Using our equipment is not difficult, but it’s not intuitive. We consider it very important that at least one person per sale is trained on proper use and operation of the GF6.

We have successfully trained people from all walks of life; from a homemaker to a Geophysicist. Every person that has taken our training program and followed recommended operating standards has gone on to become a successful operator of our seismoelectric equipment. The only knowledge that is required is basic computer skills. Additionally, due to some of the physical requirements, certain people with disabilities or physical limitations may need help operating the equipment.

The system works best when surface conditions are made up of virgin native unobstructed surface material. For our purposes, “virgin native unobstructed surface material” means any combination of undisturbed sand, clay, and/or silt generally combined with less than 30% rock material. The equipment has been used to successfully locate groundwater in conditions that don’t meet these standards, however; quality data collection can be more difficult.

The life expectancy of the GF6 depends on proper care and use. We have current operators who have been providing groundwater assessment with our earlier system versions since 2002.

The GF6 system is sometimes affected by high levels of electrical interference if very close to the test sites but is rarely affected by residential electrical sources even if nearby or high voltage electrical sources as long as they are at least 50 to 75m (sometimes more) away from the test site. False positives will not occur even if high levels of electrical interference is encountered as long as the operator has been properly trained on how to interpret the seismoelectric data.

If the property you are looking at isn’t in an area where there is a history of good producing wells, you need a specific amount of water, or you are looking at a piece of property to buy but want to know if there is enough groundwater, then it would likely be a wise investment to have a well-water location survey completed before you commit to the purchase. Many people select a successful well water location survey as a contingency on the property purchase agreement. We suggest that you don’t commit to the very substantial purchase of a piece of land before you know it will provide access to the critical resources you will need. There are many resources readily available for landowners to conduct research about water wells around their property. If you are having trouble finding information or don’t have the time to complete proper research, then contact us at 800.251.2920 and ask for a FREE research consultation.

The flow test completed by the drilling contractor is not considered accurate unless the contractor uses an actual water pump to complete the flow test. In most cases, you should consider the flow test completed by your drilling contractor a very rough estimate of the potential flow of your new well. A water well often experiences a notable improvement in flow over the first few weeks of use. This improvement can and should be sped up by developing the well before it’s put into service. After the well is properly developed or after a few weeks of use, a pump test should be completed. This pump test will be a much more accurate assessment of the flow than the initial flow test completed by the driller. Once you know the flow, you can implement strategies to minimize long-term damages that can be caused by over-pumping the well.

In most cases, the property owner tells us the general area that they would like to have their water well, which is where we complete the survey. If you are unsure of approximately where you would like your well drilled or there are a number of dry or poor performing wells in the area, then you have a few options to narrow the search for the right place to complete the survey. One option is to have an operator complete an extended sounding profile survey (soundings completed in a line but separated by approximately 250 feet) completely across your property which may help us located some good areas to focus on with a more detailed close sounding survey. Another option is to have a study of the existing wells in the area, which may help find a pattern common to the good wells.

The data collected on a subject property requires numerous hours of processing and research to ensure that the most accurate estimations are made by our field surveyors. The signal that is collected in the field does have some obvious signs that can indicate groundwater but, depth and yield estimations can only be made after the data is properly processed. We avoid any type of field interpretation to help prevent mistakes.

Mainly due to workload, it takes about two weeks to provide the final report to each client. For a small additional investment, we do provide a report expedite option which will make the final report available in as little as 7 business days.

There are a number of geophysical methods that have been used in an effort to help locate groundwater. The method we use is currently the only method that obtains its signal directly from the movement of groundwater and gives unambiguous depth and thickness details about the aquifer. Additionally, it is the only method that can provide you with approximate yield estimates that are derived directly from the signal we record. Most of the methods that have been used in the past have significant limitations, including; poor depth resolution, inability to provide reasonably accurate yield estimates, and high cost just to name a few.