And more are being drilled every day. Russell Southerland, owner of Southerland Water Wells, is hard-pressed to keep up with the demand for new drilling. Since City Hall enacted restrictions last August on the use of city water for lawn sprinkling to conserve Abilene's dwindling surface-water supply, the demand for privately owned wells has risen. He has three drilling rigs, two of which operate full-time. All three would be running eight hours a day, five days a week if he had enough employees to run them, he said.
Customers face a wait of two to three weeks because of a backlog of orders.
Southerland estimates nearly 200 wells have been sunk in the Abilene area in the last year. The water in these wells is sought mainly for irrigation. High levels of calcium and other minerals make it unfit for drinking and washing. And treating the water for use inside the home is a costly proposition. Not everyone in the Key City has access to underground water.