Protection Tactics for Private Water Wells, Part 1

In many water well situations, the well in question is what’s considered a private well. This means it is privately-owned, for one, and also supplies water to a single private property rather than any public or commercial area – and is not regulated by the authorities for such purposes.

At Mike Zimmerman Well Service LLC, we’re proud to offer numerous private water well services for a wide range of clients, from water well drilling and installation to well repair and rehabilitation that will keep your system providing clean, healthy water in robust quantities for many years. In addition to our services, which also include testing and helping you avoid contamination, what are some of the approaches private water well owners can take to protect their wells and water sources? This two-part blog will dig into several such areas.

protection private water wells

Well Construction Areas

First and foremost, protection of your water well can trace back in several areas to the quality of the digging, construction and installation of the well itself. The well needs to be drilled to a deep enough depth, for one, and needs to be lined and grouted properly to ensure chemicals cannot penetrate the area.

In addition, the area around the well needs to be sloped properly to allow surface runoff to drain away from the well, avoiding any contaminant risk. A well cap or sanitary seal should also be installed to prevent any unauthorized access into the well.

Importance of Testing

Once a water well is present on your property, it’s vital to ensure it’s tested at least once per year, per EPA recommendations. This test should be for nitrates and bacteria, plus other contaminants like chemicals, pesticides, arsenic and others. Our team will happily perform several testing formats to help you understand if any contaminants are present in high enough amounts to concern you.

Maintenance and Records

Over the period of ownership of a private water well, maintenance should be regularly performed. Areas like disinfection and sediment removal should be carried out properly and using the right chemicals (separate from the drinking source, of course), and inspections of areas like exposed parts and storage tanks should be done regularly.

Land Maintenance

One other vital area of maintenance to keep in mind is the land surrounding the well. For instance, chemicals like fertilizers, fuel, pesticides and oil should not be mixed or dumped in the areas near the well, as they may seep into the ground and contaminate the water supply that’s filling your needs.

For more on how to protect a private water well on your property, or to learn about any of our water well drilling or rehabilitation services, speak to the staff at Mike Zimmerman Well Service LLC today.