Well Rehabilitation vs. Drilling a New Well: Quick Comparison

When a Utah well loses yield or starts pumping sediment, you have two paths: rehab the existing well or drill new. The right answer depends on casing condition, water-right portability, and the cost-per-year math. Here's the quick side-by-side.

Comparison Table

Attribute	Well Rehabilitation	Drill a New Well
Typical cost	$3,000 - $25,000	$20,000 - $100,000+
Typical timeline	1 - 3 days on site	1 - 3 weeks (plus permitting)
Permits required	Usually no new water right	Start Card and possibly new appropriation
Best when	Casing sound, yield gradually dropped	Casing failed, deep aquifer dropped, or location bad
Yield recovery	80 - 100% if cause is encrustation	Full new yield
Risk if it doesn't work	Lost rehab cost; still need new well	Drilled well always produces (or driller deepens)
Service life added	8 - 20 years	30 - 60+ years
Old well disposition	Reused	Must be properly abandoned ($1,500 - $4,000)

How to Decide

Pick Well Rehabilitation: Casing is structurally sound and yield loss is gradual (less than 50% of original).
Pick Well Rehabilitation: Your existing water right is locked to the current well location and a new appropriation is unavailable.
Pick Drill a New Well: Casing is breached, undersized, or the static water level has crashed below the productive zone.
Pick Drill a New Well: Yield has fallen more than 70%, or rehab attempts have already failed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my well is a rehab candidate?

Start with a downhole video log and a step-drawdown test. Sound casing plus encrustation patterns equals strong rehab candidate.

Can I rehab and drill new at the same property?

Yes — some owners rehab to buy time while permitting and drilling a new well. Old wells must eventually be properly abandoned.

Will my pump work in the rehabbed well?

Often yes, but pumps over 12 years old are commonly replaced during rehab regardless.