Why Can’t I Find a Well Driller in Colorado?

What’s Happening in 2022?

Hiring a well driller and installer is taking many folks much longer than they expected. If you’ve made calls about getting your well drilled soon, you may have found this to be true in Colorado. Residents are facing waitlists of 3 months up to 2 years!

Ryan Wilkinson

So what’s causing such big delays?

-Colorado’s drought is creating a need for current wells to be drilled deeper.

-New housing developments and commercial growth.

-Contractors are retiring/leaving and are not being replaced.

-Supply chain shortages for necessary materials.

-Colorado is facing extended worker shortages.

-More drilling permits are being submitted than ever: 50% MORE

           -New Residents/new farms in rural areas

           -Fear: People wanting water independence in case of emergencies 

           -Drought: Wells running dry

Cherokee Metropolitan District water engineer Kevin Brown says the rapid growth in the Denver area and huge population boom throughout Colorado is causing major issues for many well-owners. “Even if there were no growth, eventually there would have to be a solution outside of the Denver Basin,” said Brown. “You have declining aquifer yields and having to drill more and more wells. And now on top of that, you have an increasing demand from growth and it’s squeezing in two directions.”

“It’s not like people have to worry that water won’t come out of their kitchen faucets anytime soon,” according to Jessie Shaffer who manages the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District. “But the state expects the Front Range population to expand by more than a third in the coming decades, and the state demographer’s office says El Paso County is likely to remain Colorado’s most populous county, growing to nearly a million people by 2050.”(Shanna Lewis, KRCC) Read more here.

Even with all these factors at play, there are still ways to find a driller in a reasonable amount of time. Our suggestion is to call around to a few different contractors in your state for both pricing and available drilling dates. Most drillers are willing to travel a decent distance and you may have more luck finding someone in a neighboring county if your county is booked out.

What should I know when looking for a well driller?:

-Shop around: Timelines and costs vary

-Get references from other customers

-Make sure they are licensed in Colorado.

-Don’t let payments get ahead of work 

-Don’t give final payment until you are satisfied with the work

If there just aren’t any drillers available in the next 6 months or more, there are a few things you can do to hold you over and we can help!

How Can I Get Water In The Meantime?

From developing a rain water collection system to using a natural water source like a stream or lake, we’ve got you covered with all your pumping needs! Let our engineers help you determine what system would be best for you!

Haul water to a storage tank on the property and use TPP (Tankless Pressure Pump)/ Eco-Steady Booster/Submersible Pump/Gravity Feed to pressurize water for your house/irrigation etc. You can integrate these pumps into the final system easily!

Create a rain water collection system use TPP (Tankless Pressure Pump)/ Eco-Steady Booster/Submersible Pump to pressurize water for your house/irrigation etc. You can integrate these pumps into the final system easily!

Use a surface water source like developing a spring or pumping from a river/stream/lake (get a filtration system if its for drinking water)!

Whether you decide to try out an alternative water system like the ones above or you decide to wait to have your well-drilled, it’s worth thinking about installing one of our versatile RPS Pumping Systems on your own. Take your water needs into your own hands with our help!

What are the benefits of a D.I.Y. Install with RPS?

These Folks Did It Themselves and You Can Too!

“Got it done over the weekend! Still have a little plumbing to take care of but we are pumping water!! Couldn’t be happier with the ease of installation and the communication, assistance and knowledge of the staff at RPS! Thank you!”

– Daniel D, TX

“Everything went very well. Install took less than 2 hours. Was surprised how well it was pumping. Very happy with the product and customer service. There have been a few friends checking it out. Thanks”
– Susan, CA

“My son and I installed the RPS 200 system on our Ranch. I’m impressed with the quality of the components and the installation manual is one of the best written and easy to understand that I have ever seen!”

– Michelle K, FL