14 On Tap Summer 2007

By Cliff Treyens, Director of Public Awareness,National Ground Water Association

www.nesc.wvu.edu 15

uppose you’re a private well ownerin Anywhere, USA. Perhaps you’vemoved out to the country to getaway from urban sprawl and foundyourself the proud owner of a water

well for the first time. Or maybe you’verelied upon a water well most your life.

Either way, you probably don’t have anowner’s manual that goes with your well.That seems okay until you need help. It’sat times like those that you’ll wish youknew some basics about water well systemmaintenance.

When well owners try to service theirown wells, they usually fail to solve theproblem or make it worse. Qualified pro-fessional water well system contractors usespecialized equipment, materials, and tech-niques to keep well systems operationaland water supplies safe.

At the National Ground WaterAssociation (NGWA), we’ve heard countlessstories of well-intentioned homeownersfouling up their wells in an attempt to fix aproblem. For instance, there’s the gentle-man who poured six gallons of bleachdown his well to get rid of an odor in thewater. After flushing thousands of gallonsof water out of his well, the odor he wasunable to eliminate was the bleach.

Moreover, every time a well ownerremoves a well cap and attempts to serv-ice the well in some way, there’s thepotential to unwittingly introduce bacterial

or other contamination into the well.There’s also the potential for droppingobjects (tools for instance) into the well,getting the pump stuck in an effort toreplace it, or even electrocution whenworking with submersible pumps.

It’s always best to contact a qualified profes-sional water well systems contractor to conductany kind of service on your well.

Often, it’s human nature to be penny-wise and pound-foolish, particularly whereprivately owned water wells are con-cerned. The NGWA conducted a poll nottoo long ago, and the results confirmedwhat we expected: 80 percent of thoseresponding had never had a well mainte-nance inspection.

What often happens is that a small, eas-ily correctable problem becomes a large,inconvenient, much more expensive prob-lem. Treating your water well system thisway would be like never having an automechanic look under the hood of your caruntil a catastrophic breakdown.

Few people argue that preventive main-tenance is unwise. The problem is thatfew people follow through on their own

Don’t try to service yourown well.

Preventive maintenance isless costly in the long run.

16 On Tap Summer 2007

common sense when it comes to preventivemaintenance for their water well system. Whatmakes this doubly important for well ownersis that you’re consuming what comes out ofthat well. So, it’s a matter of health as well asconvenience and cost.

This is a good idea whether you’re getting awell maintenance check-up or service for aspecific issue.

A well maintenance check-up should includefour components. First, is a flow test to deter-mine system output, along with a check of thewater level before and during pumping (ifpossible), pump motor performance (checkamp load, grounding, and line voltage), pres-sure tank and pressure switch contact, andgeneral water quality (odor, cloudiness, etc.).Next, is an inspection of well equipment toassure that it is sanitary and meets local coderequirements. Third, is a test of your water forcoliform bacteria and nitrates, and anythingelse of local concern should be performed.Finally, a concise, clear, written report shouldbe delivered to you following the check-upthat explains results and recommendations andincludes all laboratory and other test results.

Here’s a homeowner’s well maintenancechecklist from the NGWA:

• Always use licensed or certified waterwell drillers and pump installers when awell is constructed, a pump is installed,or the system is serviced.

• An annual well maintenance check,including a bacterial test, is recom-mended. Any source of drinking watershould be checked any time there is achange in taste, odor or appearance, oranytime a water supply system is serviced.

• Keep hazardous chemicals, such aspaint, fertilizer, pesticides and motor oilaway from your well.

• Periodically check the well cover or wellcap on top of the casing (well) to ensureit is in good repair.

The National Ground Water Association recom-mends that well owners test the water:

• annually for bacteria, nitrates/nitrites, andany contaminants of local concern;

• any time there is a change in the taste, odor,or appearance of the well water, or if a prob-lem occurs such as a broken well cap or anew contamination source;

• if family members or houseguests haverecurrent incidents of gastrointestinal illness;

• if an infant is living in the home; or

• if you wish to monitor the efficiency andperformance of home water treatmentequipment.

You should also check with your local health orenvironmental health department for recommen-dations regarding the type and frequency of testingbest suited to your location. Many water well sys-tem contractors will take water samples for testingby a certified water-testing laboratory.

Do some homework beforegetting your water well sys-tem serviced.

Take some simple, ongoingsteps to maintain your well.

In a small watershed near Treynor,Iowa, hydrologist Mike Burkart (left)and farmer Bill Vorthman draw waterfrom a 30-foot-deep sampling well totest for herbicides and nitrate.

