On-site drilled and cased water wells generally service most private drinking water systems, but in some cases, these private systems can be serviced by rainfall capture, streams, lakes, springs, cisterns, or old hand-dug wells. Private water systems do not usually have significant treatment systems beyond basic particle filtration and perhaps UV Disinfection, but in some cases, these systems require a combination of water treatment, such as oxidation and filtration, water disinfection and neutralizing filter, reduction of trace metals like Arsenic, Iron, and Manganese, Aeration/Oxidation filtration systems, Granulated Active Carbon, and in some cases Reverse Osmosis.
If you have a private water well or source and share a well with less than 25 people or less than 15 service connections, you have a private Well Water system or a Private Water System. In most cases, your system is not regulated by the federal or state government, and it is up to you to ensure your drinking water provides a safe, reliable, and healthy source for you and your family.
The water quality from your well is a function of the local geology, historic and current land use, well construction approach and standards, current and past climate, and how the system was designed and used. We strongly recommend that all private well owners get a Neighborhood Environmental Hazard Report.
Dug/Bored wells are holes in the ground dug by shovel or backhoe. They are lined (cased) with stones, brick, tile, or other material to prevent collapse. Dug wells have a large diameter, are shallow (approximately 10 to 30 feet deep), and are not cased continuously.
Common private well configuration and an explanation of components
Driven wells are constructed by driving pipe into the ground. Driven wells are cased continuously and typically relatively shallow, i.e., less than 50 feet. They are commonly located in the unconsolidated aquifer.
Drilled wells are constructed by percussion, rotary-drilling machines, or muddy rotary drilling. Drilled wells can be thousands of feet deep and require casing installation to hold back the unconsolidated material and unstable portion of the borehole.
Related: Protect you well with Well Seal
Springs are magical areas where water comes to the ground surface? No! Springs are areas where the water elevation in the watershed is at or above the ground surface, and the groundwater naturally discharges to the surface.
Is spring water always pristine and not contaminated, so there is no need to test it? NO! NO! and HE** NO! Spring water should always be tested, and it is not uncommon for spring water to have a problem that may include a microbiological agent.
Cisterns (Rainwater/ Stored Well Water/ ) This approach to managing water dates back to the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age), i.e., the last century of the Stone Age or up to 9000 BCE (Gregorian calendar—Before the Common Era). Early cisterns were typically associated with openings/depressions in the local bedrock and used for agriculture and storing surface water.
A cistern is a watertight tank that collects and stores water for later use. It is typically made of reinforced concrete, cinder block, precast concrete, fiberglass, NSF 61-approved material, and even steel. If the water source is from the roof, the gutters and downspouts usually funnel rainwater into your cistern. The water can then be used as a supplemental or emergency supply for fire suppression or landscape irrigation.
Cisterns are also used to store recycled gray water in homes for flushing toilets or irrigating the landscape. Typically, cisterns are more common in older homes that do not have a well or spring water source and when there is no local community or public water system, but cisterns are becoming more popular. The primary reason for the increased interest in cisterns is a combination of new interest in Rainwater Harvesting and an attempt to reduce water usage for landscape irrigation.
Microbiological agents range from single-cell organisms to small living things such as Bacteria, Total Coliform Bacteria, Parasites, Protozoans, Fungi, Molds, other Waterborne Pathogens, and Viruses.
The most common metals that impact well water quality include Arsenic, Aluminum, iron, and Manganese. However, if the well water is acidic, the system may have Corrosive Water with elevated levels of Cadmium, Copper, Lead, nickel, and Zinc.
The most common Dissolved Salts include Sodium, potassium, Chloride, Sulfate, calcium, Fluoride, Barium, Lithium, and magnesium.
Examples of Gases are Methane, carbon dioxide, Sulfur, and Radon.
Organic can include Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOCs), Man-Made Compounds (PFAS), Herbicides, Pesticides, Natural Organic Materials, and Tannins/Lignins.
Radionuclides in Water include Radon, Uranium, Radium-228, Radium-226, Alpha, and Beta Particles.
Get Your Drinking Water, Well Water, or Irrigation Water Tested
