Well water - anyone have any issues?

[ckoc]

  :oWe are in the process of purchasing a spa and we live in a rural area and are on well water.  I am a little nervous about taking 400 gal from a well 3 - 4 times a year. - Has anyone else had any problems - or concerns about taking 400 gal out of the well at once?   Does anyone on the board have water delivered vs filling from their well?  How long does it take to fill a spa?

Also - we have hard water - any additional treatment required outside of the norm?

thanks again!
ckoc

[sledjunkie]

What's your concern? Running your well dry?

If it's an artesian drilled well chances are you'll be fine. But to be sure, find out your well recovery rate "gallons per min". Also may want to find out your yield and/or static level so see how much you have sitting in your well.

The biggest concern with well water is the amount of Iron/Manganese.

[In Canada eh]

Wait for Anne to wake up, I believe she is on wellwater and could help with info

[anne]

I'm actaully still asleep, not having had my coffee fix yet, but.....

I have city water, but in Sacramento it is like well water in it's high metal and calcium content. I cannot comment on the well dynamics, but I would recommend you to check your water hardness and perhaps use metal sequestering agents like Metal Gon. There seems to be some debate as to how important that really is, but I like the insurance.

[thearm]

I am on well water and refill my tub @385 gallons every three months. As far as the water being hard you might need to adjust the chemicals a little bit and use stain and scale remover. All in All I had very little problems with keeping the water clear. My suggestion is take your tap water to get it tested at the spa dealer and they will tell you what it needs when you fill it up. As far as taking 400 gallons from your well it shouldn't be a problem unless you have had water supply problems in the past. I filled my swimming pool from ours which took almost 15000 gallons with no problems. Although this is not recommended to do.

[KarlXII]

I am on well water, and I have had lots of trouble.
My own wellwater is just too loaded with iron (and I even have filters). I've filled it several times and only once it has been OK to keep for a few months.
The iron has oxidized on the first shock and turned brown/yellow.

Now I'm filling from my neighbour's well and difference is like night and day. Their water is crystal clear.

So it all depends on the quality. Well water can in fact be a lot better than citywater, but also really, really bad.

[Bill_Stevenson]

Take a sample of your well water to a local spa and pool supply store and have it tested to see what you have and what treatment would be recommended.  While you are at the store ask them questions like:  Is it ok to use my well water to fill the spa?  Is delivered water better?  Who is a reliable vendor for delivered water?

After you have the facts, the decision will be easier.  Going off half cocked is not a good plan.

Bill

[Joel T]

We've got a low producing well, about 4gpm, but feed a 2800 gal holding tank, so there's little concern. You could fill in 2 or 3 shifts to ease up on the well. The rural fire department out here runs around to fill up pools. They carry about 2000 gallons  -  it'd be a quick burp to fill 400 gallons. Call 'em.

Joel

[sledjunkie]

Besides Iron, I have high Radon and Arsenic in my well water. But not at the levels to be concerned about bathing in it, only consuming it.

[Bonibelle]

I also have well water and just had quite an issue with my pump etc.
To make a long story short, It seems that you can correct most problems with your well water with chemicals. I have a bit of iron in my raw water so I take care of that before I add any chlorine products. As far as running the well dry...unless you have noticed that kind of problem in the past, I doubt that filling your tub would run the well dry. Especially if it is a deep well. If drawing that volume of water causes the level to drop so that you notice it, don't worry it will fill back up, but you might decide at that point to buy water.
Typically I don't think 500 gallons is too taxing on a normal well 4 times a year.
Sledjunkie, I am curious, do you buy drinking water? Or would and RO system work, I know it could remove the arsenic. Is there any danger of soaking in the arsenic water? I guess I thought arsenic could be absorbed through your skin...Bill would know :-/

[sledjunkie]

I have an RO, which feeds a separate tap on the kitchen sink, and the refrigerator/icemaker.

We use the special kitchen tap for coffee, boiling pasta, and drinking water.

I DO NOT DRINK my tap water. We only brush my teeth with it.

My arsenic level was tested a few times over the past couple of years. It measured .15 ppm.

I think the standard is .010.

The arsenic level after my RO test at <.001

I forget what the ppm to be concerned with when bathing, but it was alot higher than .15