Well drilling companies say wells won't run dry

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Well owners have been noticing their wells have been drying up, but a couple of well drilling companies say there's plenty of water underground, known as an aquifer.

"The aquifers here in Indiana, especially in this region of Indiana, are very plentiful. It will take a major catastrophe disaster to dry up an aquifer in this region," said Amy Allen with Amstutz Well Drilling.

The city's water supply comes from rain that fills the rivers. Geologists say there's enough water in an aquifer here in Indiana to last for hundreds of years.

Larry Gifford, of A-1 Well Drilling, has been drilling wells for over 60 years. He said there's no governing body that tells well owners to conserve water.

"There's no regulation for a well. There's no law. Your well water is a natural resource," he said.

Gifford and Allen say there are a few different reasons why well owners would experience their wells not supplying water.  One of the reasons could be an individual's well wasn't installed properly. Another reason could be from neighbors who use a higher volume of water than you, which in this drought, many are using water more often.

NewsChannel 15 spoke to Allen County Commissioner Nelson Peters regarding any laws about asking well owners to conserve if necessary, and he said there are no laws on the books.

We also tried to reach out to the Department of Natural Resources to find out if there's any oversight on owners conserving well waters, but our calls were not returned.