A couple of drillers have had problems with their wells collapsing. Instead of researching and finding out the reason for the problem, one driller has decided that the plastic casing is at fault and recommends that all wells be steel cased. Could it be his construction methods and casing programs? After all, thousands of drillers have used PVC casing in millions of wells without incident. We use PVC casing in many different formations and in 30 years have not had one problem that I can blame on the plastic. In addition to PVC being superior, it is more economical. When I was a young boy there was no plastic casing. Drillers either used a louvered tin pipe or torch perforated steel casing. Rust would regularly seal over the perforations and not allow the water into the well. People just had to accept the rust and limited life of the product. Early plastics, though not perfect, were considered a God-send. They did protect the well bore from caving, allow the water to flow into the well and shield the pump and wire. In addition to not rusting, plastic promised a much longer life without all the other unpleasant aspects of rust in the water. — David Nequette