Pho

toby

Kei

thW

elle

r,w

ww

.ars

.usd

a.go

v

www.nesc.wvu.edu 17

• Always maintain proper separationbetween your well and buildings, wastesystems, or chemical storage facilities. Yourprofessional contractor knows the rules.

• Don’t allow back-siphonage. When mix-ing pesticides, fertilizers or otherchemicals, don’t put the hose inside thetank or container.

• When landscaping, keep the top of yourwell at least one foot above the ground.Slope the ground away from your wellfor proper drainage.

• Take care in working or mowing aroundyour well. A damaged casing could jeop-ardize the sanitary protection of yourwell. Don’t pile snow, leaves or othermaterials around your well.

• Keep your well records in a safe place.These include the construction report, aswell as annual water well system mainte-nance and water testing results.

• Be aware of changes in your well, the areaaround your well, or the water it provides.

• When your well has come to the end ofits serviceable life (usually more than 20years), have your qualified water wellcontractor properly seal your well afterconstructing your new system.

When your well needs service, make theeffort to find a qualified water well systemscontractor. Here are some considerations:

• If you live in a state that licenses waterwell system contractors, make sure youselect a licensed contractor to performthe work.

• Is the contractor certified through theNational Ground Water Association(NGWA)? NGWA operates the onlynational certification program for waterwell drillers and pump installers, whomust pass exams and take continuingeducation courses. Is the contractor amember of NGWA, the nation’s leadingassociation of ground water professionals?

• Does the contractor submit well logs? Awell log is a document filed at comple-tion of a new well that contains vitalinformation on the history of the welland the ground surrounding it.

• Does the contractor have adequate equip-ment in good condition to do the job?

• Does the contractor have adequate liabil-ity and worker’s compensation insuranceto protect you?

• Is the contractor familiar with applicablehealth and safety codes?

• What is the contractor’s reputation withprevious customers? Don’t be afraid toask for references.

• Will the contractor furnish a written con-tract specifying the terms and conditionsof the job?

This last point is very important. Unless youknow what a contractor will do for his speci-fied price, you cannot compare offers anddecide which one to hire. Also, a written con-tract provides protection for you and thecontractor should a disagreement arise overthe scope or cost of the work.

For a drilled well, the contract may include:

• The liability insurance coverage held byboth the owner and the contractor,

• A statement that all work will complywith applicable regulations and codes,

• The diameter and thickness of the casingused,

• The type of well development and yieldevaluation procedures used,

• The type of screen installed, whereneeded,

• The type of well cap or seal used,

• The disinfection procedure,

• Clean-up procedures, including all mate-rial abandoned at the drill site,

• An anticipated start date for drilling,

• A guarantee of materials and workman-ship, and

• A statement that the contractor will dothe work and correct the initial work, ifnecessary.

Also, the contract should itemize charges.Itemization may include the cost of drillingper foot, casing per foot, other materials (i.e.,the drive shoe, grout and well cap), otheroperations (i.e., grouting, development, testpumping and disinfection), drilling deeperand/or a second well to ensure an adequatewater supply, abandonment and sealingshould it prove necessary, and anything notincluded in the specification.

Continued on page 35.

Use qualified professionals.

When your well needs maintenance, havethe contractor explain the problem so that youunderstand it, then explore options for cor-recting the problem.

Sometimes well owners get frustratedbecause they don’t understand their waterwell system and, therefore, don’t understandwhat’s wrong with it when service is required.Sometimes the well owner doesn’t ask ques-tions or the contractor doesn’t adequatelyexplain the problem and/or solutions.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions until you’resatisfied. Once you grasp the problem,explore options for fixing it with the contrac-tor. This kind of dialogue is important becausesometimes there can be different reasons for awater well system problem and, consequently,different solutions.

For example, over time the amount of watera well yields can decrease. Sometimes that isbecause the water table is dropping. Othertimes it can be caused by the plugging ofholes in the well casing, mineral encrustationof the well screen or the filling of openings inthe geologic formation around the well fromwhich water flows. No one solution addressesall of these problems.

Working with your contractor to understandthe correct cause or causes of problems canincrease your confidence and comfort level inmoving forward with solutions.

Do an inventory of your property to deter-mine if there are any old, unused well systems.

If you live in an area where people usewater wells, there may be an old, unused wellon your property. There are millions of themnationwide. Abandoned wells should be prop-erly sealed by a qualified water well systemscontractor for several reasons.

First, abandoned wells can provide a directpathway for contamination into the aquifer, per-haps the same one you are using for drinkingwater. Often an abandoned well will have nowell cap or the cap will be broken, allowingbugs, rodents or objects into the well. Othertimes, the grouting around the well casing has

deteriorated to the point that contaminated sur-face water can infiltrate the well. Abandonedhand-dug wells not only present a contamina-tion concern, they also can create a physicaldanger to people who can fall into them.

