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Well Myths & Facts
Well myths are commonly expressed by the following questions.
What Is A Good Well?
A good well is difficult to determine, and impossible to tell by observation or statistical measurement (such as yield or depth), due to the unpredictability of the natural, mechanical and electrical components needed to provide water to a home. One definition of a good well is one that currently produces enough safe, clean water to your home to meet your family's peak demand consistently. But there are no guarantees that a good well today will continue to produce an adequate supply of water for your family tomorrow, or the next day.
I Have A Yield of X, Is That Good?
It is perceived that a higher yield is better, however high yield wells fail as much as lower yielding wells. Factors which affect yield and storage capacity include aquifer, construction, fractures, geology, zones and depth. Shallow wells may not have sufficient storage capacity and are affected more by droughts and surface water contamination. Consider for example which well is better assuming all are constructed properly?
| Well A yields 6 gpm, is 100 ft deep, with 1 zone, has storage of approx 150 gallons, produces 360 gal/hr, 8640 gal/day | Well B yields 3 gpm, is 200 ft deep, with 2 zones has storage of approx 300 gallons, produces 180 gal/hr, 4320 gal/ day | Well C yields 1.5 gpm, is 300 feet deep, with 3 zones, has storage of approx. 450 gallons, produces 90 gal/ hr, 2160 gal/day |
I Like The Country But Do I Have To Be On A Well?
The concerns about living on a well are typically a result of concerns regarding the unknown - including the need for maintenance and repairs, unfamiliarity with contractors, invisibility of the products themselves, as well as the importance of water in the home. Concerns include the risk of personal disruption and sudden and costly repairs. WelGardTM maintains private water systems for homeowners, reducing the risk of personal disruption and absorbs the financial concerns, making well water much less expensive than city water, while recognizing the importance of the water supply by being much more responsive to customer needs when water failures occur. In short, you can enjoy 'country living' with municipal water dependability at a lower cost!
How Likely Is It That I Will Have A Water Emergency In The Next Year?
Wells fail all the time, rain or shine, year round, drought or plentiful rainfall. Causes of well failures and system breakdowns include ground shifts, silt accumulation underground and wear The water is only useful if it is flowing into your well and to your house no matter how much water is in the ground.
No one can tell you how likely you are going to have a water emergency but consider...
- You are much more likely to have a water emergency than a fire
- Your well water system contains over 20 parts each of which can fail and cause your to be out of water
- New wells fail at a slightly higher rate than wells 5 to 15 years
I Have A New Well What Could Go Wrong?
New wells fail as frequently as older wells, and while the equipment is newer, no one can predict the natural factors which can cause a well to fail. The personal disruption is exactly the same as if your well was decades old. Regular maintenance can prolong the life of your well system. Well failures are not typically covered by your homeowners insurance.
A New Well Will Cost the Same As My Old Well
No one can tell you until the task is completed. It depends on the depth and number of holes required to achieve over 1 gallon per minute (the Maryland State minimum). Well costs have increased dramatically, whereby the well water system may be the most critical and expensive system in your home. A new well costs thousands to tens of thousands of dollars depending on depth and number of dry holes. The average new well pump will cost over one thousand dollars alone. Well repair costs are generally not covered by homeowners insurance. Typical costs are as follows:
- Average new well cost -$8-10/ per foot, cost for complete well water system is $6,000 to $10,000 assuming no dry holes
- Average new well pump - $1000 or more depending on the depth and horsepower required
- Water and electric line costs vary by foot and depth of the well, generally $500 or more
- Well water professionals earn between $75 and $100 per hour, or more for emergency service time periods (evenings, weekends)
Compare this to the cost of WelGardTM starting at less than one dollar per day.
WWSAI are the Well Professionals to meet all your well needs.
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© 2008 Well Water Security Alliance, Inc.