Well, That's a Deep Subject

Monday, Sandy and I head for Roan.  It never occured to me that my landscaping and now well project might actually run up to our time of departure.

(If this seems out of synch, it is because I am preposting, since I'm quite sure I won't have computer access at Roan.  A mixed blessing.  I'll miss it, yet it's nice to take a break now and then.)

It's been almost six weeks since the unhappy realization that I couldn't have it all:  a sprinkler system, air conditioning and running water in the house.

During the drought this spring, my existing well, a 20-year-old 2-inch rock well failed once, spewing black, sandy water through the faucets.  Then the muck clogged up the water-to-air air conditioner.  I had to have both repaired.  Then, in May, just before the end of the drought, I decide to have some landscaping done (since the front lawn resembled the surface of the moon, plus bull ants).  And when the sprinklers were on, I had almost no running water in the house. And a bit later, even when the sprinklers were off, I had precious little water pressure in the house.   The well company couldn't do much this time, and once again, I had to get the AC cleaned out.

So I got estimates for a new well.  A three-inch rock well, and an artesian well, which costs about three times as much.  Adding to the fun, just south of my house, the city is putting in city water and sewer lines.  I anticipate the next phase of the project will be my neighborhood.  If I could wait a bit longer I'd be on city water.  But how could I wait, and how long would it take?  Plus, how much would it cost now that I'm installing sprinklers...quite a few sprinklers?

So I decided to go ahead with the well, the artesian well, which should, by all accounts give me pure, clean, potable water for eternity.  The rock well would probably do as well, but the rock well would, like the one I had, deliver water with two parts per million of iron.  It may not sound like much, but the water comes out with a slight rusty tinge, and colors everything it gets on.  I have a water softener for the house, but the sprinklers would have the rusty water, and I expect that over time, it would clog up the sprinklers.  It would certainly discolor any part of the driveway or house that it got on, and even the grass. When we had hose-mounted sprinkler heads before, the grass would turn brown after a while.

The other reason for selecting the artesian well is that I've never had great water pressure in the house.  I've been promised that this will provide me with lots of pressure, and my first purchase after my account recovers from the twin insults of landscaping and well, will be a fancy, pulsing shower head.

Yesterday, I had two huge trucks on the lot to drill my well.  The huge drill worked all day, and by the end of the day, it had dug down 610 feet.  This has, naturally, made a mess of the rudimentary landscaping we had done in that immediate area.  The well company initially wanted to drill right in the middle of the new sod, on the other side of the azaleas.  That would have been real nice.

An artesian well, in contrast with a rock well, digs to water that is trapped between rock layers and is under pressure, and reaches the surface under pressure.  (Another plus is that I am told that even in the event of a hurricane or massive power outage, even if the pump does not work, there will be enough pressure from an artesian well that I will have running water in the house.  I've spent a few days without running water, and this is a big plus.)  It seems that the water table is supposed to be higher than where the well comes out, but I don't see how this is possible.  (I understand that the highest elevation in this town is a landfill).  There is no high land around this area, though I guess that is all relative.

While a pump may not be required, one will be installed in my well.  Apparently if a lot of wells are dug into an aquifer, it can decrease the pressure and a pump may be required. 

Anyway, I hope this project finishes tomorrow.  Otherwise we're into the weekend, and I have no intention of postponing my trip for a damned well.  Original estimates were that it would take three weeks, next Monday will be 6 weeks since I made my 50% deposit.

Jeez.  I can't wait to get out of town.

[Image of artesian well from Duane Moyer Well Drilling, Inc.]

Comments

[pressure washer hose]

Cool! I also want to go there and personally see it. Anyway, Thanks for sharing.

-seff-