Dug Well, Brown Water

[denno]

Greetings

In a little extension to our barn there is a 12-foot-deep, 4-foot-wide dug well, lined with stacked shale. Never dries up, never freezes below the surface. Good water. A great resource.

Last year and this year, the water is a reddish brown.
I think the simplest explanation is that the rotten old roof to the well house gave it up after long decay. Rotten wood and lots of leaves probably got in the well. Unless there's a better explanation, I suppose these to be leaching.

Have "closed the barn door" with a temporary roof. Plan to rebuild this little extension in the spring.

I've pumped the water out with our sump pump about 3 times to no effect. The next plan is to pump out, climb down with a ladder, and see what can be mucked out of there, assuming there is any muck. Haven't quite got the bottom visible at any time. Might need a stronger pump.

Anybody have any illumination or thoughts on this?
Other causes for the water color?
Length of time it might take to fix itself?
Better method for cleanout? (Had the septic tank guy take a look; he said he couldn't get 12 feet of lift.)
Suggestion on pumps?

Thanks,
denno

 

[Reach4]

Try searching for a "trash pump". They are often available at rental places.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Craigpump]

Brownish color could be due to tannins from the leaves. I'd try a 2" centrifugal pump, they're easier to prime than a 3" trash pump.

From a saftey standpoint, we NEVER go into rock lined wells. There are companies who have the proper harnesses, tripods with winches, fresh air delivery systems and air quality monitoring equipment along with proper training for that type of work.

 

[denno]

Aha! Now that's an idea.

 

[Smooky]

I would super chlorinate the well and see if that would fix the problem.

Here is one of Reach4's well chlorination links that is pretty good:
http://www.moravecwaterwells.com/maintainence/disinfection-and-testing

 

[denno]

Progress report:

We bought another sump pump (been intending to do this as backup---too many 8 PM trips to Home Depot in our history), somewhat stronger than the one we have. Half-horse, 4800 gph.

Lowered away and drained the well. Dropped in a ladder (left-brained wife figured out how to get a 12-foot ladder in a 7 -foot well house!), donned chest waders, and climbed on down. Scooped by hand. Wife hoisted out 20-odd quarter buckets of sludge, chunks of wood, leaves. Also a bucket, rake, and hay hook; couple odd pieces of plumbing pipe. Managed to extract myself without calling the neighbors.

Bottom is still somewhat muddy. We figure to pump out a partial fill, X number of times, and see if it clears. If not, then a trash pump. Or maybe the shop vac. Good shocking in any case, as recommended.

 

[Craigpump]

Don't forget 4 gallons of Clorox

 

[denno]

FOUR gallons?? KAHUNA!!!

I just rough-calculated the well (4' dia. X 12' depth) at 1100 gallons. It isn't at its highest this time of this year. We have previously dumped in a gallon of bleach, given it 24 hours, and proceeded to draw water.

The above-referenced website talks about release of chlorine gas if the pH of the water is too low, lor' help us!

Unless someone has some fierce opinion otherwise, we'll do what we've done before.

I am pumping out another two feet or so of accumulated water now. Tomorrow maybe twice again, and maybe add a check valve so the 50 or 75 feet of hose doesn't drain back into the well with the grottiest of the bottom sludge that it just hauled up and out.

After that, let it fill and see if the remainder is particulates that will settle out. If it doesn't, and the water still seems stained......
I guess use a trash pump.

QUESTION: will a trash pump actually suck up gravel and sludge and pebbles and dredge the bottom, or do I need something else; or a shovel?

QUESTION 2: Any experience with this water discoloration to support or not support the idea that it's tannin (or something else) leaching out of rotten wood and leaves?

QUESTION 3: Would that be bad for the animals to drink?

I suppose a water test might be helpful. Wondering if any of you have experience or knowledge of this.

Thanks again.
denno

 

[Reach4]

(4' dia. X 12' depth)

The guy in the photo is 25 ft tall standing in 12 ft of water?

The above-referenced website talks about release of chlorine gas if the pH of the water is too low, lor' help us!

That happens at something under 5 pH ... It also talked of adding vinegar to bring the pH down to about 5.5 or 6.

I like to use test paper to measure the pH and chlorine, and use a calculation only as a first estimate. Some vinegar and chlorine get consumed, so in my well, I needed to use more bleach and vinegar than initially expected.

But yes, it did not expect you to go into the well with your treated water.

You would recirc the treated water and wash down the sides with the treated water. Then you would dump the treated water (not down your septic) to bring the chlorine and pH back to normal.

 

[denno]

Brownish color could be due to tannins from the leaves. I'd try a 2" centrifugal pump, they're easier to prime than a 3" trash pump.

From a saftey standpoint, we NEVER go into rock lined wells. There are companies who have the proper harnesses, tripods with winches, fresh air delivery systems and air quality monitoring equipment along with proper training for that type of work.

Oops----went ahead and did it before I read this one!

 

[Valveman]

Oops----went ahead and did it before I read this one!

Getting down in that hole is not safe. There are a lot of people who have tried that same exact thing and never made it out of the well. Confined space, either no air or bad air and you only got a minute left on this earth.

 

[Craigpump]

Getting down in that hole is not safe. There are a lot of people who have tried that same exact thing and never made it out of the well. Confined space, either no air or bad air and you only got a minute left on this earth.

Yep. There are people out there with the proper training, equipment and personnel. If you think $1000 -$2000 is too expensive, try living with the guilt of someone dying.

 

[denno]

I will take your remarks under advisement for any future work.
Water is looking good; trusting that we removed enough of what may have been leaching. Dropped a gallon of bleach in today; plan to declare the well back in service tomorrow. Of course, it has warmed up again enough to use the hose. But, despite climate change there will be winter. Might be in April, but it will come.
Thanks for input.

 

[PumpMd]

A Generator, old submersible pump to keep water low for visuals on bottom eventually but you might have to clean the screen on the pump from time to time from it getting clogged up, and rope & bucket is how I you can clean one up. The person up top, get ready for a work out with the rope and bucket. Farmer put a solar pump back on his for cattle after we updated his hand dug well to look and operate just like a new well.