Wells and water quality

[JCIT]

We have a Grade 2 "medley" (some late 1700s, some later, some mid-70s) house. The house faces directly onto a pavement next to one of the main roads into our market town. Whilst searching for a drain, we lifted a manhole cover in what was the sitting room. The manhole cover is covering a 9m deep well, about 1m in diameter (round ish shape, brick lined but the interior is not shaped) and with about 7m depth of water in it. The well is about 15-20m back from the main road. There is pipework that suggests that the well was in use perhaps up to the mid-70s.

There is a film on top of the water, which otherwise looks reasonably clear.

We're about to start a refurbishment. We'd like to use the water for flushing the toilets, for watering the garden and possibly for other uses.

Does anybody know whether you can clean a well? My builder has suggested pumping it out (about 22 tonnes of water!) but to my mind that risks leaving the muck behind.

Thanks.

 

[Tom]

You can have the water quality tested and, if necessary, use filters to bring it back into use.

 

[worms]

Pumping it all out and seeing what comes back in, seems a good start. If the water gets well mixed as part of the process, you should get rid of the surface film. I wouldn't get it tested until after you've gone through the cleaning process, so you know that any results relate to what is likely to be coming in to refill it.

 

[middi]

Hi

As DWB says the water should be tested if you consider drinking it.

I personally would stear well clear of drinking it unless I was absolutely sure that the water in the well was spring fed, knew it's source and then tested. In the (unlikely!!) event that it is ok to drink you have to repeat the tests at frequent intervals to make sure it stays so.

Being so close to a road polluted puddles would inevitably seep through to the water table and then into the well. I do not think that it would have the chance to "filter" naturally into clean water.

If you do not intend to drink or cook with it, I would not waste any money about cleaning the well, just put a pump in it and direct it to the amenity services.

Middi
Middi

 

[JoceAndChris]

Sound advice above, which pretty much is what we've done. We bathe and flush loos with untreated rainwater and drink and cook with the well water ( not on mains) which goes through a new filter system as it was found, this year, to contain the dangerous form of e coli. (we'd been absolutely fine drinking it though!)

I wouldn't bother pumping it all out if it's just for loos.

 

[Flyfisher]

What does 'film' in this case actually mean? Could it just be a thin film of dust falling from the upper wall of the well?

I tend to agree with the previous comments. The well has clearly been there for many decades and I'd expect the water content to be completely stabilised with the surrounding geology, so emptying it will probably make little difference because it'll refill with the same water content as before, whatever that may be.

I think it would be a good idea to have the well water analysed initially, just to be sure there was nothing really nasty in there (like the outflow of the heavy-metals factory up the road :wink: ), but if it's OK then I can't see much value in pumping it all out.

Assuming the house is already on mains water then I'd retain that for my potable water and, if so desired, use the well water for other functions where potable water isn't required. This assumes a water meter is fitted to the mains supply though, otherwise there would be no cost savings.

It sounds like all this has the makings of the best of both worlds; guaranteed clean, potable water for consumption, and (hopefully) clean-ish, no-cost water for everything else.

 

[Penners]

I absolutely agree with all the good advice above. I wouldn't consider the water for drinking or cooking, assuming that you're already on the mains. But for flushing toilets, etc. I would just go ahead and arrange a pumping system.

However, I would have it analysed before using it to water the garden (particularly if you're growing vegetables) or for domestic washing.

Afterthought: I wonder whether there are any regulations about having the water analysed before you discharge it into a public sewer. It might be advisable to check.

 

[Onetap]

Lucky you. Just get a pump and run the water down the drain for a few hours. You can try to pump it out, but it will fill up again, that's what wells do. I wouldn't pump it dry either, the water pressure is counteracting the pressure on the walls of the well. The brickwork has gaps in it, so there will be sediment carried in with the water. Do not be tempted to climb down the well, there are lots of risks with heavier than air vapours, loose masonry, etc.

You can get the water quality tested; I think the water supply companies have laboratory services or look on the internet. I'd get it checked if you want to use it for the garden.

 

[Lime]

The problem with old wells so near the street sewer is one of contamination.
All street sewers leak into the surrounding water table to some extent.
Hence there is a possibility of dangerous contamination of the well.
A test today will not protect you from germs seeping from the sewer tomorrow.

