coal black well water

My well jet pump won't stop running and my water has turned black and gritty.
What should I check first?

Johnny.

If the black suff is gritty, then you should shut off the pump before it is damged.

The gritty says something changed in the well, like possibly something collapsed or a new 'vein' opened bringing this gritty material into the well. That can happen for a number of reasons but more likely in a drought situation than heavy rain but eiither is possible.

What type of well do you have and how much grit and how black is in the water? Does the black settle to the bottom of a glass of the water when left sit for a time. How long does it take to settle and/or clear?

Gary
Quality Water Associates

Thanks Gary.
The water color is now back to normal but the pump still runs all the time
and won't build pressure past 35psi.

You probably have some of the grit blocking the jet. If you have a 2 line pump, then the jet is in th ej-body of the well. If a single line jet, the jet is in the wet end of the pump where the inlet line attaches. Or the grit chewed up the impeller.

Gary
Quality Water Associates