Water well update

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Thanks to all that responded to my question about water wells. I thought I would update all on the latest expert advice from the local well driller.

Again, I have a well that is 165 feet deep. His options:

1) Add another pipe into the existing well and attach a hand pump. Somewhat expensive but if ANYTHING goes wrong you would need a truck rig to pull it all out (and be without water).

2) Drill another well and install casing and hand pump. Expensive and takes a lot of work to pump water up that far.

3) What seems to be the most practical solution. Dig down next to the existing well approx. 8 feet and install a 500 gallon holding tank which is connected to the existing well by a tee. Then install a hand pump into this tank. 500 gallons will go a long way. Then, if the electricity goes out, you could hook up your generator to the submersible pump and refill the holding tank. Makes sense to me. Less genny time. Costs approx. $3200.00 as opposed to $5300 for a new well. Hope this helps anyone else. Let me know what you think.

lparks

-- lparks (lparks@eurekanet.com), December 11, 1998

Answers

What happens when you run out of fuel for your generator?

-- David Hammer (davidone@worldnet.att.net), December 12, 1998.

$3200 for 500 gallons? Sheesh. Get two or three water bags for about $200 that'll hold the same amount. www.watertanks.com.

-- Declan McCullagh (declan@well.com), December 12, 1998.

I have thought about this as I am on a "comminuty" private well water system run by elec. If they install gas generaters, what will happen when the gas is gone? I plan on storing what I can in bottles, then having a back-up of two 55 gallon drums with screens ( to pull out the trash)and attach a roof run-off of rain-water to my gutter down-spout. You can later boil, treat with bleach (10 drops per gal) or use a non-elec. filter system with charcoal to make it drinkable. If worse comes to worse, there's a lake nearby. Remember to include some Immodium-AD in your first aid kit. Diarrea is the first cause of death due to bad water. If you cook with it always boil it first!!

-- Elaine Hammons (elaine_h@bellsouth.net), December 12, 1998.

David, regarding the fuel problem. I have thought about running the generator on propane. Your point however pertains to anyone with a generator. I guess it depends on how you plan to store and ration your fuel. If you use a 1,000 gallon propane tank and use it only for runnint the generator to intermittently refill the 500 gallon storage tank, it should last a long time.

Declan, the cost is significant. The water bags are certainly an adjunct to one's water supply providing you have a water source. The key is having water to place in the bags.

Elaine, as noted earlier, fuel source and storage probably ranks high on everyone's list. I'm still thinking propane is the way to go...easier to store and in larger quantities. I still would plan to use gutter collection but mainly for filling the toilets and washing the clothes. But what happens if there is a drought? We do have a pond nearby which adds another source. As you mentioned, treatment with bleach or iodine is mandatory.

-- lparks (lparks@eurekanet.com), December 12, 1998.


This months' issue (Jan/Feb) of Country living has the plans for an emergency pump you can make for about $20 that can be used to take water from an existing well when there is no electricity or the pump fails. It looks like the type of thing you would be real happy to have if there was a failure.

-- Rick Evans (vrevans@bigfoot.com), December 20, 1998.


Rick, Please give more info on country living emergency pump.

-- More Dinty Moore (Not @this time.com), December 21, 1998.

Someone said they discovered that Country Living pump could not lift except from a very shallow water table. Sorry I don't recall the details. But a reminder to try out whatever we'll be depending on and use it for a while, so we can know what works -and what doesn't. And make any needed adjustments, etc. Another example. A couple had bought an Alladin lamp but not tried it and were very surprised to learn how very hot it gets. (Will scortch wood a yard away, I think.)

-- Shivani Arjuna (odnsmall@aol.com), March 30, 1999.

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