3 Things To Expect As The Age Of Your Operational Water Well Goes Up
When a well is initially installed, great lengths are taken to choose the right spot in an area where there is ample groundwater available. Great measures are taken to ensure the water in this well is clean enough and satisfactory for human consumption. Because of all of the work that goes into installing a new well, you are likely to be quite pleased with your well in the first few years of use.
However, as the well starts to get a little older, it is not at all uncommon for there to be a few issues. If you have an aging water well on your property, there are a few downfalls you should just expect as the owner.
Expect changes in water availability.
Just because the area where the well was place years ago was once rich in water, it does not mean that it will be that way for the long term. Water levels can change beneath the ground pretty consistently, especially if you use a great deal of water for your well on a regular basis. It is for this reason that some property owners will have several different well sites over the course of their ownership of the property; a new well will occasionally have to be dug because the old well has dried up.
Expect to have to test your water quality more frequently.
Older wells become a little more prone to contamination than newer ones due to general deterioration of the well housing and inner structure. Additionally, underlying changes in ground composition can lead to water filtering into the well from new areas. Because of this, it is best to test the water quality of your well on a more frequent basis once it has been in operation for a few years. There are service companies that offer maintenance for wells that can test the water.
Expect to see higher levels of mineral deposits in your water.
Water that comes from a natural source contains the minerals that come from the surrounding ground it funnels through; there's no way around that unless you have a water filtration system in place. In the beginning, you may notice very little mineral content, as most of it will be invisible and flavorless. However, older wells tend to develop larger quantities of these minerals inside, which will get pushed into your water supply and be more noticeable. In some case, a good cleaning of the well by a licensed contractor can flush out some of these excess minerals, but not always.
