On 16 May 2006 04:14:28 -0700, "marson" wrote:

not sure what you mean by artesian well. around here, it is a well
where the water comes to the surface naturally. only occurs on very
specific sites. also in minnesota, the health department regulates
wells. i believe shallow wells aren't even legal, since they draw on
shallow groundwater which can be contaminated. (i believe they have to
be at least 50' deep).

Same here.

Artesian wells flow freely without a pump. They are not necessarily
shallow though. The source could be several hundred feet underground
and comes to the surface due to fractures in the bedrock.