In situations where a well supplies water to more than one building – say expansive farm complexes, a single well might not be enough to use as a source.
And if you’re wondering why your well dries easily during hot dry months while that of others seem unaffected, this article might help answer your question.
Flow rate and well static level are the most important terms that you have to get an idea about as a good owner. Both of these are factors that affect the productivity of your well. In fact, these two helps determine why you might need to redrill a well.
Flow Rate Defined
Are your house’s faucets, tub, and sprinklers not spewing enough water for your needs? If these are sourcing water from a well then flow rate is the culprit. In simple terms, the flow rate is the ability of a well to supply adequate water when a water pump is used.
You may also understand flow rate this way – the ability of a well to restore itself. In this way, the flow rate is understood as a well’s capacity to supply water without running out quickly.
Many say that a deeper well has a better flow rate. However, this is just a misconception and the opposite is actually true. A deep well needs a longer pipe for the water pump to fetch the water out. And so, when the water pump starts running, water from the well travels longer than usual. In turn, this results in a low flow rate.
On the other hand, shallowly dug wells have a good flow rate. It’s because shorter pipes have to be used, and the pump easily siphons water resulting in an adequate faucet, shower, and tub flow.
But aside from how deep the well is, the flow rate is also affected by the sediments present in the well, the composition of the well’s water, weather conditions, and the location of the well. Mechanical conditions also affect it and this includes the performance of the water pump, its placement, and the present state of the pipes.
How Much Flow Rate Do You Need?
For everyday living purposes, a well that provides a flow rate of five gallons per minute is satisfactory as it will provide 360 gallons of water per hour – given that you’re the only house using the well. This should be enough for you to do bathing, watering, and another task that needs to be done with water without compromising the water supply of fixtures in the house.
In case multiple houses are using a well, we must infer that a 10 – 15 GPM flow rate sets the standard of a good functional well.
In addition, if the flow rate of a well is poor because multiple houses are using it, you might want to get a new well dig. By doing this, you will solve the lack of adequate supply of water to your house.
Static Water Level
The static water level is the total amount of water that a well stores. In the simplest terms, this is how deep the water is whenever the well is not in use (the pump isn’t siphoning water from the well). There is no absolute static water level in wells as it heavily relies on the weather condition. For example, the static water level of a well is higher during rainy days than on sunny days. Commonly, in determining static water levels, those recorded at neutral weather conditions are used.
Give Ries Well Drilling Inc a call to answer any questions you may have about well water drilling, well water maintenance, or anything well water-related. We can be reached at (586) 784-9516!
We provide Water Well Drilling Services in the following Michigan Counties: