Dewatering services remove groundwater from a construction site through pumping or evaporation. Well dewatering is a common drilling service solution, and hundreds of dewatering wells are constructed and decommissioned in Washington state every year.

Dewatering is important in facilitating construction, stabilizing and landslide, or protecting an aquifer, and should often be performed before subsurface excavation for a foundation begins. Dewatering can also be used to lower the water table in a construction site. Pearson Drilling Inc. offers customized dewatering service solutions, including bypass pumping systems and jetting, to suit your construction needs.

DEWATERING PROCESS

The process of well dewatering begins with the excavation of a well, which is then fitted with a slotted casing. The slots allow for water to gather in the well for pumping. A vacuum pump is positioned at the well opening or a submersible pump is lowered into the well, and suction is used to pull water through the slots, stabilizing and hardening the surrounding soil. The most common use of a dewatering well is for dewatering a shallow aquifer to facilitate construction of underground utilities, roads, or building foundations.

Schedule 40 PVC casings are the most common casings for dewatering wells. The average depth of a dewatering well is 20 feet. Jetting is the most common installation method. In cases where jetting is not feasible, conventional drilling services can be used instead. Typically, many wells are used in collaboration together to dewater the construction site.

DEWATERING BENEFITS

Given the small footprint of well dewatering equipment, it is an effective method for removing groundwater in tight construction sites, where larger equipment cannot maneuver easily. Well dewatering is also well-suited for a variety of soil conditions, including harder to manage conditions including clay and sand.

Please contact Pearson Drilling Inc. in Seattle, WA today to learn more about the dewatering, drilling, and pile driving services we provide.