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If you recently purchased a home that relies on a private water well over a municipal water system, you’ll enjoy benefits such as lower utility bills and fresher-tasting water. It’s crucial to practice proper water well maintenance to ensure you drink quality water year-round. The guide below discusses important about how to keep your water contaminant-free.

What to Know About Private Water Wells

Basics of a Water Well

Most deep wells use submersible pumps rather than above-ground options. The pump removes water from the aquifer and transfers it into a pressurized holding tank, which uses compressed air to move water through plumbing pipes and into your home. A type of reservoir, the tank saves energy by preventing the pump from continually cycling.

Other important well components include the casing, or tube-shaped liner, that is made of steel or plastic. This keeps the water pure. The well screen at the bottom of the well also contributes to clean water by preventing excessive sediment infiltration. Wells additionally feature caps, or tight seals on top of the casing to keep animals, insects, and assorted pollutants out.

Maintenance

water well maintenanceWater well maintenance focuses mainly on contamination prevention. In addition to sloping the soil around your well cap to minimize runoff pollution, keep contaminants such as motor oil, fertilizer, manure, and other chemicals as far away from your well as possible. This is especially crucial if you live in a flood-prone area.

Schedule annual well inspections to check the quality and functionality of the casing, pump, and other components, and inspect the cap regularly for a secure fit.

Testing

Annual testing plays a vital role in water well maintenance. It checks for nitrates such as fertilizer, decaying plants, and manure. It also checks for volatile organic compounds, heavy metals such as iron and lead, total coliforms, and fecal coliforms, including E. coli. Well testing also checks the pH of the water to determine its alkalinity or acidity.

If your water looks, smells, or tastes odd, do not continue drinking it. Schedule water testing immediately, even if your water well maintenance team recently performed routine inspections.
 

 

Keep up with water well maintenance by contacting Dansville Water Wells. Serving Livingston County, NY, for 40 years, the company provides everything you need to maintain your groundwater source, including water well pump repairs, drilling services, and 24/7 emergency assistance. Call (585) 335-3356 to schedule water well maintenance or learn more about well services online

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