Much of the nation lives in cities, or close enough to them to have all of the amenities; Cable television, conveniently located post office, and, of course, water. The ability to get water at the touch of a lever is one of our most under appreciated gifts, as anyone who has camped or done military service can attest. For those who live far enough outside the city to need an alternate source of water, the traditional well is hard to beat. A good pump can produce as much pressure as anyone could want, and pumps are about as reliable as any hardware made by man. Certainly, I've had much better service from my old well than my car.

Submersible pumps are available in 115V and 230V versions, though the 115V is usually only for the smallest, half horsepower size. Please note that electricity and water are a dangerous combination, and a licensed professional should do the wiring.

Submersible pumps came in a range of sizes, with ½ horsepower on up to 25 horsepower models on the market. For almost all purposes ½ to 2 horsepower will suffice, but as the water table gets lower, more power is required to move the water to the user.

A typical range of prices would be in the $600-$1200 range for the most common sizes of pump. However, the pump is generally not the expensive part, as digging the well is the major cost of the system.

In addition to the power and electrical requirements, another important consideration is the warranty. A company with a reputation for quality and good service is probably worth a bit more money, since doing it right once is always better than doing it twice. It is also worth keeping the manual handy, since many of the possible issues are quickly fixed with the correct knowledge.

In some locations a filtration system might be needed, either to keep sand out of the vulnerable impellers or to deal with hard water and contaminants that are unpleasant, though not dangerous. Water that is safe to drink but smells like eggs is worth a little extra expense to correct.