Subcontracting Stress to Half-Day Drilled Water Wells

When subcontracting became unbearable, JP ANDERSON WELL & PUMP made a change that cut drilling time by more than half.

A Foundation in Water Quality

Jody Anderson started JP Anderson Well & Pump in 2002 after working for his father's well and water treatment company. Operating in coastal South Carolina, the company focused on shallow wells and water treatment systems.

"At the time most people wouldn't spend money on a deep well and a reverse osmosis system," Anderson said. "We had two Buck Rogers 760s. We'd keep one rig rebuilt and drill two or three 50-foot wells a week."

As the market shifted toward deeper wells and reverse osmosis (RO), Anderson adapted. He developed an RO system with a cistern designed to withstand outdoor conditions under a fiberglass well house — one that wouldn't trigger homeowners' association restrictions on outbuildings.

"This allowed us to drill the well and install the reverse osmosis simultaneously versus bidding as two separate projects," he said.

The Breaking Point

As the company focused on water quality, in-house drilling took a back seat.

"For every 10 wells we'd sell, we'd only drill two and subcontract the other eight," Anderson said. "Subcontracting became really stressful around 2024-25."

With 50 wells lined up, Anderson decided to upgrade the fleet. He briefly considered another manufacturer’s rig but got mixed word-of-mouth on quality and service — confirmed by a friend two miles from his shop who experienced the service issues firsthand.

Why the DM250

Anderson had run a Drillmaster 400, a DM series predecssor, for his father and was familiar with the older DM series. But the rigs built under Geoprobe^® ownership were different.

"There was a big change when Geoprobe^® bought them," he said. "The DM series rigs built by Geoprobe^® are more streamlined and lighter, with top head improvements. You can see the level of engineering detail compared to the old design."

The service sealed the decision.

"We were really impressed with the service and follow-up," Anderson said.

Surprising Comfort

What surprised Anderson most had nothing to do with drilling performance.

"The driveability has surprised me the most," Anderson said. "It's a smooth ride and perfectly balanced. Every drill rig I've had would beat me to death and was a pain to drive. The DM250 drives just like an F250. It's so comfortable I confuse it for my Denali."

The automatic transmission, initially a concern, became a benefit.

"Any employee can drive, and I know the clutch isn't getting torn up," he said.

Faster, Cleaner Drilled Water Wells

The DM250 solved a persistent problem. In the past, casing installation was a struggle using diaphragm and centrifugal pumps.

"We went to a piston on our DM250, and our boreholes are cleaner and we can set casing faster," Anderson said. "A 250-foot drilled water well used to take one to one-and-a-quarter days. Now we can do it in half a day, eat a nice lunch, and go finish my office work."

One project demonstrated the rig's capability. The crew drilled a 12-inch hole to 145 feet, dropped in 8-inch casing, then continued to rock at 260 feet with a 7.5-inch rock bit and 6⅞ stabilizer. Using fast feed, they broke through 5 feet of harder rock to reach final depth at 305 feet — with no issues pulling rods and bit back out to develop the well.

"We finished in two days what used to take over a week," Anderson says.

Confidence and Support

For Anderson, one advantage stands above the rest.

"Confidence," he said. "If I have a problem, I can call Geoprobe^® and have them on the horn within five minutes. That's a feature that's indispensable."

A tour of the manufacturing facility reinforced his decision. Anderson brought along a friend with experience working in manufacturing plants for several companies.

"He was impressed and told me, 'They've got their act together,'" Anderson said. "The way they innovated to continue building rigs while waiting for a truck chassis during supply chain shortages was very impressive."