Landowners should find the location of anyold or out-of-service wells. Clues to their loca-tion include:

• Pipes sticking out of the ground,

• Small buildings that may have been awell house,

• Depressions in the ground,

• The presence of concrete vaults or pits,perhaps covered by lumber or metalplates, and

• Out-of-use windmills are likely to belocated near an old well.

Other clues can come from old maps, plansor property documents; information fromneighbors; additions to old homes (in thepast, wells were commonly constructed inbasements or under porches to keep thewater pumps from freezing and to ease accessin the winter); and water utility history (whatwas the source of water for your home beforeutility water was available?).

Once a well is determined to have no cur-rent or potential future use, a qualified waterwell system contractor can properly seal it. Donot attempt to seal an abandoned well your-self! This requires special equipment andtechniques to remove anything from the welland fill it with a special grout from the bottomup. Ordinary cement will not provide a sani-tary seal for an abandoned well.

Approved well sealing procedures varyfrom state to state. In most cases, homeown-ers are required to notify their localDepartment of Environmental Protection orWater Quality Division to document the“decommissioning” of the well. Homeownersshould contact these agencies to learn whatprocedures are required in their area.

Continued from page 17.

Understand the problem.

Find old wells.

Abandoned wells canprovide a direct pathwayfor contamination intothe aquifer

Pho

toco

urte

syof

ww

w.io

waw

ater

qual

ity.o

rg

www.nesc.wvu.edu 35

36 On Tap Summer 2007

A common mistake homeowners make is totest their well water without first being surethe water well system is clean. Testing waterfrom a dirty well can lead to false positives—the appearance of contamination even whenthe ground water is clean. A dirty well alsocan create an environment for contaminantssuch as certain types of bacteria.

A qualified water well systems contractorcan determine if your water well system needscleaning by conducting an anaerobic bacteriatest, a positive coliform test, or other testsshowing an accumulation of debris in the well.

Other possible indicators of a dirty wellmay be cloudy water, low water flow, or tasteand odor problems.

If test results indicate the presence of anaer-obic bacteria and/or coliform bacteria—or ifyou are experiencing cloudy water, low waterflow, or taste and odor problems—theNational Ground Water Association recom-mends your well be cleaned by a qualifiedwater well systems contractor prior to anyservicing of your well system.

A common misconception by homeownersis that chlorine alone will clean a well—themore chlorine the better. Chlorine can serveas an effective disinfectant only after debrisand other solid material are removed from thewell. Well cleaning must remove debris fromthe well bottom, and may require cleaningother components of the well if determinednecessary by a qualified water well systemscontractor.

To learn more about wells, visit the NationalGround Water Association’s Web site, atwww.wellowner.org. This easy-to-understandsite contains basic information on topics,including water well basics, well maintenance,water quality, finding a contractor, ground-water and more.

To find a certified water testing laboratoryin your area, contact your state certificationofficer by visiting the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency Web site at:www.epa.gov/safewater/labs/index.html.

Assessing Drinking Water Well ConditionsAbout 95 percent of this country’s rural residents usegroundwater for their drinking water and farmsteadneeds. Wells are designed to provide clean water, butmust be properly constructed and maintained to avoidcontamination. This worksheet, part of the Farm*A*Systseries produced by the Vermont Natural ResourceConservation Districts, will take you step by step throughyour drinking water well condition and managementpractices.

Item # WFSPE338 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$0.90

Radium in Your Drinking Water(A Homeowner’s Guide)What is radium? What are the health risks for radiumingestion? This fact sheet answers these questions andmore for homeowners. Written in response to a recentpilot study of water quality in Maryland, that state’sDepartment of the Environment produced this fact sheetto answer questions about radium, possible health risks,and water testing and treatment options.

Item # DWFSPE320 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$0.90

What Can You Learn From Drinking WaterRight to Know Reports?This fact sheet offers tips on understanding the right toknow reports like the CCRs. Offered by the ConsumerFederation of America, this helpful fact sheet includesinformation about protecting vulnerable people fromdrinking water disease and illnesses.

Item # DWFSPE238 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$0.30

Related NESC Products

Cliff Treyens is the director of publicawareness with the National GroundWater Association. Learn more aboutthe NGWA by visiting their Web site atwww.ngwa.org.

Before getting your water tested, check to see if yourwell system is clean.

S

This article is reprinted from On Tap, a free quarterlymagazine published by the National EnvironmentalServices Center (NESC). To learn more about servicesoffered by the NESC visit www.nesc.wvu.edu or calltoll free (800) 624-8301.