How to return an old well to service:

This article describes how to cure bad water test results or or non-potable water in an old, previously abandoned drilled steel casing water well.

Our page top photograph show an abandoned well casing at a property in Red Hook, New York. There was no well casing cap, the casing top was close to ground level, and the condition of the well was unknown.

FAQs on Returning an Old Non-potable Drilled Well to Active Use

These questions & answers about how to restore an old, abandoned well to use providing safe drinking water were posted origihnally at OLD WELL - RETURN TO SERVICE - please be sure to review the information found there.

On 2018-06-30 by (mod) - water level dropped way down in my well

John

If you use the on page InspectApedia search box just above to find our article on WELL YIELD IMPROVEMENT you'll see techniques for increasing the water flow rate or yield that are worth considering.

On 2018-06-29 by John G.

I have a well that was good for 100 gallons per minute. I watched as the drillers pump shot water 8 feet before it hit the ground with a 3 or 4 inch line. That was 11 years ago.

I put in a submersible 230V 25 gallon per minute pump running open discharge down 165 ft. Static water level WAS 6 ft. Now it cannot be seen. The pump runs dry after about 4 minutes. Sell is 200 ft deep as checked with a lead weight and fishing line. Whats the remedy?

On 2018-05-25 by (mod) - how to decontaminate an old brick well?

Mary

Detaminize? Size, capacity, flow rate, sanitation? It sounds as if you are describing a brick-lined dug well. If so, I would not assume that the water is safe to drink.

I think you are asking about well decontamination.

In that case

For a dug well, perhaps lined in brick, it makes no sense to try to shock or disinfect the well directly in my OPINION since it is impossible to keep such a well free from surface runoff and contaminants.

Instead I suggest that you have your well water tested for contaminants including

Test for bacteria

AND test for other contaminants that your local water testing company tells you are common in wells in your area

AND test for special contaminants likely to be at your property near the well such as pesticides, fertilizers, etc.

Those results will tell you what kind of water treatment equipment is needed to make the water safe to drink.

Watch out: testing for or treating just bacteria alone could leave your well water un-safe to drink.

See WATER QUALITY TEST CHOICES & WATER TEST FEES

At WELL CHLORINATION SHOCKING PROCEDURE we describe the disinfection of drilled wells - but that's a different situation from what I think is yours.

On 2018-05-25 by Mary SQUIRE

How do you detaminize a old well made of brick

On 2018-04-16 by (mod) -

Shirley

I would start by collecting a water sample from near the top of the well and another from well bottom; have those tested by a water test lab who should screen for petroleum products.

The ability to recover the well depends on part on how much kerosene was poured into the well.

IF the amount was large and the kerosene leached out of the well bottom into the aquifer during a period of low water table, recovery could be difficult.

If the kerosene remained only in the well bore it should be possible to pump out and flush the well, perhaps also santizing it.

Let me know your test results.

On 2018-04-16 by shirley

well was accidentally contaminated with kerosene 20 years ago. can it be safely recovered.

On 2018-04-04 by (mod) -

PS:
be sure to have the well casing inspected for damage since a cracked or rust-holed casing will need repair before the well can be made usable.

On 2018-04-04 by (mod) - pumping systems specifically designed to remove dirt as well as smaller rocks or pebbles from water well bores

Ronda

There are pumping systems specifically designed to remove dirt as well as smaller rocks or pebbles from water well bores. Essentially the contractor pumps water down a supply line, through a suction venturi, then back up the return line - in essence a water-operated vacuum.

The set-up includes a foot valve, well piping, and a pump, any of several types: lever pump, inertial pumps, or other designs.

The Waterra inertial pump we will illustrate below is one of the simplest methods to remove debris from a well and may be suitable depending on the diameter and depth of your well.

