Owning a private well can be less expensive than using a municipal water system; however, the owners of that well must be knowledgeable about every aspect of the well.Being an informed well owner will keep everyoneís family safe, said Steve Wilson, groundwater hydrologist with Illinois Water Survey, an organization affiliated with the University of Illinois that conducts research and collects data on groundwater.Wilson said the biggest cause of problems for wells is construction and the ownersí lack of knowledge.ìUse a licensed well driller, pump installer or contractor when constructing, servicing or repairing a well,î Wilson said.To drill a single family, private well in Colorado, a permit must be obtained from the state engineer. The Upper Black Squirrel Creek Ground Water Management District, which includes Falcon and a large portion of eastern El Paso County can make recommendations to the state on any given application. The district is a taxing authority formed under state law by the taxpayers of the district to administer and manage groundwater resources of the water basin, including protection of quality and quantity of water. Many, if not all, well-drilling companies will help the homeowner with the permit application.Larisa Kunau of Kunau Drilling said her company helps homeowners with the permitting process. She said oftentimes a well test is required for buying or selling a property, depending on the lender. VA loans require a flow test to measure the gallons of water per-minute a well can produce. She said with a new home, the well must also be tested.Kunau said well pumps have an average life span of five to seven years. The pumps installed by Kunau Drilling have a five-year warranty. However, she said she has seen pumps last 10 years or longer.ìWell water is naturally the best water on the planet,î Kunau said. For the most part she said it is free of contaminants.Wilson agreed.ìWell water can be the best tasting and safest water in the world,î he said, but he added that contaminants can also be colorless, odorless and have no taste.When asked whether a private well or a commercial or municipal water system is better, Lisa Lemmon, lab manager with the El Paso County Public Health, replied, ìI don’t know which one is advantageous over the other as long as the well is well-maintained.îKunau said people should check their equipment regularly and keep the area around the well equipment clean to discourage damage from rodents, snakes and bugs.In Colorado, there is no requirement for home owners to test private wells for water quality, unless a lender requires it for a sale. But Lemmon said the health department recommends an annual test. She said well contamination could be caused by many things such as a faulty septic system, fertilizer getting into the water supply or a crack in the well casing or cover.Containers for collecting well water for testing can be obtained from the Falcon Fire Protection District. Well owners should then take the water to the health department lab for testing. If it tests positive, the health department recommends repeating the test. Lemmon said one of the most common causes of a false positive is a handling error. Wilson also advised retesting after a positive test. After the second positive test, the health department can provide instructions for ìshocking the wellî with household bleach. If there are still problems after that process, Lemmon recommended a consult from a well company. The health department does not have the authority to condemn a private well.Tommy Fletcher of Fletcher Drilling also helps his customers with permits. With inspections, he said he checks the flow in gallons per-minute as well as the pump, plumbing and electrical system. He cautioned that any remodeling that includes plumbing could cause water contamination, and the well should then be chlorinated. One of the advantages he sees of a private well is the financial savings. Over a period of years, there is a considerable difference between the cost of operating a well and paying water bills.Generally, the deeper the well the less danger of contamination, Wilson said. The surrounding landscape can be a cause of contamination if there are such things as a faulty septic system or gas tanks. He said if the well is properly sealed, surface contamination cannot affect it. He said abandoned wells should be sealed as well.Wilson advised checking the well cap and keeping the area around the well clean. He said the well casing should be elevated and the ground around it should be sloped to cause water to run off. Roots from nearby trees could crack PCV casing, allowing contaminants to enter the water. There should also be the proper setbacks from potential causes of contamination, such as a poultry building, graves or petroleum tanks.Any time there is a noticeable change in color, it is time to get it tested because groundwater should be consistent in color, he said.Wilson also advised annual checks for coliform and nitrates. After initial testing, he recommended testing every three to five years for copper if the well water flows through copper pipes; or, if the well water flows through galvanized pipes, testing for zinc and cadmium is important.If a well owner has any type of treatment or filtration system that has a maintenance/replacement schedule, those instructions should be strictly followed. Wilson said improper maintenance of equipment can be a source of contamination.
