First, you need to understand that the “dryness of private wells” is a common issue – it mostly affects property owners that have a shallow well. If you’re currently experiencing this problem, one thing you can do is to consider deepening the well. Alternatively, you may also consider digging a new well.
Can a well run out of water?
A correctly drilled well will most likely last you and your family for a very long time. Speaking of the correct way to drill a well; this can only be achieved if the well is drilled to reach groundwater aquifers.
What is an aquifer?
According to National Geographic, an aquifer is a body of porous rock or unconsolidated materials, such as gravel, which is saturated with groundwater. The movement of water in aquifers is, to a large extent, dependent on the permeability of the aquifer material. Permeable materials are those that have spaces wide enough for the free flow of water underground.
Relatively impermeable materials, such as clay, make it pretty difficult for water to move freely underground. Usually, this underground water is confined under pressure.
Here’s the connection between water wells and aquifers
As earlier mentioned, a correctly drilled well is one that’s drilled to reach groundwater aquifers. If the underground water goes below the intake, it could make your well go dry.
So, the bottom line is that your private well can always run dry, depending on a couple of factors. Mostly, this happens if the well isn’t properly drilled to reach the underground aquifers. However, you need to understand that several other factors could make your well run dry.
According to USGS, the level of water in a well is the main culprit for the dryness issue. Furthermore, an underground water level depends on a couple of factors, such as:
- The depth of the well; here’s where the need to drill the well to reach the underground aquifers comes into the scene.
- Another factor is the type of aquifer that the well is reaching; is it confined or unconfined? A well in unconfined water table aquifers will most likely go dry when there’s a drought. As for wells in confined water table aquifers; the possibility of experiencing the dryness issue is slim.
- The pumping of wells is another factor that could affect the amount of water underground.
- Another factor that affects the water level underground is the permeability of the aquifer material inside the well.
- Reduced precipitation, such as rain, drizzle, and snow, is another common factor that could make your well dry out.
- The current temperature in your environment is another thing that could affect the underground water level. For instance, a very high temperature could lead to high evaporation of the water underground.
- Cone of depression is simply the shape of the water underground, which immediately surrounds a well. The more water is being pumped, the more the groundwater becomes depleted, forming the cone shape. Well, you need to understand that the cone of depression is another factor that could affect the level of water inside the well.
- Hydrofracking, a process that involves increasing a well’s water production rate, is another factor that could indirectly affect the level of water in your well. This will mostly occur over time if your neighbors utilize this technique to increase their wells’ water level.
What happens if your well runs out of water?
If your well runs out of water, it’ll become pretty difficult for you to pump water through various pipes into your home. Unfortunately, the inability of pumping devices to suck and pump water could end up damaging the pumping machine over time.
To avoid various problems attached to having a dry well, the best you can do is to address the “dryness” issue immediately. Here are some of what to do when your well runs out of water:
Assess the situation
As soon as you start noticing that your private well is drying out, the first thing you need is to assess the situation. One of the warning signs that you’ll get to understand that your private well is running dry is the inability of the pumping machine to pump water upward. However, you can’t just jump to a conclusion as this issue could also mean that the machine itself is faulty.
As such, to be sure that the well is dry, you need to access the situation. You can do this by contacting a professional well technician to run a check on your private well and measure the level of water inside.
Consider lowering the pump
Unless you’re currently experiencing drought in your area, it’s rare to encounter a situation where your well will completely run dry. That said, another thing you can consider doing is to lower your pump a little bit more. You’ll find this solution effective if the well still has water below the current level of the pumping machine.
Consider deepening the well
Another thing you can consider doing if you notice that your private well is drying out of water is to further deepen the well. Yes, by further drilling the well, you will most likely reach another underground aquifer and be able to generate more water.
This method is most effective for homeowners with shallow wells. Depending on your area, a shallow well could be anything that’s not up to 50 feet in depth.
So, the bottom line is that drilling your private well deeper will most likely help you achieve more water that could last you for a long time, even if there’s a drought. Consider keeping the well at a depth of about 60 feet or even more.
Consider replacing the well
Generally, the lifespan of a water well is usually between 25 to 100 years, depending on a couple of factors, including the depth of the well. If the well you’re talking about is a few decades old, this could be a warning sign that you need to dig another well.
However, before going ahead to dig a new well, you need to speak with a professional well technician to help you locate a good site. This is very important to avoid wasting time drilling the new well at a site, where there’s little or no water.
Furthermore, with a new well, you can always put a lot of factors into consideration, including the issue affecting the old well.
How long does it take for a well to run out of water?
A properly drilled water could take up to 25 to 30 years before running out of water. Some even last up to 109 years before going dry, depending on different factors, such as the depth of the well, temperature, pumping rate of the well, types of aquifer materials, and many more.
