A similar technique once used was to bore the well hole with an auger. Drilled wells for domestic use are usually 2 to 8 inches in diameter and more than 50 feet deep. Wells tapping a sand and gravel aquifer have a special screen placed at the bottom of the borehole, and a solid casing that extends from the screen to the top of the well. The screen allows water to move into the well while keeping sand particles out. The casing prevents water from other depths along the borehole from mixing with the aquifer water.
Driven wells are common along rivers in areas with glacial deposits.
These areas have very shallow, but highly productive, sand and gravel aquifers. These wells are usually 1 to 2 inches in diameter and 10 to 40 feet deep. Wells dug by hand were once very common, however, this technique is rarely used today. A dug well has a large diameter, usually greater than 2 feet, and is 10 to 50 feet deep. Rock, brick or concrete line the well.