Tag Archives: water well checkup
Well Owners, “Cap It, Plug It”
There are many ways for well owners to protect their water quality. Two of the most important are to make sure your well is properly sealed and properly abandon any non-usable wells on your property.
If an active water well is not properly sealed or if an abandoned well is not properly plugged, it can create a path for contamination. Cap it, plug it!
A proper well seal should:
- Have a rubber seal that’s expandable when bolts are tighten.
- Be watertight from rain and be in good working condition
Well seals should be installed by a water well system professional, and any well seal maintenance or replacement should be done by a professional.
How do I properly plug an abandoned well?
Some abandoned wells are obvious while others are not. Abandoned wells can be found in:
- Old maps, property plans, or property title documents
- Neighborhoods
- Pipes sticking out of the ground
- Small buildings that may have been a well house
A Licensed Water Well Contractor may do additional checks—including a records check—for more information about abandoned wells. A Licensed Water Well Contractor is required to abandon wells using proper techniques, equipment, and materials to ensure quality and safety. Protecting the quality of water you consume is as important as having access to water itself. Let’s keep it safe! Cap it, plug it!
Groundwater Quality
A large percent of Florida depend on groundwater for their basic drinking water supply.
Understanding how groundwater quality affects every day usage can help ensure that your well is properly supplying water for your household.
The most common problem associated with groundwater may be hardness, generally associated with an abundance of calcium and/or magnesium dissolved in the water. Hard water has not been shown to cause health problems, but can be a nuisance as it may cause soap curds and deposits to form on pipes and other plumbing fixtures. Over time this can reduce the diameter of the pipes.
Other Groundwater Issues:
- A “rusty” or metallic taste in water is a result of iron, and sometimes manganese, in ground water. They not only create a bad taste, but they also can stain pipes and clothing.
- A “rotten egg” smell coming from your water indicates the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas. Along with creating an unpleasant odor and taste, sulfides cause corrosion to plumbing and darken water.
- Silica comes from the weathering of silicate minerals in the ground. It causes no harmful effects to humans, but large amounts can cause scaling in pipes that impacts water flow, and it can interfere with iron and manganese removal.
The National Ground Water Association recommends that water well owners have their wells checked and tested by a certified and/or licensed well contractor every year to ensure water safety. In between annual inspections, well owners should look for signs that a professional should be called sooner.
Routine inspection of a water well system can help ensure it is operating properly, prolong its useful life, and protect your investment. Most importantly, inspections can protect your health by discovering issues that could result in water quality problems presenting a health risk.
