Hey Reader,

Well, as I told you last time, dishonest drillers have many ways of taking advantage of unknowing clients.

So far you've discovered the key processes before you drill, why you shouldn't lead with price, and the permits you must secure before drilling (If you read the guide book). You've also learned how bad actors in our industry steal metres, leaving you with a borehole that lasts 2 years instead of a lifetime of water supply.

This information is solid, but we're not done yet.

My goal is to help you understand borehole drilling from an eagle-eye view. Whether you're drilling this year, next year, a few years from now, or you're simply curious how this all works, this is for you.

No driller should ever take advantage of you, your family, your friends, your neighbors, or even a stranger on the road taking their first step toward water independence.

Now, back to today's topic.

When it comes to casings that go underground during drilling, the only way to guarantee clean water is using the right quality of casing.

The industry standard for boreholes is galvanized steel. It lasts far longer and resists corrosion, so it won't contaminate your water over time.

But dishonest drillers swap galvanized steel for a plain steel since it's cheaper.

Can you, Reader, tell the difference between galvanized steel and plain steel casings just by looking? Most people can't, and drillers count on that.

They'll quote you for galvanized steel while secretly installing plain steel instead. Remember, you'll still pay the galvanized price. It doesn't get better either.

Some drillers push this even further. For boreholes beyond 100 metres, where the underground pressure is significant, they'll install PVC casings instead, casings only rated for shallow boreholes under 100 metres.

PVC simply can't handle that kind of pressure at depth, and it cracks. When it does, your borehole gets contaminated with dirt and debris. And you're still being billed for galvanized steel the entire time.

To make matters worse, some of these bad actors sweeten the deal with long warranties to make it feel risk-free. But when the PVC fails and your water turns dirty, that warranty becomes worthless.

The dishonest contractor vanishes without a trace, leaving you to pay another driller out of pocket just to fix the mess they caused.

So how do you protect yourself?

Always request a material specification certificate from the casing manufacturer. If your contract specifies galvanized steel, confirm the certificate actually matches, plain and simple.

If they can't produce it, that's your red flag.

At the end of the day, the risk falls on you. To protect your finances, your sanity, and your water independence, always demand the right information before you sign anything.

If this raised a question or a thought, reply. I read and answer every one of your emails.

Talk soon,

James

P.S. Next time I'll walk you through the pump test, a process many dishonest drillers skip entirely or perform wrongly, handing you a false output rate that looks great on paper but doesn't hold up.

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​P.P.S. I only send these emails because I want you to get your water independence the right way. If for whatever reasons you don't want to hear from me anymore, let me know and I'll immediately stop sending you these tips.