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Where I work as a Realtor, it's generally possible to drill a well for domestic use. It will typically run about $20K and as we have a high water table, they generally hit water around 60 feet and will take the well down to around 250 feet if they want to "future proof" it. Deepest well in our area that I've heard of is around 900 feet and that was considered really rare / extreme.

Where homeowners become conflicted is that well gives them the rights to domestic use and to water a basic yard, but nothing beyond that. You are quickly in to "water rights" which can become complex and limiting. More and more we are seeing water masters (a state role) take away rights from landowners who are not fully using their water rights. For example, if the land was previously farmed but has now gone fallow and the water right has not been used, the state will revoke it - and there's a 0.0% chance of ever getting it back. This sometimes leads to cases where people (farmers) overuse their water to ensure they are demonstrating usage, but then of course that can lead to fines for overuse. No question water is going to be a defining issue in the American west for the foreseeable future.



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