The supply of clean safe water to households can no longer be assumed. The homeowner needs to be aware that there are a few simple solutions to ensure the continual quality of water. The smart homeowners should be aware of the implications at all times. The well tends to be a little mysterious because most of the mechanics of the installation are out of sight. The important information that should be retained by the homeowner is the ‘well log’ which records details of construction including the length and type of casing, a description of the screen at the bottom and the sealing or grouting to prevent entry of surface water to the aquifer. The well log will also record details of flow and static water level at the time of installation. This will not necessarily be the same flow and level found sometime in the future as water tables often change over time and seasons.

Flow Tests: Changes in output that have occurred, along with the presence of some wells that have always been low producers have encouraged prospective purchasers, to require a flow test. This involves running the pump continuously and discharging the water to the atmosphere. The volume is measured and where possible, the water level in the well is monitored. The length of the test needs to be a judgement call by the technician doing the job and the change in the level of water while pumping can be demonstrated in an hour or so. On the other hand, if while pumping at a lower flow of perhaps 3 gallons per minute the pumping level in the well continues to drop, then the technician needs to spend more time to establish the true recovery rate of the well and to comment on the amount of stored water available. Again the mystery of the unseen aquifer exists and the client needs to be aware that the information gained from a flow test is only an indication of what to expect and in some instances the information gathered is proportional to the time spent. There is a limit, however, to the amount of money a prospective purchaser will want to spend to ensure that the well is adequate for their needs and to take some of the risk from the purchase.