Finding Water: The Creek, the Water Witch & Digging the Well – The Enclave

Water is the most critical infrastructure decision on any Costa Rican rural property. At The Enclave, the property is blessed with a natural creek that runs through the lower portion of the land — a year-round water source that makes the property's long-term water independence a reality rather than a hope.

To tap into this resource properly, the team employed a method deeply rooted in Costa Rican tradition: the water witch. A seasoned local practitioner walked the property with a pair of dowsing rods, reading the subtle pull of underground water movement to identify the optimal location for the well. This is not superstition — experienced water witches in Costa Rica have a remarkable track record, and the local knowledge they carry about the water table in a specific area is genuinely valuable. The spot they identify almost always proves out when the digging begins.

With the location confirmed, the well crew went to work. The excavation process involves hand-digging in stages, lowering interlocking concrete culvert rings as the hole deepens to prevent collapse, and monitoring the walls for water seeping in. At The Enclave, water was encountered well before the maximum planned depth — a strong indicator of a healthy, reliable aquifer fed by the creek and surrounding hillsides.

The finished well was capped, a submersible pump was lowered to approximately 10 feet below the water surface, and the system was connected to a holding tank. From the tank, gravity and pressure feed water to the lots above. The well's capacity is more than sufficient for the development's needs, with significant reserve even in the dry season.

Having both a surface creek and a functioning well gives The Enclave redundant, independent water supply — a significant advantage in any rural Costa Rican development.