Do you have a private water well, spring or cistern? If you do, you are one of the more than one million households in Pennsylvania that rely on them! And what may surprise you is that more than 20,000 new water wells are drilled each year in this state.

A poorly sealed spring box will allow water contamination.

Pennsylvania is still one of only two states in the country that do not have official well drilling regulations. Although voluntary, proper well construction can and will go a long way in preventing problems with your well and in prolonging the life of your well.

There are many things to take into consideration when drilling a well. Some planning needs to occur to maintain minimum distances from your well to certain things on or near your property.

Wells should be at least 25 feet from a silo, 50 feet from sewers and septic tanks, 100 feet from pastures, on-lot septic system absorption fields, cesspools and barnyards, and you should avoid locating a well in an area that is susceptible to flooding. 

Well casings should be at least 8-12 inches above the ground or high enough that surface water will never enter the well (even in times of flooding). The ground should slope away from the well to prevent surface water from ponding around the casing.

When surface water containing contaminants ponds around the top of your casing, it can easily seep down along that casing and get directly into your well. If your wellhead is buried, a pitless adapter should be installed to extend the casing above the ground level. This adapter should be used where the water pipe passes through the well casing below the frost depth.

A sanitary well cap with a rubber gasket, rather than a standard well cap, should be used at the top of the casing to prevent insects, small mammals, or other surface contaminants from entering the well. To prevent contamination by surface water, the space between the well casing and the drill hole should be filled with clay grout or cement.

It is up to you to be certain that your private water supply is properly maintained and safe for the purpose it is being used. Every year, you should do a thorough inspection of their home water well.

And at least every 10 years you should have your well inspected by a professional. Test your home drinking water annually for total coliform bacteria and E. coli bacteria. Every three years test for pH, total dissolved solids, and other contaminants based on nearby activities or land use including construction, road work, gas well drilling, coal mining, and changes in agricultural practices nearby.

A good rule of thumb is to test your water for issues that are within your viewing distance as you stand at your wellhead. All water tests should be done by a Pennsylvania DEP accredited lab. After getting your water tested, compare your results to the drinking water standards established by the EPA.

If you have questions about your results, Penn State Extension water resource educators can help with interpretation of your water test report and suggestions of what to do if you have problems!!

What about springs? A spring forms when groundwater breaks through the surface of the ground. Make sure your spring box is sealed to prevent insects, animals, and surface water from entering it. Having salamanders in your spring may be an indicator of good water quality, for them, but not for you!

Those salamanders add bacteria to the water which can cause health problems. You should also fence livestock out of the spring catchment area which is typically the entire uphill area above the spring. Springs are very susceptible to bacterial contamination so we recommend that you get yours tested at least every year!

Finally, in many locations in Pennsylvania, homeowners have no other option for drinking water besides using cisterns. Cisterns store rainwater collected from roofs for household or other uses. They are used extensively in areas that have severe groundwater pollution or where wells do not yield enough water.

Special roof construction features are necessary for safe water collection. Make sure that your cistern is constructed properly to ensure it is an adequate size to meet your water demands. All cisterns require treatment so be sure to get the water tested and treat it according to your test results.

To find out more about private water supplies, visit: Penn State Water Resources Drinking Water website, Cisterns and Springs and Private Wells.

(Written By: Dana Rizzo, Water Quality Educator, Renewable Natural Resources Team,Penn State Extension, Westmoreland County, reprinted from Penn State Extension's Watershed Winds newsletter.)

5/20/2013