Well Water

TheBody

Hi all,

I've found a house that I'm interested in buying. The house is about a year old. The thing is that the house gets its water from a well. The question I have is; should I be concerned about getting it checked out by somebody?
I guess I'm worried about possibly buying it and then discovering there is not enough water in it to supply the house.

Are there any other things I need to be thinking about regarding the well?

fclauson

might be worth
a) running the pump for a couple of hours and then
b) taking a sample and getting it tested for "nasties"

TheBody

Thanks for the reply. I was just thinking today, as the house is only a year old, would the owner have gotten a report on the volume of water that the well can sustain from the drilling company or is it just a case that they simply make the hole and leave?

Sorry about all the questions but I have no experience with wells.

fclauson

Unfortunately now well digger will ever guarantee volumes - (unless he is directly connected to him upstairs who has the control on such things !!)

Be realistic - you cannot tell if a well will run other - but you could ask locally and compare your well depth with others near by

Eoghan Barra

Normally when a well is being drilled they'll keep going down until they hit groundwater, and then keep going for another 20 foot or so to be on the safe side. If that has been done you should be fine in terms of flow rates. It's hard to imagine someone going to all the trouble and expense of getting a rig onsite and then only drilling down to above the groundwater level - though of course there's no guarantee of anything in life!

Fclauson is absolutely right about getting the water tested however, not just for 'nasties', i.e. bacteria, but for high concentrations of minerals which could give the water an unpleasant smell, taste, or cause problems in your plumbing.

As Fclauson says, allow the water to run for a good bit before taking a sample.

On the positive side, if the well is fine, you won't have to pay a water charge, though there will be lesser costs for keeping the well going (electricity for the pump, maintenance etc.).

fclauson

This post seems to have doomed my well !,
Discovered traces of iron bacteria

I am going to " shock Chlorinate" the well - have read how to do this - any advice or tips welcome

Eoghan Barra

Sorry to hear that, Fclauson.

What are the problems caused by iron bacteria?

fclauson

Google it "iron bacteria" well

Lots of info - some of the US local authorities seem to offer consistent and good advice on how to clear problem

Start by checking your loo cisterns

Colm R

Some experiences I've had recently.

I moved into a house just over a year ago. It had a shallow well, which was there for about 30 years. It was about 20 feet deep (just dug out with a digger, until it hit water) and then stuck in well liners. I was not convinced that it was a good well, and last summer was no test because it was so wet. This year it ran dry a couple of times, so to be honest, I felt happier.

The old well had lots of iron and lime in it, and had bacteria in it also, and that was handled by a water softener and UV Light. But still, the yield was not good enough.

I got a new bored well, and went down 180 feet. I hit water at 160, and they went on for another 20 feet. Have not got it tested yet, so I'm sending it through the old filtration system, and using it in the house, but not for drinking.

There are a couple of options once you figure out whats what with the tests:

- if the water is safe for drinking but not for plumbing, (Lime and Iron), it might be worth your while running a separate pipe from the pump or pressure vessel direct to your kitchen sink. This would be drinking water. Everything else might have to go through a softener, which some say you can drink, but I think its got too much salt, which is not great for babies bottles, or people with high blood pressure.

- if the water is not safe for drinking (bacteria), and not safe for plumbing - I would consider putting everyting through a water softener, which makes is salty and UV Filter. Then underneath your kitchen sink, put in a reverse osmosis filter, which will have a separate tap which generally has very low pressure. This is for drinking water only.

TheBody

Thanks for the input from everybody. I think I will call the estate agent and find out as much as I can from the currrent owner. I'll also get the water tested myself.