Private Well -- any advice?

Question

I am rehabbing a house with a private well. When I closed, I knew there were well issues and also knew that connecting to city water was a possibility. It now seems that connecting to city water will be too expensive (main line is across a busy road). So on to the well. On first look, there are two wells, and they don't appear to be hooked up to anything. Kind of strange. Perhaps there was an older shallow well, and then the owner had a deeper well dug but never got around to hooking it up? I can't really find out the owner's plan because this house was foreclosed for years.

So, I don't really have a question per se, but any thoughts, tips, etc. on this situation would be very much appreciated. Seems like the best option is to work toward a nicely operating well. I assume I'd need a good pump, a water softener and a water filter. Test the water once a year. Probably ok then?

So, I don't really have a question per se, but any thoughts, tips, etc. on this situation would be very much appreciated.  Seems like the best option is to work toward a nicely operating well.  I assume I'd need a good pump, a water softener and a water filter.  Test the water once a year.  Probably ok then?

Tim Jesionowski · Answer

For what it's worth, my home appraisal increased $10,000 as a result of a $6,500 plumbing "upgrade".

For anyone who has ever had a well/septic setup, they'll be quick to point out just how much of a PITA they are to maintain and keep operational at "optimal levels". In my experience, spending $4,000 on high end water softening/iron filtering equipment wasn't enough. Buy once, cry once!

Tim Jesionowski · Answer

Depending on town regulations, most all have it outlined in their contract verbiage that the septic tank is to by pumped, collapsed and buried.

This was truthfully a small expense in the grand scheme. My plumber not only had a directional boring machine on site, but a small bobcat which made quick work of the old septic tank. I honestly think it took them longer to pump the sewage waste and fill the new found hole in the ground after collapsing the tank itself.

Jeb Shookman · Answer

Do you know, can you just stop using a septic system and start using city sewer?  Or do you HAVE to collapse / decommission the septic?

Jeb Shookman · Answer

Thanks, @Tim Jesionowski.  Sounds terrible and encouraging at the same time.

Tim Jesionowski · Answer

@Jeb Shookman, I live in Glen Ellyn, IL - a NW Suburb of Chicago. When we purchased our house, it was equipped with a private well & septic system. Maintaining the well water was problematic to say the least. I invested just short of $4,000 into a digitally controlled water softener w/ 250LB capacity brine tank, and a top of the line Iron Filter to match. Even when using the highest grade solar salt, shampoo and body wash were simply difficult to wash off in the shower. Yes, it really was that bad.

I finally caved and contacted a local plumber who had performed over 15 conversions from Well/Septic to City/Sewer and ironed out a cash deal which cost me less than $6,500 all in. That price included pumping, chemically treating, and ultimately collapsing the septic tank, directional boring 3/4 of the way around the house (.39 acre lot), two cleanouts installed, and he even removed a damaged cast iron stack pipe which had cracked in my foundation and updated it to PVC at no charge.

I gave the overpriced $4,000 water equipment to a friend who had suffered from hard water and haven't had an issue with my new city water/sewer setup yet.

Contact me if you'd like to chat further. I'm an aspiring real estate investor and I've love to network with fellow professionals.

Kind Regards,

Tim Jesionowski

Jeb Shookman · Answer

I will check out privatewellclass.org.  Thanks.

Colleen F. · Answer

Are you allowed to stay on well? there are places where they force you to switch to city water.  Aside from that determing the quality of the water is going to help you with whether city or well is best.  While your local well contractor can help you especially regarding costs  I recommend to understand what you have http://privatewellclass.org which is a project of your Illinois ag extension.  Read as little or as much as you like.  Ask them questions.  This is what they do. I have had several wells and the information is good that you get from them.

Jeb Shookman · Answer

Thanks, @Sam LLoyd and @David Dachtera.

I will definitely hire a well company to give me the best read on the situation.

Regarding city water, I suppose I haven't entirely given up on that option.  I'm waiting for a bid for that work, and early indications are that it could be between 7K and 10K to get the water running, maybe more.  I believe they would have to do horizontal boring.  Is there some other way to get under the street?

Thanks for sharing the experiences with your wells.

David Dachtera · Answer

@Jeb Shookman,

How cost prohibitive would it be to get the city water?

Have you explored horizontal boring to mitigate the costs of crossing under the roadway? Is that even an option?

Some well water is cleaner than city water. Where I am here, city water *IS* well water from the municipal wells. I've been here 12 years without a water softener - don't seem to need it. Only had one issue with sediment, etc. in the water line. Had to replace a frost-proof sillcock.

Even some years back when we had a serious drought, the water was still good - little bit of sulfur smell in the heated water, but that's it.

Sam LLoyd · Answer

First step is to check with any government agencies that would have records on the wells.. hopefully they will, as well as an as-built so you know which is which.

Then, unless your budget is really tight, hire a well company to come trouble shoot the well, find out which one is flowing, get a pump installed.... I would pay someone to do it right and take that whole burden off of you.

I hope this opinion helps.