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How Does The Rain Affect My Well?

OAKHURST — This winter has proven to be a wet one. With all the rain and snow, the big question is, “Will my well benefit from this water?”

Bobbie Duncanson with Walt Bannon Drilling stated, “With all the wonderful weather we have experienced this year already, we will see the water table immediately rise in the valley. In our mountain area it will take a little longer for the water to find its way into the fractures in the granite. It will happen, though, and wells that might be on the “fence,”drill rig so to speak, will probably be doing much better very soon.”

“Just one wet year is nowhere near large enough to refill the amount of groundwater storage that we’ve lost, say, over the last 10 years or more,” said Jeanine Jones, a drought manager with the state Department of Water Resources.

Groundwater is among California’s most precious natural resources, providing about 40% of the water consumed in most years. It is an inexpensive, local source in a state where many cities rely on imported water and rural towns have no other sources. And its importance is magnified in dry years, when reservoirs fed by rivers are depleted.

In the resent drought that seems to go on forever we are thinking about how this will affect wells.

Most people with private wells don’t think about your well unless they have little to no water, stinky, cloudy, or discolored water.

Who important is it to have a well-professional inspect your well for productivity and portability? It is so important that most banks require a well report before funding a loan for a home with a private or shared well. https://www.maderacounty.com/home/showpublisheddocument/964/636476625071530000

Water Quality

The EPA does not regulate private wells, nor does it provide recommended criteria or standards for individual wells. Private well owners are responsible for the safety of their water. https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/domestic-private-supply-wells

Contaminants are classified into 4 different categories by the EPA and listed as the following:

  • Physical contaminants primarily impact the physical appearance or other physical properties of water. Examples of physical contaminants are sediment or organic material suspended in the water of lakes, rivers and streams from soil erosion.
  • Chemical contaminants are elements or compounds. These contaminants may be naturally occurring or man-made. Examples of chemical contaminants include nitrogen, bleach, salts, pesticides, metals, toxins produced by bacteria, and human or animal drugs.
  • Biological contaminants are organisms in the water. They are also referred to as microbes or microbiological contaminants. Examples of biological or microbial contaminants include bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasites.
  • Radiological contaminants are chemical elements with an unbalanced number of protons and neutrons, resulting in unstable atoms that can emit ionizing radiation. Examples of radiological contaminants include cesium, plutonium and uranium.

Equipment Maintenance

Drilling a well can be costly, so maintaining such an investment makes good sense.

The safety and purity of your drinking water and the efficient operation of your private well system depend on a well-organized maintenance plan. Protect your investment through regular inspection and testing and repair or treatment when necessary. Here are some maintenance items to consider.

Inspect your wellhead several times a year. Check the well covering, casing, and well cap to ewell equipment nsure all are in good condition, leaving no cracks or other entry points for potential pollutants.

Have the well system, including the pump, storage tank, pipes and valves, and water flow, inspected every 5 years by a licensed well contractor.

If you have no inspection record and cannot determine the age of the well, have it inspected immediately by a licensed well contractor. https://waltbannondrilling.com/

When your well reaches the end of its serviceable life, contact your licensed well contractor to install a new system and properly close the old well.

 Water storage tank

A Water storage tank can simultaneously extend the life of your well pump and help you maintain a steady supply of water at all times. Your storage tank will prevent your well pump from failing because it can hold enough water to avoid running your well pump every time you turn on the faucet.

Ma2500 gallon water staorage tank ny homes in the mountains and foothills have storage tanks that meet standers set by The National Fire Protection Association. NFPA-22 states: Water Tanks for Private Fire Protection as required by many counties for new single–family residential construction. In Madera County, Public Resource Code and Madera County Ordinance Code Section 14.35: follows the standards set by NFPA-22.

How important is GPM (Gallons per Minute)?

Every home owner with a private well loves to brag about a well-producing above-average GPM. The truth is the well pump capacity will be the maximum GPM in any well. When a well is drilled, that GPM can be upwards of 30-40 GMP. When the well pump is installed, the pump may only have a capacity of pumping 20 GPM or less, depending on the pump size.

The average American household needs 100 to 120 gallons per person daily and a flow rate of about 6 to 12 GPM. With a holding tank, the most common being a 2500-gallon tank; a low-producing well may satisfy average household use.

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