Contact Waterra (http://www.waterra.com/) produces inertial pumps used for this purpose.
Waterra Pumps Limited
5200 Dixie Road, Unit 17
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada L4W 1E4

tel: 905.238.5242
fax: 905.238.5704
email: sales@waterra.com

Waterra USA Inc.
5108 Mountain Home Ranch Road
Peshatin, Washington
USA 98847

tel: 360.738.3366
fax: 360.738.3399
email: waterra@openaccess.org

On 2018-03-25 by Ronda

We have the same issue. Other then our well has dirt in it. Don't know how much or how far. Or how deep well is. What can we do to get dirt out of well

On 2018-02-28 by Dusty hair

I have 4" casing wit 1/2" down pipe. Tha down pipe broke off and fell. Upon retreaving the down pipe it stopped about ten feet down and it will not move.

Can I dig around casing and cut it. How would I install new casing to the old at the cut.

On 2017-01-09 by (mod) -

Please search inspectApedia.com for

How to find the well

And you'll see some options

On 2017-01-09 by Linda Bennison

I am trying to buy a old house .I am told there is a well .what is the chep and easy way to find it

On 2016-09-24 by (mod) -

I'd follow the advice in the article above.

Review the equipment

See what works and what needs repair/replacement

Sanitize the well, piping, plumbing

Check flow rate

Articles on each of those procedures at InspectApedia will give more detail if you need it.

On 2016-09-24 by Anonymous

I'm looking to start up a well that's sat abandoned 2 years any advice will be greatly appreciated

On 2016-04-30 by Expensive well owner

A small business well driller declared our well was dry and we needed a new well. He recommended another drilling company.

This company drilled 875 feet and then checked pump in well previously used va wire was damaged to pump which he fixed and now original well is being used.

We received bill for $9200 from this company which we feel should be partly paid by original well driller who said well was try without checking pump. Do we have any legal recourse?

On 2015-07-17 by (mod) -

Rodger

I'd start by having the well casing and bore inspected by a well professional.

If the casing is intact then I'd go to a flow test to see what water the well can deliver. That'll tell us if it's usable or not. Third is of course a water potability test plus checks for other contaminants that your local lab says are common in your area.

It is likely to be much less costly to return old well to service than to drill a new one.

But also check with your local building department about well codes in your area. Basement wells may be prohibited - which could be a wrinkle at property re-sale time.

On 2015-07-14 by rodger

i am exploring the possibility of reusing a well that hasent been in use for 15 years it has a pitless adapter and is 400 feet deep with the piping and submersible still in tact in the old well is it feasible to try to restore to use or redrill a new well in a different part of the property?

Question: . I want to know if this well can meet my needs for limited use. How do I begin?

(June 11, 2011) M.R. F. said:
I also bought property with an old well. I would like to see if the well can be used for limited number of farm animals (3) or keeping landscaping inventory watered before sale. Use as drinking water is not an issue.

The well is in a well house with an old pump that used belts still attached. When the pump quit working 30+ years ago the man moved his cattle to another location with a pond.

I do not want the huge expense of drilling a new well. I want to know if this well can meet my needs for limited use. How do I begin? When I contact someone to visit the well to assess its status, what should the steps be to determin the viability of using the water for farm and not drinking?

At some point I'd like to be able to determine if expense is justified by usage before I get too far into this. Thank You M.R.F.

Reply: Checking out the flow rate of an un-used water well:

M.R. F. you will want to hook up a pump and do a draw-down test or flow rate test on the well to see if the well is functional in water quantity to start. Then, even if only livestock are drinking the water you'll want the water tested to be sure it's not going to make them sick.

If the well is a shallow well you may be able to rent or borrow an aboveground pump to do the flow test.

If it's a deep well (more than 26 feet) you'll need either a submersible pump or a two-line jet pump and enough piping to get your pump or water pickup down to a few feet from the bottom of the well.

...

Continue reading at OLD WELL - RETURN TO SERVICE or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• DRIVEN POINT WELL RESTORATION
• DUG WELL POTABILITY TEST
• WATER TEST CHOICES & WATER TEST FEES
• WATER TESTING ADVICE for home buyers and building owners: water contaminants, water test procedures, well shock procedures, preventing drinking water contamination
• WELL FLOW RATE
• WELL LIFE EXPECTANCY
• WELL SAFETY WALL & COVER

Suggested citation for this web page

OLD WELL - RETURN TO SERVICE FAQs at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER TESTING

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