Well Water Maintenance: What You Should Know

Just under half of Americans use a well as their primary source of drinking water at their home. There are plenty of benefits that come with using well water, but it’s also important to note that people who have wells at their Pisgah Forest, NC property must take responsibility for ongoing water well maintenance to ensure the consistent quality of their water.

Here are just a few examples of some of the most important water well maintenance steps to keep your water safe for use:

• Keep chemicals away: Certain types of chemicals can soak through the ground and contaminate your well water. These include waste chemicals, pesticides, cleaning supplies, hazardous chemicals and gasoline. You should keep the well uphill of septic systems or fuel storage facilities, and cut down your use of potentially harmful chemicals as much as possible to avoid issues.
• Monitor the water level: You should frequently check the water level in your well so you can track how much water you’re using and how long you can expect that water to last. While measuring the water level can be a bit complicated, it’s a very important and beneficial process for long-term use of any well.
• Note changes in water qualities: If you ever notice unusual changes in the color, clarity, taste or smell of the water, this could indicate something is wrong with the filter or with the water in the well itself. You should contact a professional to come out and assess the well anytime you notice such changes to make sure the well water is still safe for you to use.
• Take care when landscaping: Whenever you mow the lawn or perform any landscaping around the well, it’s important that you take extreme care so you can avoid damaging it. Regularly check the well cover for damage—even small damage can result in unwanted debris or pests getting into the well, and damage often occurs while people are performing basic landscaping tasks.
• Check pressure control switches: The pressure control switches on your well are tasked with flipping on at a certain pressure and then turning off when it gets elevated to a higher pressure. However, the system can develop problems if it needs to be replaced, or if you’re dealing with a clogged filter. Make sure you turn off the power to the switches before you perform any work on the pressure control systems so as not to shock yourself.
• Check for bacteria: Bacteria can grow inside well water, especially if you’ve recently had well repairs, if the well was installed poorly, if you’ve experienced water contamination or have any known issues with the soil in your area. Regular treatment will help you prevent bacteria from growing, and water testing kits can help you determine if bacteria are present.

You should make it a point to have a professional well technician come out to inspect your well on an annual basis and make any necessary repairs to ensure the long-term quality of your well. For more information about keeping your well water safe in Pisgah Forest, NC, reach out to Royal Water Works, Inc.

Categorised in: Well Water