Ken H.
5/5
Groth Water wells.
We had a new water well installed by Groth Water Well Co.; we could not have found a better company to work with. The old well was in a basement alcove. Jim Groth came by several weeks later to review the work involved and give us an estimate.
What a nice guy! He was pleasant, meticulous, and conversational. He offered us alternatives but pointed out pros and cons. We could have the connection to the well through lateral drilling by another company. We have a new 5” concrete driveway, but he promised to do everything possible to minimize/avoid driveway damage when bringing a 30-ton rig over it. Jim came back several times to review everything, the driveway, how to bring in the rig, etc. He was always punctual and gave us a heads up when he was close enough.
Work began 2 weeks ago, with Jason Groth, the head of one of their crews, as “foreman.” Jason was excellent! For us, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience [I suppose it had better be]. He didn’t mind my being close to the work area as long as I was at a safe distance and was careful. He explained every step of the work and potential for problems ahead. From years of experience, these were cautionary things and with the principle of “forewarned is forewarned.”
Jason and his associate, Nick, were a very superbly coordinated team. Nick knew what Jason needed at every turn and would have the appropriate item without Jason having to ask. They were focused on their work with no loose chatter, and helped each other out to keep the work moving in a safe, efficient, and professional manner.
Jason did excellent work of drilling down to about 205ft. and installing almost 165ft. of steel casing. Each 20-foot piece had to be welded to the next one, onsite, and at their beveled ends,, and the welding had to be perfect to avoid any water seeping into the well from the surrounding soil. He was calm, professional, and nothing less than meticulous.
The lateral drilling was done by Sam Becker [Becker-McLeod, Menomonee Falls]. The precision of this technique was beyond belief. The drill came into the alcove exactly where it was supposed to surface. Becker also worked in tandem, and in coordination with Jason.
The entire work took almost 6 days. The old well had to be sealed and abandoned in compliance with DNR and municipal standards. The village inspector came by and “anointed”the work. Every step was accomplished without a hitch. The Groths believe in doing it right the first time.
They cleaned the work areas after themselves. The yard has some tire tracks because of recent rain over a clay soil that causes the tires to spin. The soil is heaped up around the well. However, we anticipated these per their advice. The soil has to settle over the next few months of rain and snow and rain, and the tire tracks have to be filled in with topsoil, graded, and reseeded with grass.
The alcove, with the new water tank and connections, was clean and tidy when Jason and Nick left. Jason warned us of the dust and that the CO alarms might go off as he cut through the casing of the old well with an acetylene torch, but nothing happened. Jim came by periodically, even did some work himself, and made sure everything was done properly and to our satisfaction.
We think their costs were reasonable. Even if they were a tad higher, we would rather pay that difference in order to have peace of mind, and for the knowledge that they never took shortcuts, operated safely, and did every piece of work—even the itty-bitty stuff—by the book. They meticulously avoided contaminating the new pump.
Their charges were wuite reasonable and they sent a detailed estimate that Jim was willing to explain and justify. He also explained carefully what This family-owned business puts their imprimatur on their work only when they are confident of the quality of their work.
One wishes that all contractors and workmen operate this way. They 1. stand behind their work, 2. are out to please, and 3. are reasonable with cost. They have our highest recommendations.
