Well, Well, Well

On: Plumbing- Water from a Well

Well, Well, Well….

If you have a well for your home’s water source, then you best be minding it this summer. Especially if it has been dry. I am not sure where you live, but here in the northeast, it has been extremely hot and humid these past few weeks. That is not unusual really. What is unusual is that we have not had much rain (depending on your exact location).

But it’s summer and you have kids at home and guests every weekend. So, you run the sprinklers to keep your lawn green. Oh, and then you fill the kiddie pool for the kids or the dogs. Since it is so hot, everyone is taking at least one, if not two showers a day. Otherwise, the house starts to stink. There are dishes to be done and cars to be washed. You get the drift. Then one day you wake up, and low and behold…. nothing is coming out of the kitchen spout. AHHHHH! Your first instinct is that the well pump crapped out, so you call the plumber. The plumber asks… “Have you been using a lot of water recently?” To which you reply, “Kind of.” Then the plumber asks, “What have you been doing?” “Well, watering the lawn, filling the pool, doing dishes, etc.” “Aha! Before I come out and replace your pump (which may or may not be faulty, try letting your well recover for a few hours or a day.” 

There are a lot of things people can do without, but water is not really one of them. Without water, there is no toilet flushing, showering, preparing meals that require any water, or doing dishes. Those are the daily basics. Outside of that, there is no watering your precious gardens- flowers or vegetables! We use water for so many things and take it for granted, until the well dries up. 

Here are a few things you might consider:

1. Let your grass grow before mowing or watering it. Unfortunately, when you are in a drought or near drought situation, you just have to accept a less than Kelly green lawn. It will only hurt your feelings for a little while. 
2. Pay the $20 and take your car to a car wash. I know, washing your baby is what you would rather do, but consider the alternatives. Wash my car or flush the toilet…. You decide.
3. Take showers at alternate times of day. If one or two of you take a shower in the morning, the others could take them at night. That way your well can recover in between. The same goes for laundry and dish washers. 
4. Call the local fire department to fill your pool instead of using your home’s supply. 

If you can look in your well and see water, and it is not flowing into the house when you open your faucet, then there may be other issues. That is the time to call your plumber and have him/her come out and see what’s going on. Of course, you can always call your plumber and they will be happy to come and tell you that your well is dry. They will also be happy to charge you for that visit. Consider taking a breath, review your recent water usage, ask some neighbors if they have been having troubles, and if you still think you are having a bigger problem- pick up the phone. 

Word to the wise. When you have a well and have not seen rain for a while…. Be mindful of your water usage no matter what time of year it is.