitating additional filtration or purifying systems. Electrical systems falter over time. Yearly testing is recommended for contamination purposes costing anywhere from $100-$300 per year depending upon how thorough.
Then there’s the overall power consumption, wells are powered electrically by DIY means; while this doesn’t contribute significantly to general utility bills (as city water does not), it is something that people forget about. Wells operate only when the pump works, so people without pumps might be frequently cycling whenever they need significant amounts of water. Pumping occurs for every time people request water; those with extensive use will find themselves making their pumps cycle often.
When it All Makes Sense
Yet in specific scenarios, well water makes sense. Properties with very high consumption have payback periods across several years, from three-and-a-half years onward. A family spending $200 per month ($2,400 annually) on city water can replace a well installation ($10,000 initial cost) within four to five years easily, factoring in maintenance requirements.
Especially properties with large yards and extensive landscaping benefit from this transition. If irrigation is driving monthly bills into the hundreds during growing season alone, it just makes sense; being able to water without concern over a meter, the ability for lawns and gardens to thrive by potential without looking at costs, is generally easier for peace of mind.
Further, agricultural properties or hobby farms always benefit from wells. Livestock watering, crop irrigation and general farm needs require a lot of water that would prevent any reasonable expectation from municipal billings, as these uses necessitate thousands of gallons regularly; wells aren’t just cheaper, but they’re often the only way to practically do things.
The Value Beyond Monthly Savings
Yet this isn’t a line-item replacement, it doesn’t show up on spreadsheets necessarily beyond common sense, but ownership provides advantages like no dependence on city-imposed restrictions during droughts forcing neighbors’ lawns brown.
No inflationary costs are associated with wells, no line-feeding charges or interruptions because someone’s main breaks down on Main Street, even if it runs into your yard’s sidewalk.
Properties with wells tend to increase in value over time, especially more rural properties due to lack of municipal supply options down longer roads, and properties that develop later tend to benefit from speculative savings instead of relying exclusively on expanding business operations.
Independence is key, but with independence comes responsibility. When it’s 9 PM on Saturday night and the well pump isn’t working, there’s no city crew to call. Homeowners must have their own responsibility with independent contractors who can fix things within two hours or take days depending upon parts special ordered.
The Bottom Line: It Depends
For urban suburban properties where demand is minimal at best it makes more sense (convenience and reliability) than not, and when systems provide consistent quality above all else with predictability, it far exceeds any hypothetical option.
For rural homes, with large lots or many plants, or households consistently above-average consumption should strongly consider going with wells; it makes more sense when payback periods become shorter since residents tend to use more water inevitably when value adds up regardless of cost independence (or effort derived) becomes increasingly impressive.
When there is new construction in areas without current service lines already drawn up through expensive redevelopment efforts, in certain cases, it makes more sense simply to drill. The cost dug up is tens of thousands of dollars at times, but running the lines just to tap into dollars over decades?
Knowing the upfront investment versus long-term consideration helps provide understanding based on real lifestyle instead of what’s believed would be cheaper. At times it’s obvious. Other times it’s closer than anticipated, it merely depends on how much water anyone uses and how expensive independence truly is as opposed to absence through control.
Further Reading
