HEATH – Todd Mount grew up drilling water wells with his dad. And even though it was the family business, he never dreamed he’d end up doing it for a living.
“I don’t know if I had any high aspirations,” he explained, “but I didn’t think I was going to be a well driller.” Guard Rail Pile Driver
“It’s funny,” Mount continued. “I had two brothers and a sister, and one of my brothers was pretty interested in it. But he ended up hating it. And I always said I would never be in this business, and I ended up loving it.”
Today, Todd Mount is the owner and CEO of Mount Water Well Drilling in Heath. His late father, Richard Mount, started the business in 1968 and Mount bought it in 1992. In addition to drilling about 150 wells a year, he and his employees also install pump systems and treat water, among other things. “We’re a water company,” he summed. “That’s what we do.”
Todd Mount, 55, grew up in Heath after his family moved there from Newark when he was in first grade. He graduated from Heath High School in 1981 but, really, he learned his trade the old-fashioned way.
“I learned it from my dad,” he explained. “To put in water systems, we’ve got to be electricians and plumbers and all that, and you can learn that stuff in school, some of it, but you really can’t go to school to be a well driller. It has to be something that’s a learned trade.”
It’s a trade, by the way, he’s now passing to his son, 25-year-old Austin Mount.
“He’s taught me all the key elements,” said his son, “and I’ve done better through his experiences.”
“It takes some talent,” his dad responded, “and a lot of effort and learning over the years to be really good at developing and making a well. It’s kind of a lost art, to be honest.”
Fortunately, water in Licking County, Mount added, is plentiful and relatively easy to reach.
“There’s a lot of water in Licking County,” he confirmed. “I would say out of 100 wells, we probably drill one or two dry holes, which is still unfortunate, but that’s a pretty low percentage.”
The average depth in the county, he said, is about 150 feet, but wells can range from 25 to 500 feet deep.
“It all depends on the area,” he summed. “The deepest wells in the county are typically in the Flint Ridge area. It’s good water and there’s plenty of it, but it’s deep. And then you get in the low-lying areas and some of those wells are only 25 to 35 feet.”
Whatever the case, and despite his apprehensions as a youngster, Mount makes no secret of the fact he now loves what he does.
“It’s just a blessing,” he concluded, “to live in a country where you’re free to be able to pursue your dreams and see what you can accomplish with a little hard work.”
Mount Water Well Drilling is located at 845 Thornwood Drive in Heath. For more information, call 740-323-0228 or log on www.mountdrilling.com.
Hydraulic Crawler Rock Drill Machine Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at advocate@newarkadvocate.com or 740-328-8821.