Old wells

[bczoom]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Locally, when "city water" goes in, the old wells are supposed to be condemned, made non-useable and certified as inoperable by the health department. Therefore, the property owner would not be able to get a permit issued for the well work. )</font>

Do you (or anyone else) know if this is generally the norm? I searched all over PA's sites and found nothing that requires a well be shut down when public water is installed. I keep both to my house and switch back-and-forth based on volume needs.

 

[Chuck52]

That permit part may well be true here. I live in the "urbanized" county in this area. The inspectors can get pretty strict and petty if they want to. I bet I could get a permit to use the wells for a ground source heat pump, but might have problems just using one of them for water. That kind of non-intuitive reasoning is part of the permit process. I know the idea is to prevent possible cross connection of the district water and the well water, but if I was stupid enough to do something like that I could also be stupid enough to cross connect my water and heat pump lines, or even my water and sewer lines.


Uh oh. I see possible inspection rants coming.
Chuck

 

[dummy]

I think (big trouble there) local codes affect this more than anything else (probably a money maker issue). Some places might only require backflow prevention, some nothing. And sometimes, things sneak through the cracks /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I looked around a little and found these for your reading pleasure

water wells help desk

 

[Junkman]

I know of a person that built a new home and had a well drilled. The city water pipes are old and it is alleged that they are cement/asbestos construction. When he applied for the permit, he used this as the reason and was given the permit without question. He doesn't have a city water line into the home, but does have a fire hydrant in front of it. I can see no reason that the city government would want to restrict the use of an existing well, unless the city sewer fees are tied into the cost of the water used. I know that is how it was in our town. People that have nurseries that water a lot of plants get taxed on that water in the form of a sewer fee, even though the water never gets into the sewers.

 

[Chuck52]

No sewer system anywhere near our place, so we don't have that concern. Actually, I kind of wish they'd bring in a district treatment system because our septic system needs a new drain field and I have been told that if I apply for a permit for a new field I'll almost certainly be required to install a new tank because mine is smaller than the new codes call for. Another one of those gotchas.

Chuck

 

[Highbeam]

In my city here in Washington. I allow a well to remain in place and even used depsite the home being hooked to our city water. The trick is that the well may not be used to plumb the house. This is a cross connection issue. I actually have to send an inspector to verify that the well is diconnected from the old plumbing to the home.

The old wells are used for irrigation or farm uses. Some for industrial uses. Our city water also comes from wells so if that old well gets contaminated then the city system gets contaiminated.

I am a property rights kind of guy and I know that an old farmer paid big bucks to have that well drilled. He owns the well and so I feel bad forcing him to abandon it. The procedure for abandoning wells involves filling them with concrete. The rules for well use and abandonment vary greatly across the country and they aren't going to get any more leniant as time goes on.

 

[bczoom]

I was over at the neighbor digging this morning. We talked about the well. He said it's a water company policy/rule that you cannot have a well and their water connected (not a state or local rule).

I think I'm OK since the public water supply has 2 shut-off valves in the basement as well as a 1 way valve inbetween. When I'm running my well, both manual valves get shut. There's no way my well water can get past all that.

 

[Highbeam]

Sorry if my post sounded lame. I work for a small city and consider the systems my responsibilty. The inspection must show no connection from the well with the home, valves or not. Unless the pipe is actually disconnected at the casing, we get pretty picky about this one.

 

[SPIKER]

buhighbeam:

that is what back flow preventers are for, similar to a check valve, the city system SHOULD be at or above 60 lbs to prevent any contamination from getting a foot hold inside the pipes. it is required around ohio to have these check valves/ backflow preventors installed up stream of the meter and is usually the citys equipment (some do charge a feeuntill it is paid for though depending onn city charter & regualtions.)

anyhow there is a good concern about certain terrousts activities that most people are not aware of and that is pne of the primary reasons for higher pressures to KILL BACTERIA which could be introduced and prevent any from taking any footholds.

Mark

 

[PSDStu]

I just got done clearing about 3 acres of my heavely forested land and discovered this old well head.

There was an old farm house there 50 or so years ago, but nothings left of it except some of the old block foundation.

I haven't had a chance to do much tinkering with this well yet, but I might see what type of shape it's in and see if there's any chance I could use it for an irrigation system.

If anyone can take a look at this picture and tell me anything about it that would be great.

Stu