I thought I would ask here because I am sure the majority of us are on well water. I am getting dirty water everytime it rains. I had one no show and one guy show up and tell me to drill a hole in the cap to “vent” it. I have a hard time believing thats all it is since we have been here 3 years and this just started a month ago.
Anyone had this issue?
Thanks!
Step one: STOP drinking that water. Well water is safe only as long as there is no surface/sub surface contamination happening. Dirty water after a rainstorm means that surface water is infiltrating it somehow.
A couple of things that come to mind, has the area around the well cap been changed recently? Well caps are supposed to be at least a foot above ground level in order to avoid contaminants entering the well. Secondly, your pipe from the well to the house may have infiltratration. That should be obvious as a fountain where it ought not to be, but I know of one place where it was obvious that there was a leak into the pipe because we couldn’t get the water to shut off. Groundwater was entering the pipe. Not common, but possible.
Post got weird, thank you internet!
Continuing on, you might have an issue with the well casing, but if that was the case the water would be more likely to be dirty all the time. But, that is another thing to check
In any case, no you should not drill a hole in the well cap to ‘vent’ it. That cap is supposed to be waterproof! This is one job where I would only hire a licenced well digger.
Here is an excellent resource: https://www.health.state.mn.us/commu…n/handbook.pdf
Maybe you need a third consultant?
What kind of well do you have, in what region, how deep, is the dirt sand, the well is sanding on you, or some kind of contaminant getting in there from the surface?
Have you or your well men tested the water?
Here our big city department will test any well for a minimal fee per test, like under $20.
Then you would know more.
Take a sample per testing protocol that comes with the testing kit, one when clean, one when you are getting dirty water.
I would do something quickly, the contamination could be serious enough to make people or animals sick, depending on the source.
Read this; http://www.bedfordwelldrilling.com/2017/04/what-to-do-about-brown-well-water-after-a-heavy-rain/
If you post your location, maybe people here can help you find a well guy who has a better idea than compromising your well cap? What a weird suggestion!
Would be happy to recommend a really fabulous one, if you’re anywhere near me :yes:
I am in Oklahoma. Soil here is clay, I dont particularly know alot of details about the well but I will try to dig through my documents from the purchase and see if I have anything. Glad I trusted my gut on that “advice”, sure didn’t sound right. :rolleyes:
We did have quite a drought this summer, prior to the rain. None this year, but last year was full of fracking, and there is a frack water site about a half mile from my house which is also concerning. Probably not related to the current issue but also something I would appreciate info on!
Thanks for the help so far!
One way to figure what is the dirt in the water is looking inside your toilet tank.
Lift the lid and check the bottom of that tank, it may be very fine sand, generally wells in your region are on a sand vein, or it may be dirt with darker splotches, that could be surface dirt, that could have bacteria in there, some that may be bad for you.
Still, you need a good well man to have them check things out for you.
Yes, have a water test done. But, on the bright side, you may only need a sediment filter.
i don’t know Bluey. My tank is always black from the rubber/plastic toilet flapper, they all slowly disintegrate and leave muck in the tank.
For us when the toilet constantly drains, I check the flap and it’s disintegrated in bits around the hole which causes the draining.
That makes no sense. It is plastic - it should not disintegrate…at least not within a few years (personally I think never). If the inside of the toilet is black it is from the water - different minerals cause different color sediment. Not sure what would be black but maybe sulfur.
Meanwhile - if it is disintegrated, or appears to be - just get a new one.
Definitely stop drinking it and get a professional out. We have issues every once in a while, but never a black toilet, visible dirt etc. We have a big Culligan water dispenser for drinking like we are an office lol. It is expensive, but worth it for us to be sure we are drinking good water. I only use our sink water for cooking if it is going to be boiled.
I’m stating this because I routinely get new ones. The water isn’t black in itself, the bottom has black goo.
Try this - go open the tank and touch the flapper. It’s slimy. Haven’t found a work around and have tried rubber and the hard plastic.
Looks like this
https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/166026/what-caused-my-toilets-flapper-valve-to-become-spongy-and-disintegrate-see-pic
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
