BLOG: Easy Tips for Protecting Your Well, Your Water, and Your Wallet This Winter.

The cooler weather and pumpkin pies can be a welcome change from the summer heat, but it also means one looming fact: winter is coming.

While many of the water well systems in the northern U.S. are required to be built under the frost line, there is a large section of the South and Midwest where pumping systems are constructed above ground or above the frost line. For these systems, it’s important to take steps to keep your well safe and operating through the winter.

1. Get Your Well Inspected

NGWA and Wellowner.org recommend an annual inspection of your water well system. If you haven't had your inspection done, scheduling before the winter weather arrives could save you a lot of time and money! Find a qualified contractor.

2. Protect Your Pump

Many well systems are buried deep underground, which provides protection from the cold. But for well owners with above ground pumps, action should be taken to keep the system insulated and warm. Constructing a small insulated enclosure covering the pump will help keep the system above 32 degrees and reduce the risk of freezing and other damage. This small “well house” can save thousands of dollars in repairs and ensure a well operates throughout a cold winter. Find a qualified contractor.

3. Protect Your Pipes

As water freezes, it expands and can burst your pipes, leading to significant damage to your home and well. Frozen pipes are a common winter issue for homeowners, but can be avoided with a few easy steps. 

• Turn off your exterior water and blow out your pipes. Ideally your house will have a shut-off valve for its exterior water supply. If so, turn off any water that flows to outside irrigation systems and faucets. Once you have turned the water off, then drain the remaining water or use an air compressor to blow out the pipes. If you don't have a shut-off valve, find a local contractor for other options to shutting off exterior water.
• Insulate your pipes. For houses with piping that runs through non-heated spaces like basements, we suggest insulating pipes. Wrapping pipes with rubber casings or fiberglass insulation can keep their temperature above freezing and the water flowing.
• Inspect your pipes. This is a great time to do a general inspection of your water system and piping. Spotting a problem in your system now could save you from a costly problem this winter. Find a certified contractor to schedule an inspection.

4. Prepare for a Power Outage 

While there is little that can be done by the homeowner to prevent power outages due to winter weather, there are steps to take so you have water to drink while waiting for the lights to come back on.

• Always have a portable gas generator and plenty of gas to connect to your pumping system.
• Stock up on bottled water before the winter; this way if there is a prolonged outage, you can still have clean drinking water in the house.
• Contact a local contractor to learn more about backup generators and other options to keep your water flowing during a power outage.

Adapted from wellowner.org.

BLOG: Seven Ways to Maintain Your Private Well

by Jennifer Wemhoff, Groundwater Foundation

Well maintenance is an important part of protecting groundwater. For a private well owner, understanding and practicing the basics of regular well maintenance can reduce the risks to the water supply as well as money by preventing costly maintenance issues.

Here are seven ways to maintain your well:

1. Never try to service your own well.

It's always best to contact a professional water well contractor - they use specialized equipment, materials, and techniques to keep your water safe and well system up and running. A homeowner who attempts to service their well in some way may accidentally introduce contamination into the well, drop objects into the well, or cause damage to the pump. It's always a best practice to use a professional!

2. Regular maintenance costs less.
It's much better to catch and address a small issue with a well system early before it turns into a much larger and much more expensive issue.

3. Learn what a well check-up or service should include.
A well maintenance check should include a flow test to determine system output (along with a check of the well's water level before and during pumping, pump motor performance, and general water quality), an inspection of the well equipment, and a test of the water for bacteria and nitrates (and any other potential contaminant of local concern). You should also receive a written report detailing the check-up that explains results, recommendations, and test results.

4. Maintain your well on an ongoing basis.
Check out this Homeowner Checklist from WellOwner.org for ways you can protect your well and groundwater every day - doing things like keeping chemicals far away from your well, sloping the ground away from your well for drainage when landscaping, and keeping your well records in a safe place.

5. Use qualified professionals.
When your well needs attention or inspection, find a qualified professional to do the job. Use this handy tool to find a certified contractor near you.

6. Ask questions and understand the problem.
Don't be afraid to ask questions of the well contractor. It's their job to help you understand what's going on and help you find ways to correct the issue. You'll get a better understanding of how your well system works and what happened to cause the problem in the first place.

7. Find old, unused wells on your property.
Abandoned wells should be properly sealed by a professional - not only do they provide a direct pathway for contaminants to enter an aquifer, they're also a safety issue, particularly abandoned hand-dug wells that are large enough to fall into. Find out more about old, unused wells.

Find out more about wells and well maintenance, and remember that maintaining a private well is the well owner's job!

Adapted from WellOwner.org.