Well equipment lifts in Wittmann, AZ

Water shaped Wittmann from the start. Town founder William Hovey Griffin drilled a well in 1920 that supplied water to about 20 families, and the town took its name in 1929 from Joseph Wittmann, who promised irrigation from a Hassayampa River dam that was never built. Today, many rural properties around Wittmann still rely on private wells.

When those wells need work, the heavy parts are the pump, the pipe and the tanks. We bring a truck-mounted crane so the well crew can lift and set them without muscling them around by hand. Wittmann is about 15 miles up US 60 from our Surprise base, so it is one of the easier rural trips we make.

Every lift is different. Call with the weight of the item, how far it needs to go and where the truck can park, and Don will confirm the lift.

Most well sites we see on acreage look something like one of these, and each changes the lift a little:

• Well beside a pump house. The wellhead sits next to, or inside, a small block or metal building. Equipment may have to go over the roof or through a roof hatch, so tell us which.
• Pressure tank in a shed. Replacing a big pressure tank inside a shed can mean lifting it out through the door or over a wall once the shed is opened up.
• Storage tank on a pad. Tanks set on a pad or stand near the well, often beside the barn or corrals. Have the pad level and the tank empty.
• Well inside a fenced pen. Pipe and equipment can be lifted over the fence so the truck does not have to drive into the corral.

For tanks and equipment that are not tied to a well, see our heavy item lifts page.

Ground around Wittmann is generally flatter than the hills up near Wickenburg, but flat does not always mean firm. Sandy soil, irrigated pasture, a recent rain or a leaking line near the well can all leave soft ground right where the truck wants to set up.

Before lift day, point out:

• The water line from the well to the house, plus any buried electrical runs to the pump. These often run straight across the best truck spot.
• Septic tanks and leach fields near the house or the well
• Wet areas from irrigation, troughs or a recent leak
• Old trenches that may have settled

OSHA requires crane setups on ground that is firm, drained and graded enough to support the equipment, and the site controller should tell the operator about hazards like buried tanks and utilities (29 CFR 1926.1402).

We are the crane, not the well company. In Arizona, drilling, deepening or modifying a well must be done by a licensed well-drilling contractor, according to the Arizona Department of Water Resources. If you are a property owner, call your well contractor first and let them tell you when they need the crane.

For the well crew, a few things make the lift go well:

1. Tell us which pieces need the crane and roughly what each weighs.
2. Pick a start time for when the crew is ready to pick.
3. Clear a laydown area near the well for pipe and equipment.
4. Name one person to direct the lift. Our crane hand signals page covers the basics.

Don and his son Bryce run the crane together and work with your crew on the rigging and the signals.

Pumps need power, and on many Wittmann properties it reaches the well on an overhead line. OSHA requires crane equipment and loads to stay at least 20 feet from lines up to 350 kV unless specific procedures are followed (29 CFR 1926.1408). Tell us about every line near the well and the truck spot.

Open ground gets gusty, and long pipe swings, so tag lines and a clear path matter. We will hold a lift if the wind makes it unsafe. Move horses, cattle and dogs away from the truck and the swing area before the first pick, and keep everyone not working the load out from under it (29 CFR 1926.1425).