MAINTAINING PURE WELL WATER IS WELL WORTH IT
A number of things homeowners can do, but major maintenance requires pro help
Water is the source of life — and as a contractor I know that you can’t build unless you’ve got a clean and reliable source of water.
For many of us in the city, we can rely on our municipal water systems, trusting that the water we use daily is properly treated, and kept free of contaminants.
But what if you live far enough out of the city?
How do you get clean, usable water?
Well, for many, their property will have a well that’s designed to pull usable water from an aquifer, an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock. This groundwater is extracted through your well.
When it comes to keeping your well, well, here’s what you can do to keep it pure, and when to know it’s time to call in a pro.
MAJOR WELL MAINTENANCE
We all need clean, safe water — that’s a fact.
If your water supply comes from a well, you’d better know how to keep it pure.
There are some projects I’d never mess with on my own, and my well water is one of them. When it’s time to service your well, leave it to the pros.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could make the prob- lem even worse.
Having a regular inspection of your well performed is just smart thinking.
Regular inspections can help you catch potential issues and, most importantly, can protect your families health by discovering any problems with the water quality that may be risky.
November is Radon Action Month, so you’re going to hear me talk about radon a lot — and why we need to keep it out of our homes.
It’s the No. 1 cause of lung cancer among non-smoking Canadians — and there’s no way to know if your home has it without testing for it.
Did you know that your well water can create an access point for radon to enter your home?
If it’s in your water supply, when you shower, run the dishwasher or do laundry, you could be releasing radon gas into your home, which can pose a serious health risk.
If there’s radon in your well water, you can treat it right at the source.
Installing an aerator can strip trapped gases right out of the water supply without using more chemicals.
While there are products on the market that let you treat the radon from the point of entry (like on your taps, or under the sink), these will only treat a small part of your water without actually reducing the radon level in your water supply.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
While you should leave your major well work to the pros, there are a few things you can do to keep your well water protected. I would treat my well like I would my foundation.
That means you want to make sure the land is properly graded to slope away from the well, and never let snow and debris pile up against the well.
You want to do everything you can to prevent surface water from running toward your well instead of away from it.
You’ll want to have the well professionally inspected yearly, but it’s important to know the signs it’s time to bring in a pro much sooner.
Make sure you understand what kind of regular maintenance your well needs — and keep a log of your service and maintenance checks.
In case you experience any flooding around your well, it’s a good idea to have the water tested.
If any contaminants getting into the well from surface water flooding, you’ll want to know as soon as possible if your water quality has been affected.
Check your well cap or cover often to ensure that the seal is intact and watertight.
Keep any growth around the well cut back. Any vegetation within about 10 feet (three metres) should be carefully cut away, taking care not to damage the well system.
If your water pressure is fluctuating, or the pump cycles on and off, it could be a sign that the well isn’t producing as much water and it may be time to abandon the well and build a new one.
Finally, your nose knows — if you can see, smell or taste a problem with your well water, it’s time to call in an expert.