Understanding Well Systems on Rural Property in Wyoming
When you buy property outside town limits in Western Wyoming, you're buying a well. There's no municipal water line to connect to. No city infrastructure. The well on that property is your entire water supply—drinking, bathing, irrigation, everything.
Most buyers from urban areas have never owned a well. They don't know what questions to ask, what the numbers mean, or what separates a good well from a problematic one. This guide covers what you actually need to understand before purchasing property with a well in Sublette County.
GPM: What the Number Means
Well production is measured in gallons per minute, abbreviated GPM. In Sublette County, we see wells producing anywhere from 3-5 GPM on the low end to 15 GPM or more on the high end. The specific output depends largely on location within the county and the characteristics of the underlying aquifer.
Here's what most buyers don't realize: that GPM number was measured when the well was completed. That measurement might be from last year. It might be from 1987. Wells can change over time as aquifers shift and equipment ages. The number on the permit may or may not reflect current production.
What matters more than the documented GPM is the actual experience of current owners. How does the well perform under real use? Can they run sprinklers for hours without problems? Have they ever run it dry? Sellers typically know their well's limitations—if limitations exist. The key is asking the right questions rather than relying solely on paperwork.
National standards suggest 5-6 GPM sustained flow is adequate for a single-family home, with FHA guidelines requiring 3-5 GPM for existing wells. The average American uses approximately 80-100 gallons of water per day at home, according to EPA and USGS data. But these are baseline minimums. Peak demand during morning and evening hours matters more than 24-hour averages, and heavy irrigation use—watering lawns and trees—is where low-producing wells get exposed.
Well Depth and What It Tells You
Most wells we see in Sublette County fall between 150 and 250 feet deep. Some run shallower, some deeper, but that range captures the majority of residential wells in the area.
Depth matters for two reasons beyond the obvious question of reaching water.
First, the water stored in the well casing itself acts as a buffer. A deeper well with more standing water in the column can handle peak demand spikes better than a shallow well, even if both produce the same GPM at steady state. The static water level—how high water naturally sits in the casing—combined with the pump depth determines how much reserve capacity exists.
Second, depth directly affects drilling costs for vacant land purchases. Drilling runs at a cost per foot plus additional costs for materials and equipment. Buyers planning to develop raw land should budget $15,000 to $25,000 for a new well.
The challenge with new wells is uncertainty. You don't know exactly how deep you'll need to drill until you're actually drilling. The geology varies across the county, and hitting adequate water might require going deeper than neighboring properties. That uncertainty should be factored into land purchase and development budgets.
What Actually Gets Inspected During a Purchase
Buyers from urban markets often expect well inspections similar to what they'd get for other home systems. The reality in rural Wyoming is different.
Flow rate tests during purchase transactions are rare. Water quality testing typically happens only when the loan type requires it—FHA and VA loans have specific requirements, but conventional financing often doesn't mandate testing. Well pump inspections almost never occur because the pumps are submersible units sitting 100 or more feet underground. Nobody pulls that equipment for a standard home inspection.
What does get inspected: the pressure tank, electrical wiring, and general system function. A home inspector will run the water and watch for obvious problems—pressure fluctuations, discoloration, strange sounds from the pressure tank.
Water quality in Sublette County is generally excellent. But if sediment appears in fixtures or the water looks off, that signals potential issues. Wells with sediment problems may need rehabilitation—a process where compressed air is pumped deep into the well to blow accumulated sediment out the top. Specialized companies handle this work.
Some home inspectors in the area offer water quality testing as an additional service. If you want testing beyond what your loan requires, ask whether your inspector provides it or can recommend a testing service.
The Cistern Signal
If you see a cistern on a property—a large water storage tank separate from the pressure tank—pay close attention.
Cisterns exist for a reason. We’ve seen cisterns in homes that have excellent wells and are present only for grid-down preparedness situations. In other cases, and more commonly, they are installed when the well doesn't produce enough water to meet peak demand. The cistern fills slowly during low-usage periods and provides reserve capacity when demand spikes.
