Most people in Georgia have well water in their homes. Here in the mountains, many people enjoy fresh mountain water as their primary drinking source. Therefore, it’s very important that people be aware of potential issues with well water and things that they can do to mitigate issues. Let’s talk about some well issues and things you can do to prevent those issues from occurring.
The US Geological Survey keeps track of water aquifer levels. The nearest test site for us is in White county. Because of the high amounts of rainfall that we receive each year, our aquifers drying out is not a concern like it is in the Western US.
The aquifer we access is the Blue Ridge aquifer. It’s a crystalline rock aquifer, which means that the gallons per minutes that you get from a well here is going to most likely be in the 5-10 range. Wells can be pretty variable in yield in North Georgia because of the variations in the fractures in the ground. Basically, for well drilling here, you put the well in and hope that you cross some of the fractures where water is present.
You want to make sure that your well is located at least 50 feet from the septic tank and 75 feet from the septic system’s drainage lines. You also want to make sure that your well cap is at least 8 inches above the ground. This is going to keep surface water from getting inside of your well. Surface water can carry bacteria and debris that you want to keep out. It’s also a good idea to have a well cover to protect the well cap. A well cover makes your well more visible so that it’s less likely to be backed into by a vehicle or run over by the lawn mower.
Always be on the lookout for changes in the water. If you see a difference in color, a new odor, new taste, or particles in your water that’s a clue that your well has become compromised. There’s a lot of water tests that the Extension Office can assist you with to find out what is going with your water. By knowing the symptoms, when the issue started, where the septic system is, what kind of construction might have gone on nearby, among other factors can help narrow down the range of issues that we are dealing with.
Shock chlorination is a common treatment that is effective if bacteria are present. Shock chlorination won’t be effective if the source of the contamination is not removed. Sources of contamination could include a septic system, absence of well cap, or a cracked well casing. You’ll want to use three pints of ordinary bleach for 100 gallons of water in the well.
Annual testing of the water in your well will start to build data on what your well normally is like. If you do run into problems with the well then you’ll have data to look back at to see what’s changed. It’s best to test in the spring, because that is generally when our aquifers are recharging. If you would like to test your well water contact your local Extension Office. We can assist you by providing the resources to test.
On July 25th the Union County Extension is putting on a Well Water Program. It will be at 5:30 in the Union County Civic Center. If you would like to attend please RSVP with Union County Extension Office at 706-439-6030 or email me at Jacob.Williams@uga.edu.