Flood Proofing
With the winter weather in the Valley, comes the annual monsoons of rain. It is very important that your well is in a flood proof condition. Flood proofing is a method of preventing groundwater and surface water, usually called runoff water, from entering your well.
To be clear, there are basically two types of wells, drilled wells and shallow wells. Drilled wells are usually a 6" steel casing that can extend hundreds of feet below the surface and utilize the deep Aquifers underground. Shallow dug wells are usually a 36" concrete rings that extend around 30 feet below the surface.
Shallow wells by their design are supposed to utilize the water that saturates the ground below the surface called the Water Table. All this water is the product of precipitation and runoff water. Runoff water picks up organic material, bacteria, pesticides, hydrocarbons and a range of other contaminants that you or your neighbors have been using around your property and can make their way into your well through entry points.
So you can see that shallow wells can be very prone to contamination. That's why we usually recommend that ALL shallow wells have some form of disinfection treatment system.
Drilled wells are not prone to these same problems provided they have been constructed properly and there are no entry points. These entry points can be improper well caps, deteriorated well seals, poorly installed underground fittings at the well to name a few. The biggest problem with drilled wells are wells that are cut off below grade and buried in the yard somewhere.
Drilled wells should be finished a minimum of 12 inches above grade with an approved water proof and vented cap on top. Wells that are below grade need to be inspected by a Certified Well Pump Installer to determine if runoff water can enter your well.
For more information visit our website or call and speak to one of our Water Treatment Specialists at: (604) 534-1115.
