Property owners often take their wells for granted and assume they’re pumping out an ample amount of clean, quality water. However, drought can decrease the water levels of private wells and their water output can reduce over time as well. Not sure if your well is running dry? Most of the time it’s a pump problem or something not quite as substantial, but here’s how to tell.

Signs Your Well Has Run Dry

Your property’s water well may be suffering from drought conditions and drying up if you notice one of these common symptoms:

A Change in Taste

When the water level of a well falls, the water quality can be affected due to the sediment and other deposits sitting collected at the bottom, causing an odd smell or taste. If you notice a change in the water quality of your well, the water depth may have dropped.

Murky or Muddy Water

Similarly, if your well water was once crystal clear but now comes out muddy or murky, it’s usually a clear sign of a drying well.

Pump Runs Longer

The longer your well pump runs, the harder it’s having to work to build up pressure and pump the water out. If you notice your pump running for longer periods of time or switching on and off more frequently, it may be an indication of the water dropping and beginning to run out.

Faucets Begin Sputtering

If the faucets in your home begin sputtering more and more frequently, there is air in the plumbing system. Although a pipe leak or weakening check valve may be to blame, it can also signal a drop in the well’s water level.

Neighbors Also Report Water Problems

Discuss your water issues with the neighbors to determine if they’re having similar problems. If they are, it could indicate a falling common water source.

If you’ve noticed any of these signs, it may be wise to check the depth of your well water. To perform this quick and easy test, simply take off the cap, toss a cube of ice down the pipe, and count how long it takes to hear it splash at the bottom. Then, estimate the water depth using the following formula:

16 X time in seconds X time in seconds = approximate water depth

How to Fix a Dry Well

Homeowners have a number of options to increase the yield of their well water, so a new well may not need to be dug. Many times, the culprit is simply a misplaced water pump. Most wells feature submersible pumps, and when water drops below the pump, air is sucked in. Luckily, this is a quick fix for professionals who can quickly measure the water depth and fix the problem by lowering the pump.

The age of a well can also be to blame. Most wells have a lifespan of 20-30 years. Since sediment and mineral scale build up overtime, water output may wane over the years. If you have an older well suffering from a slow decline in water yield, it may be worth having an experienced pro like Mosman Well Works perform an inspection.

For some wells running dry, water well deepening can solve the problem and help increase yield. How so? When deepened, new fractures can emerge, and these fractures often contain water.

That being said, the odds of creating a new fracture containing water generally increases the deeper you dig. However, this isn’t always true. An experienced well construction company can thoroughly inspect your current well and property, advise you on the chances of finding more water, and help facilitate the entire project.

Helpful Tips

For optimal water quality, Mosman Well Works recommends testing the water whenever any work is done on a well. Customers should also keep invoices and detailed records of all work done. This is especially important for homeowners looking to sell their homes. In fact, some states require sellers to provide potential buyers with records of any significant work performed on wells.

Have No Fear – We’re Here to Help

Changes in your drinking water and sputtering faucets could also be the result of an electrical system issue affecting the delivery of water to the pump, and other causes may be to blame as well. A surefire way to diagnose the problem is to have a specialist, such as Mosman Well Works, come take a look. Our highly skilled technicians can quickly determine your well water issues and fix the problem. To keep your water flowing like it should, give us a call today!