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What If My Well Ran Out Of Water?

Have you ever wondered what would happen if your well ran out of water? Unfortunately, many people believe if they don’t want to worry about how much water they use, they only have two options. Either drill a new well or make the existing well deeper. 

A little-known secret is that there is a straightforward solution – water storage. If you’ve never heard about water storage tanks, it’s an easy solution. Ensuring your home has the water supply needed, even with a low-yielding well. 

well ran out of water

What if your well ran out of water? What are the choices if you have a low-yielding well?

1) New Well

One word; expensive. A new well doesn’t automatically guarantee the water quantity to the house will improve. In addition, changing the well will likely change the water quality, requiring an updated water treatment system. There are many reasons why storage tanks should be considered over the alternatives of drilling a new well.

2) Deeper Well

Imagine having a house with four people on a well with a pump set at 100 feet. It has a 1 GPM recovery and a static level of 20’ (this means the water is 20’ from the ground level). This home’s well produces roughly 120 gallons of water. If you pumped out all 120 gallons, you would run out of water. At this rate it would take 2 hours for it to refill completely. Imagine this same house that has chosen to extend its well and pump, set at 600’, 1 GPM recovery, and a static level of 20’. This well has 870 gallons of water. If you pumped out 120 gallons, you still have 750 gallons of water. However, what if a storage tank system could provide your home with the water quantity you want. But, at a much more economical method! 

3) Storage

Water storage is the alternative solution. A storage tank system holding a certain amount of water for household usage, is the answer. We typically like to size this storage tank to hold roughly a full day’s supply of water which varies depending on the home and how many people are using the water.   

This method is commonly used when a well does not have enough recovery to support the home. The recovery of a well is the calculation in gallons per minute (GPM) of how quickly water fills the well when water is pumped out. For example, if you pumped out 5 gallons of water and it took 5 minutes for the well to refill, the recovery would be 1 GPM. The recovery is not the only number we use when determining if a well can support a home. We also need to know how deep the well pump is set, and the static level. The static level is how far up the well the water sits when it is full of water.   

well ran out of water

Installing a storage system in a basement is straightforward, assuming the storage tank can physically fit through the doorways. A 300-gallon vertical tank is about 34” in diameter and 81” tall. For this reason, we often tie multiple, smaller tanks together. 

Once the storage tanks are in place, we feed them with the well water at a slow, steady supply that is less than the well recovery. Then pump the water back to the home using a pump. Assuming the same example as the first scenario, we could feed a storage tank system at 1 gallon per minute, and the well would never run out of water. Recovery of 1 gallon per minute doesn’t sound like much water, but when you spread that out over 24 hours (1 GPM X 60 minutes X 24 hours), it’s equal to 1440 gallons of water per day!

4) Pump

In addition to having enough water to use during the day, there is another reason people install storage systems. The water pumps we use to supply the water back to the home from the storage tanks are constant pressure pumps. Standard well pumps turn on when the pressure in the water lines drops to 40 PSI and then turn off at 60 PSI. This 20 PSI difference is often noticeable in the home. People used to city water pressure often find a weak well very irritating. The pumps we use in storage systems will maintain a pressure that we set, typically 70 PSI. The pump will maintain this water pressure despite how many fixtures are in use. 

If you worry about running out of water, you might consider adding a water storage tank and booster system. The storage and booster system allows for more water to be available when needed. In addition, the booster pump provides improved water pressure.

HOW FONTUS CAN HELP 

If you are concerned about being on a well and running out of water, FONTUS has multiple options available. There are many reasons to consider storage tanks over drilling a new well or extending a current pump. These details are all part of the discussion we’ll have when we schedule our onsite visit. In addition, FONTUS customizes storage tanks to fit a variety of applications and space available, allowing peace of mind!

In short, taking control of your water supply is easy. Schedule your free immediate-response water test today. Call (207) 856-0066 or email info@fontush2o.com to speak with the water treatment specialists at FONTUS Water Treatment.

WHAT IS A FREE IMMEDIATE-RESPONSE WATER TEST?

An immediate-response water test is a test done onsite, getting your results immediately. This test allows us to determine if and what iron levels, manganese, hardness, total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, and salinity are present in your water. By the end of our appointment, you’ll have all your questions answered. And, most importantly, you’ll have a plan in hand to make sure your water is clean and pure.

YOU CAN TRUST FONTUS WATER TREATMENT TO STAY BY YOUR SIDE

At FONTUS, we’re passionate about water purity. We pride ourselves on being reliable, hassle-free, and always available. For example, as the environment and your water change, we’re here to help evaluate your water. You can trust FONTUS to ensure clean, pure water for your home or office through testing, installation, and maintenance.

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