Alright, let us talk about environmental drilling. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but for some homeowners, especially those of us here in Rockford, Illinois, it is a real process and sometimes it is a necessary process. This is not about drilling a new water well for your home, though we at Valley Well Drilling know a thing or two about that too. Environmental drilling is all about figuring out what is going on beneath your feet when you suspect something is not right with your soil or your groundwater here in Rockford, IL.
You see, our properties here in Rockford, even residential ones, can sometimes have hidden issues. Maybe there was an old leaking oil tank on the land decades ago, or perhaps some industrial activity nearby left its mark. The goal of environmental drilling is to take samples of soil and bedrock and groundwater to assess if there is any contamination and also how far it has spread in your Rockford property.
Before You Even Think About Environmental Drilling
First things first, do not panic. Most homeowners in Rockford will not ever need environmental drilling. But if you are noticing some strange things around your property in Rockford, it is worth investigating. Here are some red flags that might suggest you have a problem and might need environmental drilling:
- Odd smells: If you are catching an unpleasant, unnatural odor in your yard, especially on warm, dry days, that is a big sign. It could smell like chemicals, or pesticides, or even a distinct odor like arsenic.
- Discolored soil: See patches of soil that are a weird color or have a different texture than the rest of your yard? We are talking dark, oily patches or soil that is slimy when everything else is dry.
- Plants and wildlife struggling: If nothing seems to grow in certain areas of your Rockford property, or if you used to see plenty of critters and now they are gone, that can point to contaminated ground. Animals are smart and they will avoid toxic areas.
- Erosion: Unexplained holes, or dips, or uneven patches in your yard could mean the soil is degrading faster than it should be, possibly because of contamination.
- Changes in well water: For those of us on private wells in Rockford, this is important. If your water suddenly tastes metallic, or salty, or chemical, or smells like rotten eggs, or bleach, or even just