Wells, Sump Pumps and Septic Sewage Systems - Brown Water
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Brown Water
run91
11-03-09, 03:40 PM
Hi All,
This is my first thread so I hope I am not asking the same question that someone else did already. I have a deep well and everytime it rains the water turns a light brown. About a week later if it does not rain again it will disapear. It does'nt seem to taste any different or have a smell to it. Can anyone shed some light on this as why this might be happening. Thanks.:cool:
This is my first thread so I hope I am not asking the same question that someone else did already. I have a deep well and everytime it rains the water turns a light brown. About a week later if it does not rain again it will disapear. It does'nt seem to taste any different or have a smell to it. Can anyone shed some light on this as why this might be happening. Thanks.:cool:
shane21
11-03-09, 04:09 PM
If it only happens when it rains then it's one of two things:
1) the aquifer deep in the ground is fed by a source which is subject to dirty water when it rains and you then get that water in your well
2)You have surface water getting into your well (presumably from a hole or crack in the well casing)
Scenario 2 is MUCH more likely the problem. Scenario 1 would be something that would affect the entire aquifer so everyone with a well near you would be experiencing the same thing. The best way to diagnose this problem is to dig a small moat (maybe 6" deep and 6" wide) around your well casing that's sticking out of the ground, get some food grade dye and mix some water and the dye in a 5 gallon bucket and dump it around the casing. You may need to mix 3 or 4 buckets worth of dye, but start with 1 bucket first. If the well water turns a a shade of the dye color, you have diagnosed the issue.
The problem will be fixing it. If it's a hole/crack near the surface (maybe 8' or less) it may be possible to excavate and fix it but if the hole is deeper you may need to re-case the well or possibly drill a new one.
It is always possible a neighbor's well casing is leaking and you are suffering from the dirty water because of that but this too would be VERY unlikely.
1) the aquifer deep in the ground is fed by a source which is subject to dirty water when it rains and you then get that water in your well
2)You have surface water getting into your well (presumably from a hole or crack in the well casing)
Scenario 2 is MUCH more likely the problem. Scenario 1 would be something that would affect the entire aquifer so everyone with a well near you would be experiencing the same thing. The best way to diagnose this problem is to dig a small moat (maybe 6" deep and 6" wide) around your well casing that's sticking out of the ground, get some food grade dye and mix some water and the dye in a 5 gallon bucket and dump it around the casing. You may need to mix 3 or 4 buckets worth of dye, but start with 1 bucket first. If the well water turns a a shade of the dye color, you have diagnosed the issue.
The problem will be fixing it. If it's a hole/crack near the surface (maybe 8' or less) it may be possible to excavate and fix it but if the hole is deeper you may need to re-case the well or possibly drill a new one.
It is always possible a neighbor's well casing is leaking and you are suffering from the dirty water because of that but this too would be VERY unlikely.
waterwelldude
11-03-09, 06:16 PM
Do you know how deep your well is?
The more likely cause is a crack in the grout use to hold and seal the casing from surface water.
Do you know how much casing is in the well?
If you have a rock bored well, there may not be very much casing, going down maybe, 30 or 50 feet. That all depends on what type of well you have.
Start by looking around the well for a low spot.
If it turns brown only when it rains, then you have a void in between the well casing and the earth.
Calling a well guy to at least look at what you have is always a good idea.
Getting an experienced, educated opinion, on what you actually have is priceless.
It could save you money in the long run.
It also may be too big of a job, to be safely repaired on your own.
Like has already been said, it is very unlikely that it is coming in from another well, or going into the aquifer itself from a leak up stream from you.
Travis
The more likely cause is a crack in the grout use to hold and seal the casing from surface water.
Do you know how much casing is in the well?
If you have a rock bored well, there may not be very much casing, going down maybe, 30 or 50 feet. That all depends on what type of well you have.
Start by looking around the well for a low spot.
If it turns brown only when it rains, then you have a void in between the well casing and the earth.
Calling a well guy to at least look at what you have is always a good idea.
Getting an experienced, educated opinion, on what you actually have is priceless.
It could save you money in the long run.
It also may be too big of a job, to be safely repaired on your own.
Like has already been said, it is very unlikely that it is coming in from another well, or going into the aquifer itself from a leak up stream from you.
Travis
run91
11-03-09, 08:44 PM
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for the imput. I will start with that and go from there. Beer 4U2
Thanks for the imput. I will start with that and go from there. Beer 4U2
savedsol
11-06-09, 09:30 AM
My folks have a 150' deep well. It was much more economical for them to just install an inline filter with a 1/4 turn shut off before and after where the water main enters the house. How often you replace it depends on how much water you use and how rainy it's been. They live in the Smokies where it's rained a ton this year and have been replacing filters left and right.
shane21
11-06-09, 02:16 PM
The color is only one part of the problem. The unseen issue is what ELSE is being washed into the water being used in the house for drinking, food preparation, etc. I will GUARANTEE if a well is taking on surface water that you also have bacteria in that water now. If you fertilize your lawn then guess what... it's in the water you are using now too. Any pets at your house? Well we know whats pets do in yards when we let them out.... do they ever "go" near the well?
It may have been cost effective to just filter the sediment but it certainly isn't sanitary. If your parents are using a well that they know is getting surface water in it they should be more worried about the unseen dangers in the water than the discolored water.
It may have been cost effective to just filter the sediment but it certainly isn't sanitary. If your parents are using a well that they know is getting surface water in it they should be more worried about the unseen dangers in the water than the discolored water.