A polluted well can become a severe health hazard for you and others. It can lead to innumerable diseases and act as a massive spreader of contaminants and contagious microbes. However, keeping your well safe and healthy is not that difficult. All you have to do is keep an eye on the water quality of the well and follow certain procedures to ensure its cleanliness.
In this article, we will share the main causes that contaminate your wells and the best methods to protect your well water from pollution. Let's get started.
What pollutes well water?
Before we move ahead to discuss methods to protect well water, we must learn about causes that actually cause contamination of water in private wells. Here are some of them:
Natural sources such as floods and landslides
Human activities like using pesticides, manure stockpiles near wells
Waste leakage from septic tanks
Harsh chemicals, human and animal waste
Heavy metals used in plumbing can contaminate wells
Excessive use of fluoride in wells
Lubricating oils from old pumps can seep into the water
How to Protect your wells?
1) Conduct regular well water tests
The best way to ensure that the well water is fit for drinking is by scheduling well water tests regularly. If you observe any signs of contamination, you should immediately contact the well water testing service to make sure the drinking water is safe or not. If it is contaminated for any reason, the testing services will help you implement appropriate solutions.
2) Keep an eye on activities around your well
If you own a well, it is your responsibility to be aware of activities occurring near your well, such as waste disposal, runoff water, etc.
Make a habit of examining the surroundings of your well from time to time and checking for any contaminating activities. For example, ensure that no toxic chemicals like pesticides or fertilizers are being used near the well and that your septic system is regularly treated. Also, pay attention to the news for any alerts about potential water pollutants in your area.
It is highly beneficial to maintain a buffer of 100 feet around your well and restrict the dumping of garden storage, animal waste, or chemicals in the 100 feet buffer. Also, you can install a sanitary well cap to prevent unauthorized use of the well.
3) Inspect your well
Start your inspection by checking all major parts of the well, such as the well cap, seals, and vents, for any possible leaks. If you want to ensure extra cleanliness and safety of your well water, make sure its surface seal is intact.
Furthermore, household septic tanks require pumping every three to five years for proper maintenance. Therefore, having it pumped and making such routine inspections will ensure the continued safety of the well water.
4) If the well isn’t working, hire a professional.
Lastly, if you observe that your well isn't working as it should and it is polluting the water, it is time to call a good well drilling company and get it inspected to see if you need a new well.
When you work with a new well drilling company, make sure you inform them everything about past issues with your well and water quality. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to H2O Systems Inc. at (239) 574-6611 and we will be happy to assist!