A well digger has several responsibilities, all of which focus on creating wells in the ground for extraction of liquids, solids, or even gases. The well digger may work for an oil company in need of wells for extracting oil from the earth, or even for a water company that digs wells to access the water table in a particular area. Sometimes diggers are hired by homeowners to dig personal wells for home water access. The process of digging a well can be difficult and complex; the digger will need to be trained how to properly execute this procedure.
In most cases, a well digger needs to complete a high school education or equivalent qualification, but no other level of education is generally necessary. The digger will need basic math skills as well as an ability to read fairly proficiently. This job can be a physically demanding one at times, and the well digger will need to operate various pieces of heavy machinery that may require safety training to operate. Most of the skills he or she will need can be learned through job training or an apprenticeship; the job training period can vary in duration, though generally several years will be devoted to this training.
Various pieces of machinery are used to dig wells, one of which is an auger truck. This vehicle features a long, hydraulically operated screw that can break through the surface of the ground and remove soil from the earth. As the auger works deeper down into the ground, the well digger may have to insert tubing or supports to prevent the well hole from collapsing. The auger truck is usually used for smaller wells, such as home water wells. For larger operations, the equipment is much larger and more complex, and the process of digging a well will usually require several workers to attend to the procedure.
The well digger won't always work on creating new wells. In some cases, the digger will be responsible for restoring an existing well that may have caved in or may be in need of repairs. This job can be dangerous and difficult, which means the well digger will often need additional training in order to perform this aspect of the job. It may be necessary to use explosives on larger wells, so the digger will need to undergo explosives training before working on certain wells.