This isn't automatically a deal-breaker. Certain areas of the county are known for lower-producing wells, and cisterns are a practical engineering solution. Properties with cisterns can work perfectly well for owners whose usage patterns match the system's capabilities.
But a cistern can signal limitations. If your plans include extensive lawn irrigation, watering large garden areas, or other high-demand uses, a property with a cistern may not fit. Understanding why the cistern exists and what the well's actual production limits are becomes essential before committing to purchase.
Questions to Ask Before Purchasing
Before purchasing property with a well, pursue answers to these questions:
What does the well documentation show? There are two primary documents: the application to drill the well, and the notice of completion that proves the well was actually drilled. The notice of completion is the document that shows information like depth, GPM, and completion date. Wyoming's e-Permit system through the State Engineer's Office provides online access. You can also check county records or ask the seller for copies of well documentation.
How has the well actually performed? Not what the paperwork says—what the sellers have experienced. Can they water the lawn without issues? Have they ever run dry? What happens when multiple fixtures run simultaneously?
What's the condition of visible equipment? How old is the pressure tank? When was the pump last replaced, if known? What's the condition of electrical connections?
Are there any red flags? Cisterns can indicate production limitations. Sediment in toilet bowls suggests well issues. Any history of running dry under normal use is a significant concern.
For vacant land, what do neighboring wells suggest? Nearby properties can provide general guidance on expected depth and production, though individual results vary based on precise location.
New Well Considerations for Vacant Land
Buyers purchasing undeveloped land need to factor well drilling into their total acquisition cost. The $15,000-$25,000 range covers most residential wells, but that estimate assumes reasonably straightforward drilling conditions.
Variables that affect cost include depth required to reach adequate water, soil and rock conditions encountered during drilling, and equipment specifications for the pump system. A well that requires drilling through significant rock formations costs more than one through softer material.
Before purchasing vacant land, research what neighboring properties have experienced. Local well drillers can often provide general guidance on expected conditions for a given area, though they can't guarantee results until they're actually drilling.
Permits from the State Engineer’s office can be obtained by a homeowner or their driller. Wells can be drilled during at point during the construction process, although knowing how much water is on the property you've purchased before construction begins can help homeowners come up with a plan in the rare case there is minimal or no water on the property.
Pro tip: when a well pump is installed and replaced, this happens from directly over the well casing, which usually protrudes from the ground a couple of feet. Many people like to build a “pump house” around their well, but when a truck with a boom and winch is required to pull your pump, a roof overhead is a major obstacle. Be kind to your future self, or a future property owner, and leave the well head accessible for equipment.
The Bottom Line
Wells aren't complicated systems, but they're different from municipal water. The system supplying your home sits entirely on your property, operates entirely under your responsibility, and depends entirely on the aquifer beneath you.
Understanding what you're buying means looking beyond the permit documentation to actual performance history. Ask specific questions. Look for red flags. And if you're buying vacant land, budget realistically for drilling costs and timeline.
For questions about well systems or any aspect of rural property purchase in Western Wyoming, call us at 307-367-6683 or contact us here. If you need to speak to a local well-drilling pro for a quote or specific expertise on the process, Dover Drilling and White Mountain Operating are linked below.
Local Sublette County Well Drillers:
Dover Drilling: https://doverdrilling.com/
White Mountain Operating: https://wmoperating.com/
Sources:
FHA: https://www.fha.com/fha_article?id=600
Flow Rate: https://www.skillingsandsons.com/blog/what-kind-of-capacity-and-flow-rate-should-my-water-well-have/
https://www.epa.gov/watersense/statistics-and-facts
https://eppwellsolutions.com/blog/fha-and-va-loan-requirements-for-well-water-a-2025-guide
Wyoming State Engineer’s Office: https://seo.wyo.gov/