Because someone up there has a strange sense of humour, in the middle of a flood of medical issues our well has run dry. Or low. We’re not sure.
Plumber was out to take a look at everything. One pressure tank is shot, but the other seems to be okay (we have two 120-gallon tanks). The switch is okay, and in pulling the well cap the pump is getting power and you can hear it running. They guys who were going to pull it said it was checking out and it would be a waste to pull it up at this stage (it’s around 500’ down).
They said the three options are to try ‘surging’ it, try hydrofracking, and drilling it out. Drilling it out is obviously the least favourable option, but I don’t know enough about surging (or even what it is) or fracking (other than a fun activity on BSG) to have an informed conversation/make a choice. From what I gather surging is somewhat controversial, but the contractors say they’ve had good results in the area. This is downstate/Hudson Valley New York.
I can’t really find much on my own because ‘surge’/‘surging’ returns hits on surges in pressure, not a well treatment. I’ve found a little on fracking, but most hits are energy-related.
What do I need to know to make an intelligent decision? Any good sites that will get into detail?
What’s the well depth and what’s the estimated yield?
When you say 'drill it out? You mean drill deeper?
Surging is the predesesor to hydro-fracking. We do it with the drill rig rather than a fracking set up. Pump water in, blow water out, piston the water for miniature surges. It’s an attempt to ‘wash out’ already existing channels in the bedrock.
Hydro-fracking is surging in addition to use enough pressure to fracture new channels in the bedrock.
Surging is less likely to produce good results but it’s also less invasive so less likely to produce colapse. With the drill rig there they can air lift out any debris so there is little loss of depth. Having the drill rig there you can immediately flow test the well.
Hydro-fracking is likely to produce better results but it risks callapsing an unstable borehole. It usually results in some lost of depth, that loss can be regained but it requires the other equipment. With hydrofracking your results are not clear until you drop a test pump in to measure flow. Normally done same day but it’s labor.
Local knowledge and experience is everything in this industry. What is successful elsewhere may so nothing to help where you are. You need to find the best guy in your area and ask them for advice.
Ask a local water expert if the water table in your area is dropping or if it is just a problem with your well equipment being clogged.
In some areas of the country, more people move into an area, then install more water wells, and the water table drops. So the solution is to drill deeper wells. So do ask what is happening elsewhere in your area.
Try city hall or your county. Maybe a local university (for a water expert).
Thanks. I’ve been looking more (found that it was easier to search by using images and visiting those pages). So as I am starting to understand, surging is kind of like using a plunger in a commode. Water is forced down and then pulled back up several times to loosen whaterver is clogging the channels/fractures that are no longer letting water flow into the well.
Fracking not only has the potential to clear those clogs, but to open new fissures to let more water in.
The well is deeper than the average for surrounding houses. Our plumber did the interior work here and remembers the panic the builder had when initially drilling – they got to 400’ and still no water. When they did hit it around 500’ it was very slow, so they put in two 120-gallon pressure tanks to compensate.
It sounds like cost-wise I’m faced with
Surge only
Fracking only
Surge + fracking
Surge, fracking + clean-out drilling
Fracking + clean-out drilling
Surge+fracking+clean-out drilling
Drilling.
I need to get numbers before I can approach that cost-wise, but it sounds like I need to rely on the integrity/proficiency of the contractor.
I would get a local driller. He will know what you need. Btw, a well here in mid Michigan, averages about $5k. I’ve never heard of a 500 ft well here. Most are 200 or less.
You should really consult with your local well driller. They deal with this type problem all the time, and often they’ve just got to pull the pump and drill a little deeper.
Do you really need two 120 gallon pressure tanks? Sounds as if the hardware you have may be a little overkill.