WELL MAINTENANCE AND RECORD KEEPING
If you are among the hundreds of thousands of Arizonians who rely on a private water well system for your water supply, then you need to create a maintenance schedule and method for record keeping. It is good practice to keep this information to protect your investment and keep your well operating at its best.
These records help anyone inspecting or repairing to your well. These records are also useful information for you or contractors to consult when you landscape or build on your property. Finally, they offer important information about your will for anyone who may purchase your property in the future.
To keep your well water clean and well operating at peak performance, regular water testing is a must. Private well owners are solely responsible for the quality of their drinking water. So, it is up to you, the well owner, to decide when and how to test your water.
Set a maintenance schedule to inspect and test your well water, septic system, and water treatment.
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
Private water supply systems require routine maintenance. These simple steps will help protect your system and investment:
- Perform annual tests for a minimum of bacteria. Check with your local health department for other tests of local concern.
- Test your water anytime there is a change in taste, odor or appearance or someone is ill or pregnant.
- Keep hazardous chemicals, distinct, fertilizer, pesticides and motor oil, far away from your well.
- Periodically check your bill headed for damages in Orwell cap.
- Allow only grass to grow around your well. Other plants can have longer roots and can damage your well casing.
- Take care and work in her mowing around your well. Damage to your casing can jeopardize the sanitary protection of your well. Don’t pile snow, leaves or other materials around your well. For those who live in areas Consider adding a fiberglass marker to help with locating the well during the fall and winter months.
- Always keep it up using the maintenance and water testing logs in this manual.
well permit and well completion report
The safety and purity of drinking water and the efficient operation of your private well system depends on a well-organized maintenance plan. Protect your investment in quality water supply through regular inspection, testing and repair. Similar to maintenance and repair on your car.
Gather a comprehensive history on your well and water quality. If you don’t already have a well log or well record, it’s not too late to start.
A quality well log will include a reference number for the well, well share agreement, registered well owner, location of the well, construction and contractor details, as well as the results from any water tests. The well log should help establish the location, age, and condition of the well. This information will provide the basis on which to schedule regular tests of water quality and inspections of well equipment as well as regular maintenance and repairs.
Well Inspection Maintenance Schedule
Inspect the water well several times a year. Check the condition of the well covering, casing and well cap to make sure all are in good repair, leaving no cracks or another open points for potential debris and pollutants.
Have the well system, including the pump, storage tank, pipes and valves, and water flow inspected every five years by a licensed well contractor. However, if you have no inspection record and cannot determine the age of the well, have it inspected immediately by a licensed well contractor. A properly maintained well usually has a serviceable life of more than 20 years.
Water Testing Schedule
When should you have your water tested? Have you water tested when you purchase a property, annually, and when necessary.
Initial Water Testing
- When a new well is drilled.
- If there is no record of testing.
- You’re buying a home with a well.
Annual Water Testing
- At a minimum, well water should be tested every year.
Intermediate Testing of Well Water: The well water should be tested immediately if;
- You install a treatment system.
- There is a sudden change in taste, color, or odor.
- Someone in the home is pregnant or nursing.
- Failure of a septic system.
- After a flooding event.
- Someone in the home has a sudden, unexplained illness.
- What Contaminants Should You be Testing For in Your Well Water? At a minimum, test for the following common contaminants found in well water:
- Bacteria-this is the most common contaminant found in well water.
- Nitrates- faulty septic systems and fertilizers.
- Lead- from household plumbing.
- Arsenic- occurs naturally and was once a common ingredient in pesticides.
- Additional contaminants- this is not a complete list of recommended tests. Other tests may be required depending on where you live and what is located near your water supply.
Who Can Test My Well Water? There are companies that have been accredited and certified to test well water.
- Search local laboratories by clicking HERE.
Schedule Physical Inspections of the Well
Regularly inspect your wellhead for damage to the casing or well cap. Repair any damage immediately to reduce the potential for contamination. Store all chemicals at least 100 feet from your well. Keep heavy equipment and vehicles off your lawn and away from your well to avoid damage to buried water lines. Other than grass, do not let plants grow near your well as plant roots can cause damage to your well casing.
Inspect and Protect the Wellhead
The most visible portion of your drinking water system is the wellhead, the structure built over the well to protect its various parts. The wellhead is your first line of defense to prevent pollutants from entering your drinking water system. The wellhead protects the well casing, which is the lining of the well, and the well cap, which provides a tight-fitting seal at the top of the well. Inspect your wellhead regularly to make sure these elements are in good condition. By protecting your wellhead, you will help ensure the quality of your water supply.
Take care when working or mowing around your well. It is easy to damage the wellhead with heavy equipment, which will permit contaminants to enter the water supply.
Schedule Septic System Maintenance
Set a maintenance schedule to inspect and test your septic system. Keep records of maintenance, test results, and repairs to help your contractor with future repairs. To avoid well contamination, septic tanks should be pumped every three to five years based on use and family size. Inspect septic tank each year for capacity and leaks. Repair the tank or drain field system as needed to prevent leaks of bacteria and nutrients into groundwater. Faulty septic system poses a serious threat to the quality of your drinking water and can require expensive repairs.
At a minimum, your water should be tested every year for bacteria, the most common water quality problem.
RECORD KEEPING
What well water records should be kept? Set a maintenance schedule to test your water in to inspect your well, water treatment, and septic systems. Keep records of maintenance, test results, and repairs to help your contractor with future repairs.
- What Well Records Should be Kept?
Copies of the well share agreements, electricity usage, bank account balances.
- How & Where Should the Well Records be Kept?
Ideally, the records will be kept in a safe location, where they can easily be updated and accessible by all parties to the well share agreement.
The real estate attorneys of the Dunaway Law Group can assist you with all of your professional well water services. Contact us by phone at: 480-702-1608 or email us at Clint@DunawayLG.com.
