Working With a Natural Resource

WORKING WITH A NATURAL RESOURCE

You won't stay in one place for long if you're hired as a water well driller for Rorrer Well Drilling Inc. of Salem.

"The best thing about this job is the constant change of scenery," said owner Eric Rorrer. "You're all over these mountains, always driving to a new location." But not everything about working as a water well driller is so tranquil. "The only music you listen to is the sound of a diesel engine," Rorrer said.

Drillers work in teams of two to operate the 36-foot-long, 60,000- pound drilling rig. When they search for water in a client's yard, they first drill a 10-inch-diameter hole into the ground until they reach bedrock. After placing a protective casing into this hole, they drill a 6-inch-diameter hole into the bedrock until they strike water.

Once they've found at least two veins to use as water sources, the drillers also install the submersible pumps that bring the water to the customer's house.

According to Rorrer, experience is an absolute must. "Everything that you do is underground," he said, and even experience drilling in rock quarries or preparing blast holes may not be enough.

Drillers work Monday through Friday, often putting in ten-hour days. Rorrer Well Drilling provides all equipment, including a company truck.

Rorrer takes great pride in the service his company offers. "No public water system can inject enough chemicals to make water taste as good as the water from your own back yard," he said. "We're providing something no one else can."

Pay: $9 an hour and up, depending on experience.

Benefits: Partially paid medical and dental plans.

Qualifications: Certification by the National Groundwater Association.

The grind: Deafening noise; occasional exposure to bad weather.

The perks: Outdoor work; weekends off; frequent changes of scenery.