Dug Well-Buying Concern

skibum · 03-29-2011, 08:03 AM

Hi Cate,

Dick is quite correct in his definition of artesian wells. I am the Water Quality Supervisor at Gilford Well, where we do everything from well drilling, irrigation, geothermal, to water treatment. By the way, there are other very reputable well and/or water treatment companies in the area.

We test water through state approved labs for banks and mortgage companies on a daily basis. They all have different parameters for their desired testing. As long as a state approved lab test passes their requirements, they are satisfied.

Dug, or shallow, wells are a perfectly viable source of water. They have their good points and drawbacks, some of which have been mentioned by previous posters here. On the plus side, it would be unusual to find high concentrations of arsenic or radon in a dug well. Arsenic is usually found in deeper drilled wells and radon is a gas which tends to dissipate in a dug well. It is also unusual to find high concentrations of hardness, iron or manganese. On the down side, dug wells are prone to testing positive for bacteria, can end up with nitrates from fertilizer runoff, and can have an acidic pH level from all the pine trees in our state. These are easily corrected with water treatment and tend to be less expensive than correcting the problems found in drilled wells. Shocking the well or installing an ultraviolet unit will take care of the bacteria. A reverse osmosis unit for drinking water will take care of the nitrates and an acid neutralizer will raise the pH. Don't forget that the well may have none of these problems and require no treatment at all.

I hope this helps and make sure that you check with your lender to find out what they require for water testing before your home inspector visits the house.

Rick

03-29-2011, 08:03 AM	#29
skibum Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 11 Thanks: 3 Thanked 10 Times in 3 Posts	Dug wells Hi Cate, Dick is quite correct in his definition of artesian wells. I am the Water Quality Supervisor at Gilford Well, where we do everything from well drilling, irrigation, geothermal, to water treatment. By the way, there are other very reputable well and/or water treatment companies in the area. We test water through state approved labs for banks and mortgage companies on a daily basis. They all have different parameters for their desired testing. As long as a state approved lab test passes their requirements, they are satisfied. Dug, or shallow, wells are a perfectly viable source of water. They have their good points and drawbacks, some of which have been mentioned by previous posters here. On the plus side, it would be unusual to find high concentrations of arsenic or radon in a dug well. Arsenic is usually found in deeper drilled wells and radon is a gas which tends to dissipate in a dug well. It is also unusual to find high concentrations of hardness, iron or manganese. On the down side, dug wells are prone to testing positive for bacteria, can end up with nitrates from fertilizer runoff, and can have an acidic pH level from all the pine trees in our state. These are easily corrected with water treatment and tend to be less expensive than correcting the problems found in drilled wells. Shocking the well or installing an ultraviolet unit will take care of the bacteria. A reverse osmosis unit for drinking water will take care of the nitrates and an acid neutralizer will raise the pH. Don't forget that the well may have none of these problems and require no treatment at all. I hope this helps and make sure that you check with your lender to find out what they require for water testing before your home inspector visits the house. Rick