In certain situations, including those following improper installation or related concerns, some water wells may experience an event known as “going dry.” As the name suggests, this happens when a well’s water levels drop below the point where the well pump can adequately move water into your system.
At Mike Zimmerman Well Service LLC, we’re here to soothe your anxiety about a drying well by reminding you that this is not necessarily a permanent thing. There are steps we can take to rehabilitate your water well in several ways, including remedying wells that have gone dry and require action to restore their proper water flow. This two-part blog will discuss not only why a water well might go dry, but also the red flags that will indicate to homeowners that their well could be going dry, allowing them to call our water well professionals for assistance.
Factors in Well Water Level
There are several variables that play a role in the level of your water in your well:
- The actual depth of the well
- The underground water level in your area
- Type of aquifer the well taps (this can be either confined or unconfined)
- Pumping rate within the aquifer
- Porosity and permeability of underground rock material
- Amount of recharge taking place due to precipitation or artificial recharge
What are some of the signs your well might be drying or having issues with water level? Our next several sections will investigate.
Muddy Appearance
Is your drinking and tap water showing up muddy rather than the crystal clear aesthetic you’re used to? This is often one of the first signs of a drying well, which will begin to mix in sediment and other dirt as the water level drops to its lowest point. This water will not be healthy to drink and may cause several contaminant-related diseases or conditions, so this is an issue that needs to be remedied by our pros right away.
Taste Changes
Another early sign here will be drinking water with a noticeable change in taste. Those same sediments and other debris pieces will also impact the taste in a few potential ways, but you will definitely notice it once the amounts become large enough.
Pump Running Length
Do you know roughly how long your pump runs for? If so, and if you’ve begun to notice the well pump running for longer periods of time recently, this could be because the water level is too low. The pump struggles to pick up water from the very bottom of the well – sometimes due to human mistakes during installation, or sometimes due to unforeseen climate conditions changing.
For more on the red flags indicating a drying water well, or to learn about any of our water well drilling, repair or other services, speak to the staff at Mike Zimmerman Well Service LLC today.
