How to use it

A quick first estimate of the depth to groundwater and how promising a location is for drilling a water well — anywhere in the world.

Last updated: July 2026

Step by step

Pick a location. Click a spot on the map, type coordinates (latitude, longitude) into the two fields, or use the 📍 My location button.
Read the depth (free): estimated depth to groundwater.
Unlock the location (paid): the suggested well depth, drilling suitability category and expected well yield are shown blurred. Paste your unlock code, then click “Unlock this location — uses 1 credit”. 1 credit = 1 location; browsing other points costs nothing, and returning to an already-unlocked location never costs another credit. Depth alone doesn't tell the whole story, as a well can be unproductive even where water is present.
Get a detailed AI report (included with the unlock — no extra credit): choose your language, then click Detailed report. For ambiguous sites you may add a wide-angle site photo or a short terrain answer to refine the result. Export it to PDF or Word.

The first click on a new region can take a minute (map/terrain data is fetched); later clicks nearby are fast.

Paying & unlock codes

The depth estimate is free. Unlocking a location (its suitability, yield and the included detailed AI report) uses 1 credit (see Pricing). After purchase you receive an unlock code (shown on screen and emailed). Paste it into the “Unlock code” field on the map — or open the link wheretodigwell.com/?code=YOUR-CODE and it fills in automatically. Your unlocked locations are saved to your code, so you can return to them (and generate their included reports) at any time, on any device.

Good to know

Results are rough, indicative estimates from global datasets — not a substitute for a field hydrogeological survey. The decision to drill is yours.
The report can be generated in many languages — pick yours from the “Report language” menu, or type any language into the box.
Your coordinates and any photo are used only to produce the estimate and are not stored to identify you (see Privacy).
Location categories — the full legend of suitability ratings and expected yields:

Suitability for well drilling	Estimated well yield	What it means
Favourable	> 4 l/s (> 240 l/min · > 63 GPM · > 14.4 m³/h)	The aquifer is mostly composed of permeable rocks or sediments, but local deviations are possible.
Possibly favourable (uncertain)	> 4 l/s in karstified rock; < 0.2 l/s (< 12 l/min · < 3.2 GPM · < 0.7 m³/h) in claystone / marl / schist	From topography alone, karst and low-permeability hills cannot be reliably distinguished for this location. Treat this as tentative — the site may in fact be low-potential; field/geological verification is recommended.¹
Moderately favourable	> 4 l/s in gravelly–sandy material; < 0.2 l/s in clayey material	Drilling is not recommended where the sediments beneath the topsoil are known to be excessively clayey — whether they are can be uncertain from surface data (uncertain).¹
Moderate to low potential	< 1 l/s (< 60 l/min · < 16 GPM · < 3.6 m³/h)	If claystones, marls or schists are present at the microlocation, drilling is not recommended.
Low potential	< 0.2 l/s (< 12 l/min · < 3.2 GPM · < 0.7 m³/h)	If claystones, marls or schists are present at the microlocation, drilling is not recommended.

¹ Where marked, the AI analysis can help resolve the uncertainty by evaluating a site photo and short description you provide, together with publicly available local information.
Depth: for any category, when the suggested drilling depth exceeds ~200 m (and further ~300 m), an additional risk warning is shown — even a favourable location can be uneconomic, or technically very hard for local drillers, at such depths.

Questions? info@wheretodigwell.com