Well Maintenance Question

Jeremiahc · #1 08/29/12, 09:44 PM

My wife and I are purchasing our homestead *cheers*, but we are pricing fixes. The septic needs to be replaced and is going to be pricey because the original one is situated 10 feet from our well. We know the well at one point was used to feed livestock, piping hooked up to multiple point in barnyard. There is no well pump, and we don't believe it was used by the last owner. We looked down it and there was a thin layer dirt (almost like a platform.) We busted it up and it fell about 10 ft to another layer of dirt. We ran a line down 25 ft and hit another obstruction. We are not sure how deep the well is, and are trying to think of ways to break up the dirt layers to see if there's water at the bottom and how deep. Any ideas? Does this more than likely mean the well is no good? Anyone have any insight as to what the cause is? For all we know kids could have been throwing dirt down it (there was a daycare on the property.)

Good news, there's a cistern that's about 20ft deep with the gutters running to it and it has a pump to it that works! It was full of water!

Thanks

geo in mi · #2 08/30/12, 08:17 AM

From where did the daycare get its water? Offhand I would say you need to invest in a new well and a new septic system, separated from each other and the cistern by a minimum of fifty feet...... And the well should be positioned away from any barnyard or animal containment.

Today's homestead needs a certain, if not guaranteed, drinking and irrigation water supply.

geo

Alice In TX/MO · #3 08/30/12, 08:40 AM

Call the County Health Department or other county services and find out what the requirements are for spacing of the well and septic system. It varies around the country.

Get a professional to look at your well. Anyone on here is guessing.

Catalpa · #4 08/30/12, 06:28 PM

You don't say what kind of well it is, drilled, steel cased, cement crock or whatever. If steel cased the 'dirt' could be flakes of the casing rusting off and bridging.

Just guessing from your description, but it sounds like you need to just move ahead with getting properly constructed well and septic installed. Do it right, do it now, and you won't have to worry about it for the future. Your infrastructure is nothing to go cheap or cheat on. Nothing's more important than a safe, reliable water supply and keeping your waste from contaminating your environment.

Scary about the daycare! The place had no business using a defunct well with barnyard connection to provide water for the kids, or for leaving a well open where kids could access it. Doesn't anyone remember baby Jessica?

RonM · #5 08/30/12, 06:59 PM

We need to be at least 100 ft apart...

agmantoo · #6 08/30/12, 07:03 PM

Does this well have a casing? If so what is the diameter of the casing?

Jeremiahc · #7 08/30/12, 08:50 PM

We understand the septic and well have to be at least 50ft away (100ft for the drainfield). Our septic is going to be pricier because of having to move it away from the well, up hill, and redo the plumbing into the house, $2000 more. However, if the well is no good, we will replace the existing septic system in original location, fill in the well and save the money. I know there are so many variables, but do you have any ideas what putting in a new deep well can run?

It is a deep well, aprox. 5" wide. We didn't measure, and have not yet closed, so I will check the next time we go out. I also did not notice the casing material.

The house is connected to rural water, but I would like to have a water supply to water the animals with- and us incase of an emergency. Hello Berkey water filter.

The Well was not maintained (and probably not even used) by the last owner. I called a well company, they have yet to get back with me.

Thanks for the input. I'm trying to get connected to the right people. I had someone recommend not going to the county for samples, because that could give them an opportunity to decide the well has to be filled in regardless of what my other options might be.

geo in mi · #8 08/31/12, 08:10 AM

I just had a ballpark quote from my well guy when I was having pump problems. A drilled 4' well with submersible pump piped into the current pressure tank and using the same pipe run to the house from the well pit--plus mandantory closing of current well casing with Bentonite was about $5k, that would be about $100/foot..........

geo

Alice In TX/MO · #9 08/31/12, 08:47 AM

Do not put a septic system uphill from the well. Ever.

In my county in Texas, installing a septic system requires a design by a sanitary engineer. Money well spent.

old school · #10 08/31/12, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geo in mi

I just had a ballpark quote from my well guy when I was having pump problems. A drilled 4' well with submersible pump piped into the current pressure tank and using the same pipe run to the house from the well pit--plus mandantory closing of current well casing with Bentonite was about $5k, that would be about $100/foot..........

geo

Man that is a deep well,Ilove well water.So you had to close off one pipe to the well?

**highlands** · #11 08/31/12, 12:07 PM

water pipe is cheap. I would put that well a lot further away in an area it won't get polluted by your septic or by anyone else. How much land are we talking? I just put in a water line that's over 2,000' long. It's just a matter of dragging it out. Burial is optional and really not that hard to do. Rent a backhoe or dig it by hand depending on the length, your back and soils.

Water Line Pull | Sugar Mountain Farm

michael.hickman · #12 08/31/12, 01:54 PM

Our well pump went out two weeks ago, so we had it replaced at around $500. As we were putting the new pump back in, the well started caving in. After two weeks without water, the driller showed up and dug a new well. It was $10 - foot for drilling and $12 - foot for casing.

Wolf mom · #13 09/01/12, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geo in mi

I just had a ballpark quote from my well guy when I was having pump problems. A drilled 4' well with submersible pump piped into the current pressure tank and using the same pipe run to the house from the well pit--plus mandantory closing of current well casing with Bentonite was about $5k, that would be about $100/foot..........

geo

When I had my well put in, the cost was about the same - here in AZ.

wwubben · #14 09/01/12, 08:35 AM

I believe an acreage in Iowa has to have an approved septic system provided by the seller in order to sell the property.Every county has a sanitation person.Check with them.Your well may be sealed.I would get a well man to check it out.Having rural water hooked up makes it probable that the well is shot.

Jeremiahc · #15 09/01/12, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwubben

I believe an acreage in Iowa has to have an approved septic system provided by the seller in order to sell the property.Every county has a sanitation person.Check with them.Your well may be sealed.I would get a well man to check it out.Having rural water hooked up makes it probable that the well is shot.

Yes, generally so. However, this is a foreclosure, so they/we are exempt from the normal septic requirements. We had the sanitarium come out and look at the septic, I don't think he does much with wells as far as seeing if they are any good other then the requirements the county has (water testing etc.) He mentioned wanting to fill it in. He said if I want to have my cistern filled in to give him a call. Our plumber said not to mention the cistern, as the DNR is wanting all shallow wells filled in because of potential contamination from field runnoff. So the less we deal with him, the better. I don't want him poking around and making us do something with our cistern. The cistern has a pump in the basement that at one point probably supplied water to the house. It has a line that goes outside, so I'm wondering if the well has been bad for a while, and the pumps we have out in the barnyard are connected to the cistern and pump in the basement. We have to do some more poking around I guess. I have spoken with the previous owner's mother in the past about the septic (he lives with his mother at this point). They live just down the street from us, but considering the foreclosure (as a result of a divorce) I feel bad asking them a bunch of questions, seems like it is sort of rubbing it in. I'm not sure this is the case, I just don't want to ask too much of them. His mother was extremely nice and genuinely wanted to help us. Maybe I need to just give them a call again.

I called a well company, but they have yet to call me back. The receptionist said since this is not a primary water source it puts be back on the list. I guess they've got a lot right now. Could be the drought.