Navy NEC · Engineering
B06A Water Well Drilling Technician
A Navy Enlisted Classification: a skill designation sailors hold in addition to their rating.
Overview
A water well drilling technician identifies suitable areas for water supplies and sets up and operates rotary, pneumatic, or percussion drilling rigs. The technician installs casing and drill steel, collects subterranean samples, develops the water supply, and tests the water for purity and the well for yield and drawdown.
Core Skills
- water well drilling
- rotary rig operation
- percussion rig operation
- well casing installation
- drilling fluid management
- subsurface sample collection
- well development
- water quality testing
- yield and drawdown testing
Civilian Software & Tools
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Word
- Global positioning system GPS software
Civilian Career Paths
- Civil Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Public Health
Training & Development
Career Growth
- National Ground Water Association Certified Well Driller
- National Ground Water Association Certified Pump Installer
Also Common
- OSHA 30-Hour Construction
What the Work Involves
- Operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills.
- Start, stop, and control drilling speed of machines and insertion of casings into holes.
- Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled.
- Select and attach drill bits and drill rods, adding more rods as hole depths increase, and changing drill bits as needed.
- Drive or guide truck-mounted equipment into position, level and stabilize rigs, and extend telescoping derricks.
Related Occupations
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
- Helpers--Extraction Workers
- Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators
Typical preparation for these civilian roles: a high school diploma and some on-the-job training.
Equivalent Roles in Other Branches
Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.
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