Water Around Top of Well Casing, Pressure Fine

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Danmoliver

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Hi,

This spring after all the snow melted, I noticed water around the well casing at the top of the ground. So I am pretty sure there is a leak somewhere (possibly in the pitless adaptor), but we are on an artesian well (and it has enough natural pressure that water goes right to the top even with pump not running) so water pressure is fine in the house and really the water is drawn much lower than the actual leak point of course.
So the question is, it would be nice to fix it of course but do I NEED to fix this? Will it be ok through next winter too?

Just found out we need a new furnace last week so looking at $5000 for that and I don't want to spend an extra $1000 plus to dig up the well, pump rental, etc... to fix this.

Thanks,
Dan
 

LLigetfa

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Based on what you wrote, I'm guessing you cannot see where the water is leaking out. If you are sure that it is not overflowing the top, then it could be leaking at the pitless. There are in fact two seals at the pitless. One seal is on the connection between the casing and the pitless and if that one is leaking, there is a strong possibility that surface water is also getting into the well and could contaminate it, if the water level in the casing ever drops below ground level.

If you can pump the level down below the pitless, then drop a camera down the hole and see if groundwater is leaking into the casing. If it is, dig it up and fix it. Hopefully it was backfilled with something easy to dig in. My pitless is 8 feet down and this area is pure clay but I made sure the contractor filled the trench with sand JIC I had to dig it up in the future.
 

Danmoliver

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Thanks for all the responses. I thought I would go ahead and get it excavated but when talking to a plumber, he actually said that because it's an artesian well, if it wasn't cemented properly then it's possible that there is water coming up right along the outside of the pipe - right to the top.
I do notice that if I run the water in the house, then the water right on the outside of the well casing will very slowly go down, so not sure about this.
There was a lot more melting this year where we are and the plumber talked himself out of a job by saying what he told me, so I can trust him and really I did anyway.

Thoughts? Anyone ever heard of this happening?
 

Craigpump

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If the casing isn't properly sealed as you plumber suggested, your well could become contaminated. You need to have this checked out by someone who has a down hole camera so they can inspect the drive shoe and joints in the casing.
 

LLigetfa

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...it's possible that there is water coming up right along the outside of the pipe - right to the top.

Normally, during the drilling process, a slurry of bentonite is used which should seal between the borehole and casing.

I do notice that if I run the water in the house, then the water right on the outside of the well casing will very slowly go down, so not sure about this.
If that is in fact happening, it strongly suggests that there is leakage and it would likely be bi-directional meaning it could contaminate the well.

You don't say how old this well is and if you commissioned the drilling. I would try to get the driller back for his opinion and maybe advise the regulatory board of the situation if necessary.
 

andyo

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Looking at buying a house in this same situation with the water on the surface of an artesian well. No one that has inpected it really knows what theyre talking about and they all say its ok. Not once have they told me the difference between a artesian and dug well.


Ever get it sorted out? Im stressed out since we're down to the wire.
 
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Reach4

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Not once have they told me the difference between a artesian and dug well.
An artesian well means the water comes up on its own, without a pump.

The well could be a dug well, drilled well, or some other kind of well.
 

andyo

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I agree. The seller used the word artesian and everyone has been thrown off since. Bacteria and pressure tests are good. Still something doesn't seem right. I feel taht just bc pressure is good that doesn't mean there isnt a leak somewhere. The well is capped so overflow is where?
 

Reach4

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Some thoughts; I am not a pro.
  1. The top of the casing is where? It should be well above ground. That amount can be 10 inches in some areas, and higher in others.
  2. I think you are saying that the water is coming out of the ground outside of the casing. That could be from a leak, or it could be water flowing on its own. If it is a leak in the pitless or nearby pipe or fitting, the pump would cycle when no water is being consumed.
  3. Most well caps are not waterproof. It takes special hardware to seal the top. If you open the well cap, how high is the water in the casing? If the well was sealed right, and the water is because it is an artesian well, the casing is going to be full of water.
 

Boycedrilling

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An artesian aquifer is one that is confined and the water level rises when the water bearing zone is encountered. The water level may or may not rise all the way to the surface.

Most hard rock wells have some artesian pressure. It is not uncommon for me to see water levels rise 100’s of feet above the water bearing zone. Wells in sedimentary formations can also have some artisan pressure, if the water is being confined by some kind of an aquitard formation such as clay or a hard pan layer.

If the water level rises all the way to the surface surface, then it is a flowing artesian well. The most pressure that I have encountered is one that had 20 psi when capped. The highest flowing well I have worked on was flowing about 300 Gpm.

The entire time I was growing up, the well at our farm shop flowed about 50 gpm up the outside of the casing. In the 1970’s, while I was in college, my father had it repaired so that it was contained inside the casing. However it had an overflow line that flowed the excess to the drain ditch at the road. The present owners had us decommission it two years ago and drill a replacement well in a new location. The old well had 40 ft of casing. The repair had been to backfill with cement from inside the casing to solid rock at 90 some feet. When we pulled the pump out, tree roots had penetrated the cement and pulling the Pump & tree roots started the water flowing up outside the casing again. What a mess till we got it plugged.

I have stopped for the day with a dry hole. Started back up the next morning. Drilled less than a foot and have had water.

There have been flowing artesian wells here in the Pacific Northwest that have flowed 1000’s of gpm, uncontrolled. Recently there was one in British Columbia that bankrupted the drilling contractor trying to control it. and ended up costing in excess of $12 million Canadian to control. Don’t know the exchange rate, but that’s still a lot of money in real dollars
 

Boycedrilling

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A dug well is simply that. It was dug, as opposed to bored, driven or drilled. 10-15 years ago I drilled a replacement for a dug well that was drilled in the 1920’s. It was 8 or 10 ft diameter. Brick lined and 175 feet deep. The water level was at 160 ft. There was a platform just above the water level that the original centrifugal pumps had set on, to pump the water out of the well. As I remember the original well produced over 2,500 gpm.

I drilled a new 24” well right next to the old well and a new lineshaft turbine was installed.
 

Boycedrilling

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Had a guy once that told me he had tried digging is well. He’d got as far as he could. Wondered if I could finish it. Went and looked at it. 6 ft diameter hole, 75 feet deep in dirt with no cribbing. He had mad a little jib boom. Would lower himself down in a 55 gallon barrel. Fill the barrel up with dirt. Then winch himself and the barrel of dirt back out of the hole. Crazy stupid.
 

andyo

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I appreciate all the detailed replies. Knowing that water is at the surface being normal would put me at ease. Bacteria and water pressure are ok and pass inspection. Pressure I feel could still be normal despite a leak if the pressure from the water source is strong enough to keep the well cap topped off.
 

andyo

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22" of the well casing is exposed above ground and the water is a few inches from the top.

When the inspector pulled the cap off it rose all the way to the top with a slight bit of overflow.

Cap went back on and dripped from all sides.

Pump tested at 31/50 psi and a ground wire leak detected.
 
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andyo

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Reach4 your #2 point is perfect.

If there's a leak the pump would cycle no matter what. It would think it needs water in the tank when its leaching out from somewhere before the tank.

The pump has the ground wire issue but not the symptom you pointed out.
 
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