Well type(s) question?

[DirtPoor]

I'm looking at a new country property that has it's own well. Either the seller doesn't know anything about the well or is hiding something.

I suspect it is just a shallow well or a well point. I have seen the pump in an out building (not at the well head) and it is what I would call a "Jet Pump". A centrufigal pump with a eductor jet on the suction face. Then a pressure tank.

I had a "Jet pump" like this in a shallow well point when I lived in a 3rd world country. I think the suction lift is limited to about 30 ft.

What I can see of the well head, about 30 ft from the pump room. It is covered with insulation blanket and is a 1 1/4" black PVC pipe going towards the gound. No indication of a well casing, but I couldn't dig around with the RE looking over my shoulder. Seller is a non-resident/not present to answer questions.

The reason I'm concerned, is because the well is located about 4 feet from the edge of a brook (more like a marshy wet land). This small water way seems to originate in or pass through a cow pasture across the road (200 yards away).

Since I lived with a shallow (12-16ft) well point system while living in the Philippines, with no ill effects, my main concern here might be the effect of the livestock contamination. That could be a factor if this well is deriving in water source from the aquifier of this wet land. I would suspect that the well depth should be at least 30-60 ft to avoid this surface water contamination.

The deal is looking very attractive for this property purchase but drilling a new well could be a deal breaker.

Thoughts, opinions or experiences welcome.

Steve

[jimbrown]

My thoughts. Sounds like a shallow well maybe less than 50 ft. I would not even consider drinking this water. Personally any well less than 100 ft I would consider to be surface water. I doubt that there is any aquifer at less than 100 ft just trapped surface water. Just for information jet pumps are capable of pumping from 150 ft or so but it requires a foot valve at the bottom of the well basically the jet is moved from the pump to the bottom of the well you pump water down the well to get water out the top. Don't know about where you live but here in Arizona the state keeps records on all wells and can provide full info on the well and who dug it. You might look on the pressure tank or pump and see if the installer left his name and try and get some info from him. Me I would be looking at drilling a new well for drinking water. This one might be alright for other uses.

[DirtPoor]

Thanks for the information on the Jet Pump set up, I now remember the option of putting the eductor Jet on the bottom of the wall pipe and if I go back to investigate further, I will look for the extra water line going down the well casing. I should note that I didn't really see the eductor Jet attached to the pump body. The pump room was dark and from the door way it appear the be the same pump I had on my well 30 year ago, on a 16 ft well and I didn't think to look for the jet..

Your right about surface water not being an aquifer. (miss use of the word).

I am going to request some well information tomorrow and maybe a water test before I make an offer. I doubt that there will be any county records since this house was built 60 years ago and if the well has since been redrilled over this period, no permit would have been required.. Proof of well and water quality and quantity are only required for new construction.

The house is presently a rental but I understand the tenant is the owners daughter, so I'm not going to count on any reliable information there.

The property is large enough and well situated for a second residence and it already has a (to me) a highly desireable 1260 sgft out building for all my toys. If I can get any price consideration towards a new well then that would go a long way towards the building of a second residence (sharing the new well).

Now I'm rambling (thinking out loud)! [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]

Steve

[Pat]

DirtPoor, You too might want to read some at:

http://www.wellowner.org/awaterquality/coliform.shtml

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[turnkey4099]

It could be (and sounds like it is) a shallow well pump. Actually the two types are quite commonly the same pump but he shallow well just doesn't have the second line attached and the outlet for it is plugged off. You are correct that a shallow well one will only pump about 26 ft. Theory says more but reality rules.

Harry K

[Pat]

DirtPoor, Don't count on getting too much consideration for drilliing a new well if "THEY" are drinking it as they'll probably think you are "over the top." In any case I think it would be prudent to do some water testing. If you are a DIY guy there are kits to make it easy. If you want to hire it done it is not all that expensive considering the downside alternatives.

Professional test results could ease your mind or provide ammunition for some consideration toward some sort of amelioration, depending on the results. So there is some upside potential with tests and just potentially scary unknowns without.

Just because water comes from an aquifer via a DEEP well doesn't make it safe. Contaminatioin of aquifers is an increasing problem. There are places where deep well water has a "head" of foam from all the long half-life detergents used in the region over time.

Any water can be made safe. The issue is, at what cost. a reasonable tactic might be to get realistic tests performed by a recognized lab. Decide what the property is worth if the water was safe for long term consumption by humans. Get a reasonable estimate of the cost of either making the water safe or developing a new well (this assumes the region has an aquifer to tap that is good water.)

What the property is actually worth to a prospective occupant is the value with good water, minus the cost of making the water good. Just suggestions for your consideration. You are THE MAN and get to decide how to proceed.

Best of luck to you and let us know how it goes.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]