This article, written by the American Ground Water Trust was originally published in
THE AMERICAN WELL OWNER, 1998, Number 3
Wells With Buckets On A Rope Belong In History Books!
In this day and age, with new water well construction practices and regulations well owners can be confident about the reliability and safety of their wells. Water from a drilled well is nearly always safe to drink without treatment because it has taken months, years or decades of sub-surface travel time to get to the well. During its long time underground, virtually all organisms die off, and chemicals become diluted. On the other hand, surface water in rivers and ponds, or ground water in shallow soil layers, is likely to be home to many micro-organisms.
There are hundreds of thousands of American homes still using shallow dug wells. If you own such a well, you should think about replacing it with a properly constructed drilled well. Wells should always be cased (plastic or steel liner according to state and local codes) to ensure that the water enters the well from as deep underground as possible. Wells should have sealed caps to keep out insects and the mischievous hands of curious children. An open unused well is a potential liability. All abandoned wells should be professionally filled and sealed. For more information about well construction and well sealing, call 800-423-7748.
[© American Ground Water Trust. This article may be reprinted for non-commercial educational purposes provided it is used in its entirety and that reference is made to its source as an article in THE AMERICAN WELL OWNER, 1998, Number 3]