Tuscarawas SWCD: Living with a well in the country
- col-conservation-corner
- August 22, 2023
- 481
In a previous column, I wrote about the issues related to the proper development of a private water well. Today, I want to discuss steps to take to have enough water. As we noted before, nothing can ruin a perfectly good day more than turning on the faucet and having nothing come out.
However, there are other issues a homeowner may face related to his water supply that have nothing to do with how the well was drilled. Almost daily, homeowners are facing issues of low-yield wells and water issues related to some sort of contamination, either naturally occurring or possibly man-made in origin.
I work for the Tuscarawas County SWCD. Tuscarawas County has a wide range of water well yields. In the northern part of the county, we have a water well field for the city of Canton, with wells that can produce over 10,000 gal/min. And in the far southeast section of the county by the community of West Chester, it is not uncommon to have wells with yields of 0.5-3 gal/min.
Water-quantity issues can be complex issues. Usually, the issues do not relate to having too much water, but in having not enough. Large sections of the unglaciated portions of Ohio have historically low-yielding wells. Naturally occurring low-yielding wells are just that — wells that produce low volumes of water. Such wells typically will run dry if even small amounts of water are used. A well that produced 1 gal/min when it was drilled is a low-yield well. This is typically all the water the well will produce. And this is based upon the geology of the aquifer below the home.
If it is known prior to drilling that the aquifer is a low-yielding aquifer, then a well driller can take steps to make the most of what water is naturally occurring. Rather than installing a 5-inch casing, which is industry standard, the driller can install a larger casing such as an 8- or 10-inch casing. These casings will hold two to four times the volume a 5-inch casing would hold. A typical 5-inch casing holds approximately 1 gal/foot, whereas the 8-inch casing holds 2.6 gal/foot and a 10-inch casing holds approximately 4 gal/foot. This means a well with 60 feet of standing water will have approximately 60 gallons of water with a 5-inch casing but will hold 156 gallons with an 8-inch casing and 240 gallons with a 10-inch casing.
In addition to using a larger casing, a driller can install a storage tank next to the well. Three loads of wash can typically use 150 gallons of water. As we saw above, our 5-inch casing only holds 60 gallons. Thus, unless the homeowner spaces out the loads of washing, the well is going to run dry. But with the installation of a timed pumping system in the well, water can be pumped into the tank from the well during low-demand times (in the middle of the night) to be used throughout the day, without ever running the well dry.
“But how do I know what my well yield is?”
One way of ascertaining approximate well yield for your area is by looking up your well log. Each well, when it is drilled, is to be tested for yield, and this information is recorded on the well log that is filed with ODNR. Every driller is required by law to send a copy of the well log to ODNR. If you do not have a copy of your well log, you can search for it online at waterwells.ohiodnr.gov/search/interactive-search.
If a well log cannot be located, approximate yields for an area can be ascertained from groundwater maps. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has groundwater maps for all the counties in Ohio. Your local Soil and Water Conservation District can assist you in finding your area on this map. The maps also can be found on the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-ODNR/geologic-survey/groundwater-resources/groundwater-maps-publications.
Ultimately, the best means of ascertaining well yield is for a well driller to come and perform a well yield test. This involves a driller coming to bail the well and then recording how fast the well recovers (fills back up). From this information a well driller can ascertain your exact well yield.
If your well simply cannot produce enough water for your needs, an alternative system such as a spring or a roof wash system may be able to be used. But these have their own peculiarities as well.
Next time we will discuss various water-quality issues water wells can have.
Lee Carl Finley is a district resource specialist with the Tuscarawas Soil and Water Conservation District and coordinates the floodplain program for the Tuscarawas County commissioners. He is a public health professional, holding his registered environmental health registration with the State of Ohio and the National Environmental Health Association.