Slab on grade pit for well connection - does it drain?

[Mkelly09]

Hi everyone,

I just moved into a house that has a well pit where the well is capped about 5-6' below ground with a metal culvert surrounding the well that is about 3-4' in diameter. The well pit fills up with water every time it rains and the water is full of iron. The house is slab on grade, and has no basement. The well is connected to the home via what I can only presume is a sump pit - a 5ft deep hole in my laundry room. There is no sump pump in this pit and it never fills up with water no matter how much rain I get. The water connection then goes on to a two line jet pump feeding a 19GAL pressure tank. Pump is loud and runs in the middle of the night with no water usage. The flow rate out of this setup as measured at the well is about 3.5GPM. The water in the home is not currently conditioned and has 0.5ppm of Iron and a real bad sulphur smell.

I am planning on doing a well extension and at the same time converting from jet pump to submersible pump and also setting up a chemical free iron Sulphur filter + water softener. I am hoping that the new submersible pump can get me a higher flow rate as I need >5GPM to backwash the filter properly. I know the water table around me is high. I am also hoping that this solves my problem of pump running with no water flow - I am confident there is no leaks inside the home.

My main question is about this pit that I have inside my house. I am trying to determine if I can drain my water conditioning systems (iron Sulphur filter + softener) into this pit. I put 20gal of water into the pit today and it seems to have disappeared.. how can I tell if this pit drains anywhere? Other than the hole from the pit for the water line connection into the home, I don't believe there is any other hole inside this pit in my home.

Any advice here is really appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Reach4]

"I am planning on doing a well extension and at the same time converting from jet pump to submersible pump and also setting up a chemical free iron sulphur filter + water softener."

I am planning on doing a well extension and at the same time converting from jet pump to submersible pump and also setting up a chemical free iron sulphur filter + water softener. I am hoping that the new submersible pump can get me a higher flow rate as I need >5GPM to backwash the filter properly. I know the water table around me is high. I am also hoping that this solves my problem of pump running with no water flow - I am confident there is no leaks inside the home.
A chemical free iron sulphur filter + water softener may be a hoax. Or a big RO, but something tells me that a big RO is not what you are considering.

am planning on doing a well extension and at the same time converting from jet pump to submersible pump and also setting up a chemical free iron sulphur filter + water softener. I am hoping that the new submersible pump can get me a higher flow rate as I need >5GPM to backwash the filter properly.

Extending a steel casing by welding and installing a pitless is the right thing to do. Until you do that, put a sump pump into your pit to prevent the water from contaminating the well. What size is your casing?

My main question is about this pit that I have inside my house. I am trying to determine if I can drain my water conditioning systems (iron sulphur filter + softener) into this pit. I put 20gal of water into the pit today and it seems to have disappeared.. how can I tell if this pit drains anywhere? Other than the hole from the pit for the water line connection into the home, I don't believe there is any other hole inside this pit in my home.

So you are wondering if you can turn that into a dry well. Hmmm. Probably ok, but you will be putting salty water right next to your casing. So not sure. Interesting idea. You would normally put gravel into the pit to allow water but not let anybody fall in. You could put dirt and grass on top. I am not a pro.

 

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[Mkelly09]

Hey thanks for the reply.

With regards to the chemical free iron sulphur filter, it is an air oxidizing filter and many different water companies have recommended it to me. Note it is a separate unit from the water softener.

Maybe I wasn't clear about my last question. When the company comes to do the well extension outside, the well pit located outside of the home will be filled in. The metal culvert surrounding the pit will be removed.

I have this other pit, inside the home, where the well connection is made to the house. My main question is can I use this pit inside my house to drain my water softener or should I rather pump it into the septic tank.

 

[Valveman]

If the pump comes on water is going somewhere. If you don't have any leaks in the house or underground lines then the foot valve is probably leaking water back down the well.

That water you put in the pit went somewhere? It could very easily be going down and find a path to the well.

 

[Mkelly09]

If the pump comes on water is going somewhere. If you don't have any leaks in the house or underground lines then the foot valve is probably leaking water back down the well.

That water you put in the pit went somewhere? It could very easily be going down and find a path to the well.

Thanks, yes I am hoping it is the foot valve which will be replaced as part of the jet to submersible pump conversion anyways.

The water I put in the pit inside the home is no longer there... no idea where it went. It is starting to sound to me like I should just put the water conditioning drain into the septic tank and avoid the risk of this salty water finding its way into the well. I have heard mixed reviews about draining into septic and was hoping to avoid putting this additional load on the septic system..