Water Storage to House (Was Hoping for a Dumb Question Section)

[jleeo]

My question will likely result in howls of laughter, but I can't think of a better place to ask it than among a bunch of people who don't know me. Here goes.

I live in a remote area in a small development (3 homes). The developer put in wells and water system meant for many homes - perhaps 20. But the development never happened. I'm one of the three houses on the big (complicated) system. I'm trying to come up with a water plan should this system fail. I'm thinking of putting an underground water storage tank on my lot. I would initially fill the tank from the existing water system. Should that fail, I would truck water in to fill the tank while I drilled my own well, and finally supply the storage tank from my own underground source. I've read about "jet pumps" and am wondering if that would be the most appropriate method for getting water to the house under pressure from my storage tank. I failed to understand the storage tank needed to be pressurized. I thought this jet pump created the water pressure. In short, I want a storage tank that I can fill from different sources and a way to drive the water from that tank into my house. So there you have your silly question of the day - I can take the ribbing, just try to be slightly gentle on my ego.

 

[Reach4]

A storage tank would normally not be pressurized.

You can put a submersible pump into a storage tank. There are multi-stage (3 to 5 typically) centrifugal pumps that are outside of the tank, and, as you mention, there can be a jet pump outside of the tank. Jet pumps tend to be cheaper and noisier. A submersible would be in the tank, so it would be quietest. The other two would be easier to get to to replace, but they would have to be protected from freezing.

Are you discussing this with the other 2 neighbors? Maybe you could make a plan where you have a smaller shared pump put into the existing well if the current system fails. It could be that you will have to pay a third on repairs of the shared system, even if you make your own.

I am not a pro.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Craigpump]

I service a few small water systems and can tell you that shared wells make for bad neighbors for a multitude of reasons. Your family uses more water, we're part time residents, we don't have the money for repairs but we'll pay you back, we don't like the pump guy, I think we need multiple opinions, I don't want the well on my property, I want the well on my property so I can control who comes and goes....

Why spend good money on a storage system when you can put that money into your own private well and pump system?

 

[PumpMd]

To show how they are not pressurized like reach4 said and I agree with Craigpump.

 

[Texas Wellman]

Yep, what Craig said. I've seen many just like yours. The water system gets put it but the development never takes off. After about 10-12 years the original well system begins to give trouble and since nobody really owns it nobody maintains it. Then nobody wants to pay for it, or promises they will pay but never do so the people that give in first usually end up paying the repair bill, which can get pricey on a system like that.

Get your own well system and forget about spending money on a storage tank. If money is an issue, have the well drilled first and then when the times comes you can spend your own money on your own well instead of having to pay for everybody elses.