What would you do, if your well went bad?

If you lived in the country and it was your only water, what would you do?

Hannah's Grandpa2008-08-25T15:21:15Z

Favorite Answer

Install a filtration system

Bohemian_Garnet_Permaculturalist2008-08-25T15:53:50Z

Our well water in Washington state IS bad. It's filled with nitrates (oil based chemical fertilizers) from all the berry fields. Our farm is located in the raspberry capital of the WORLD. 70% of the raspberries consumed in the entire world are grown in our area.

Chemicals have been sprayed for years on these fields. It's well know the wells in the area are toxic.

We will be spending a great deal of money, to install our own mini treatment plant on our farm.

When we build the new house, we will be drilling a new, deeper well, to see if we can hit clean, pure water. Our present well is hand dug, and only 30 feet deep. We cannot go too deep though, since we are only 4 miles from the ocean, or we will hit salt water.

We have multiple ways to sterilize water at home. We can also distill our own water. We usually take our 5 gallon jugs to the store, and refill them at the grocery store (the water is filtered, clean and tested monthly).

Our water is just fine to shower in.

Distilling our own, and installing a treatment center for the whole farm are the best options for us. We capture a great deal of pure water from roofs to fill the livestock water troughs.

~Garnet
Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Steven D2008-08-25T15:07:15Z

I'd take a sample to the county and have them test it. If I found that it was contaminated by someone dumping chemicals, I would immediately start legal proceedings. Having bad water in your well can lead to all kinds of diseases.

sailorjohn5182008-08-25T15:41:36Z

filter. or treat with a strong clorine, water mix.

prius2005toy2008-08-25T15:51:14Z

Have a new one drilled.