# Old Wel Back To Life?



## Ozarker (Jul 29, 2014)

Have a house that has a storage room behind the garage and what I initially thought was a drain turns out to be a well. There is no well head but it appears the casing is there. So, who knows what has drained into it over the years. The place has been on city water for decades. 

Any suggestions as to how to revive this old well? Before I spend money for pipe and a pump I'd like to check the depth (which I can do) but also the water quality. If I can get a sample I can have the water checked at the county lab, no issue. However, I can't get a well guy in since wells are not allowed in the city, the city cornered the market on water, unless it's for industrial or commercial use. I'd use the well for watering and outdoor use, not pumping it into the sewer or for emergency backup. The sewer bill is based on the water usage, so what comes in goes out and they charge me coming and going you might say. 

Suggestions?


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

Ozarker said:


> Have a house that has a storage room behind the garage and what I initially thought was a drain turns out to be a well. There is no well head but it appears the casing is there. So, who knows what has drained into it over the years. The place has been on city water for decades.
> 
> Any suggestions as to how to revive this old well? Before I spend money for pipe and a pump I'd like to check the depth (which I can do) but also the water quality. If I can get a sample I can have the water checked at the county lab, no issue. However, I can't get a well guy in since wells are not allowed in the city, the city cornered the market on water, unless it's for industrial or commercial use. I'd use the well for watering and outdoor use, not pumping it into the sewer or for emergency backup. The sewer bill is based on the water usage, so what comes in goes out and they charge me coming and going you might say.
> 
> Suggestions?


Call Leftys pump and drilling. Great people we have done business with since the 60s. He will give you the correct advice.


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## Ozarker (Jul 29, 2014)

Thanks! I think they were the ones that put the well in at the lake, I'll give him a call and talk to him. Seems there is a requirement for licensed drillers to report well locations, that's why I hesitated, but he's a good guy, thanks again.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Sounds like you got it figured, the only thing I would say is that there is no guarantee that the water quality won't change after being pumped, in fact you can almost count on it. If it tests good while stagnant then that would certainly be a good sign but it will likely get better with some serious pumping or a shock treatment, it could also possibly get worse.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Here is an option to get started. You can have the water tested and possibly have it tested again after having pumped from it for a bit.

https://www.lehmans.com/p-1384-lehmans-own-galvanized-well-bucket.aspx


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## Ozarker (Jul 29, 2014)

Absolutely, good point, on testing. I'm very close, a few hundred feet to the city water supply lake on top of a hill, water quality should be good as the area is protected and monitored. I'm assuming too, as I've never seen them publish such information and if they did there's nothing I could do about it. 

The casing is 4 or 6 inches, not sure, it's not a bucket well, I'm guessing the well would be about 350 to 400 feet, customary depth.

My concern is what may have been dumped in that "drain" over the years, then again, it may be able to be cleaned up, shock it a few times and keep testing. If not, I can always purify it and not much concern for the yard or garden. Thanks for the tips!


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

the device in Caribou's link is for a 4" casing, they probably could have names it better, you can also put a check valve on a length of well hose to get a sample.


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

I have never seen a 4" casing in this area, my bet it's 6"


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## Ozarker (Jul 29, 2014)

Yes, went out there and looked, it's at least 5", hard to tell as it's sunk into a concrete floor that covers the edges in the room. The building off the back has a shed roof and there is a square hatch type door in the roof above the hole. Probably had the well drilled deeper or casings replaced years back and the driller just backed up the shed and went through the roof!


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

The hole in the roof will be for pulling the well. Especially with solid pipe but even with poly you want to go as straight up as possible for the first bit.

350-400ft is considered a DEEP well around here, we are lucky to have excellent water at less than 100ft in most places.


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