I would not use the water.

 

[JCIT]

All,

Many thanks for the swift replies.

No intention of using it for drinking / cooking. Could be interested in using it for bathing / showering. When we lifted the (not sealed, not airtight) manhole cover there was no stench.

Key point appears to be to test it. Will test from a couple of depths.

Next time I have the lid off, I'll take some photos and post them...

Again, many thanks.

 

[citizensmith]

I too have been contemplating using our well water, but to keep a pond filled/topped up if i ever get around to digging it. Our well is about 5ft diameter and about 10ft to water then a further 50ft to the bottom (i plumbed it with a rope, knots and a horseshoe weight and was amazed how deep it was. Local contamination though could be from spray/fertiliser on the large arable fields that surround us so would it be OK for a pond?

 

[worms]

Could be interested in using it for bathing / showering.

Using it for a shower without some form of in-line purification might raise new risks as you will then create an aerosol and inhale any potential contaminants. I'd restrict it to grey-water uses - toilet/garden etc.

Local contamination though could be from spray/fertiliser on the large arable fields that surround us so would it be OK for a pond?

Risk is probably only that of raised nitrogen and phosphate levels, which might lead to over growth of algae/weed in the pond. I'd go for it and then manage any resulting pond problem if it arises.

 

[Feltwell]

Worms beat me to it on the shower comment. Mind you, I spent a good portion of my youth swimming in the river at Hockwold in Norfolk (FF will know where I mean - down the lane by the side of the church). The surrounding fields all drained into that - so no doubt lots of phosphates etc - plus a herd of cows were on the opposite bank, so all their waste matter would have been draining in as well - but I survived!

Wandering predictably off-topic, have you seen "natural" swimming pools? There was one not far from where I used to live, the owner really had made a beautiful job of building it. This sort of thing - so much nicer than a "normal" chlorine laden swimming pool:-

http://www.naturalswimmingpools.com/

 

[worms]

Worms beat me to it on the shower comment. Mind you, I spent a good portion of my youth swimming in the river at Hockwold in Norfolk (FF will know where I mean - down the lane by the side of the church). The surrounding fields all drained into that - so no doubt lots of phosphates etc - plus a herd of cows were on the opposite bank, so all their waste matter would have been draining in as well - but I survived!

I wouldn't be so concerned about chemical contaminants from fields or even animal faecal contaminants in flowing water. But some of the more obscure, opportunistic, free-living beasties that might lurk in still water, such as Naegleria fowleri, would be pretty nasty to have in your shower. Very rare but not worth risking.

 

[JoceAndChris]

It appears this thing likes warm water though?
http://www.suite101.com/content/naegleria-fowleri-deadly-amoeba-a30961

I'm worrying about our yellow baths now.

 

[worms]

It appears this thing likes warm water though?
http://www.suite101.com/content/naegleria-fowleri-deadly-amoeba-a30961

I'm worrying about our yellow baths now.

Yes, that particular beastie much prefers warm water and cases in UK are very, very rare. The classic UK case involved three toddlers in Bristol, splashing in a muddy puddle on a warm August day in 1969. Ground water might never reach the warmer temperatures but probably won't experience the coldest ones either and the OP could have water draining from below a tarmac surface which could get quite hot in summer. Who knows? But I stand by my assertion that grey water should be used for grey uses.

 

[Flyfisher]

Mind you, I spent a good portion of my youth swimming in the river at Hockwold in Norfolk (FF will know where I mean - down the lane by the side of the church). The surrounding fields all drained into that - so no doubt lots of phosphates etc - plus a herd of cows were on the opposite bank, so all their waste matter would have been draining in as well - but I survived!

We're fortunate to have a river as part of our boundary and Mrs FF spends hours swimming in it during the summer. Really, that is no exaggeration; she dons a wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins and will spend a whole afternoon gently swimming against the flow watching the trout, chub and crayfish.

'Wild swimming' is a very up-and-coming sport.
http://www.wildswimming.co.uk/

Having said that, rivers can harbour Weil's Disease (leptospirosis), which can be very nasty if not treated in time, but FF junior has spent half his life messing around in rivers and lakes and seems to be unscathed.