Help! Well has roots
Vic Dura
My 50' well has a lot of very small, fine (1mm) roots in it that are
clogging the submersible pump. The pump hangs in a limestone
"water-chamber" at the bottom of the well shaft. I don't know how big
the chamber is. The driller said he "broke into a chamber filled with
water" when the well was drilled 40 years ago. This is the first time
we've had this problem.
Does anyone know of a drinking water safe herbicide that can be put
into the well to kill the roots? A roto-rooter type probably won't
work because the roots/pump are in a chamber, not the shaft.
Any suggestions anyone? I'm desperate.
Thanks
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Sheldon
Why not attack the problem from the other end... for roots that far
down there must be some trees close to your well... chop down the
nearby trees. Some types of trees (willows, locust, etc.) will simply
send up new shoots but most tree root systems will die. You might
also call a local well drilling company for information, or ask at
your local Cornell Extension, there may well be a safe chemical
solution.
hal...@aol.com
Hard to believe roots are down 50 feet, how do you know this?
Bob S.
If you don't know the size of the chamber, how could you possibly know
how much treatment to put down there for a correct mixture? I know of
no herbicide strong enough to kill those roots without being a health
hazard to you & family. My first thought was salt, but even that is
toxic in strong solutions.
Your best bet is kill off all surrounding trees or have a deep well
dug.
Bob
Caesar Romano
<Gerry...@no-email.com> wrote Re Re: Help! Well has roots:
>If roots are in the well, there is probably surface water getting in
>there too. Get the water tested. Sounds like it's time for a new
>well if you ask me.
Thanks to all for the comments. I didn't think there would be a
"chemical" fix, but I had to ask.
I agree, that this well is probably shot. Too bad, because the water
is great tasting and it *never* runs dry (and I've pumped it for
10-hours per day constant-on during droughts).
BTW, the tree cutting won't work because there are probably 80 or so
70'+ trees within a 100' radius of the well and half of them are on
the neighbor's property.
There is county water available down at the road, so I'm probably
going to have to hook up to that.
Thanks again.
hal...@aol.com
> On Sun, 04 Mar 2007 23:05:02 -0600, Gerry Atrick
>
> - Show quoted text -
go with city water, but try fixing the well for lawn watering etc.
wonder if you have a cave under your property?
I would pull the pump and send a camera down to take a look.
see how big the cavatity is
nons...@unsettled.com
And to see what all is living down there. LOL
Harry K
> On 4 Mar 2007 08:48:01 -0800, "Bob S." <bohica...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> there too. Get the water tested. Sounds like it's time for a new
>
> - Show quoted text -
Assuming the water is safe, one could use the existing well as it
obviously is in a good vein and drill down another 100 ft to get out
of the root zone. From the sound of it, just punching another well
would result in the same situation unless it drilled below that zone
anyhow.
Harry K
AL
Would it be possible to lower a rigid (maybe plastic?) sleeve extending
from the top of the well shaft to rest on the bottom of the water
chamber that the pump could be lowered into? The sleeve could be open on
the bottom to allow water to be drawn into the pump or maybe it could be
perforated to allow water in from the sides, maybe covered by a fine
stainless steel screen to block the fine roots. If the roots work their
way into the sleeve it could be roto-rootered.
Vic Dura
wrote Re Re: Help! Well has roots:
>On Mar 4, 9:05 pm, Gerry Atrick <GerryAtr...@no-email.com> wrote:
Vic Dura
wrote Re Re: Help! Well has roots:
>On Mar 4, 9:05 pm, Gerry Atrick <GerryAtr...@no-email.com> wrote:
That's something to consider. Does anyone have a ball-park idea what
the per foot costs of well drilling are?
> From the sound of it, just punching another well
>would result in the same situation unless it drilled below that zone
>anyhow.
That's my conclusion too.
Vic Dura
Re Re: Help! Well has roots:
>Vic Dura wrote:
That might be possible if they make such a sieve, but it would reduce
the diameter of the shaft. What I've done instead is wrap the middle
1/3 of the pump in 2 layers of aluminum window screen held in place
with clamps. This seems to be working for the time being, but I think
I'm on borrowed time.
The cost to hook up to the county water is about $2500 which include
450' of black poly 3/4" pipe to get to the road. That option is
looking more cost-effective now.
nons...@unsettled.com
Larger diameter pipe isn't all that more expensive. Pay the piper
now. Given the distance, to maintain reasonable pressure and flow
I would advise at least 1 inch, larger if you can afford it.
AL
> AL <lit...@hamiltoncom.net> wrote
>>Vic Dura wrote:
>>>My 50' well has a lot of very small, fine (1mm) roots in it that are
>>> clogging the submersible pump. The pump hangs in a limestone
>>>"water-chamber" at the bottom of the well shaft. I don't know how big
>>> the chamber is. The driller said he "broke into a chamber filled
>>>with water" when the well was drilled 40 years ago. This is the first
>>> time we've had this problem.
>>Would it be possible to lower a rigid (maybe plastic?) sleeve extending
>>from the top of the well shaft to rest on the bottom of the water
>>chamber that the pump could be lowered into? The sleeve could be open on
>>the bottom to allow water to be drawn into the pump or maybe it could be
>>perforated to allow water in from the sides, maybe covered by a fine
>>stainless steel screen to block the fine roots. If the roots work their
>>way into the sleeve it could be roto-rootered.
> That might be possible if they make such a sieve, but it would reduce
> the diameter of the shaft. What I've done instead is wrap the middle
> 1/3 of the pump in 2 layers of aluminum window screen held in place
> with clamps. This seems to be working for the time being, but I think
> I'm on borrowed time.
I'd be uneasy about filtering my drinking water through aluminum window
screen - stainless would be a more food grade material.
> The cost to hook up to the county water is about $2500 which include
> 450' of black poly 3/4" pipe to get to the road. That option is
> looking more cost-effective now.
A better choice over black poly is 3/4" flexible PVC - that is great stuff!
I recently hooked up to county water but my water source was my pond and
the hassle of the pumping/filtering/purifying system maintenence was too
much for me after nearly 20 years.
Have you sampled your county's water? Ours is ok, drinkable without any
objectionable odor, but probably not up to par with what you have in
that well.
Harry K
> On 5 Mar 2007 08:20:41 -0800, "Harry K" <turnkey4...@hotmail.com>
>
> - Show quoted text -
I saw a figure of $10/ft somewhere else. My well is 65 ft and cost
around 2500 as near as I can recall but that was 10 or 15 years ago.
I agree, if you go with the county water, go for at least 1" pipe
running that far.
Harry K
daves...@aol.com
> I saw a figure of $10/ft somewhere else. My well is 65 ft and cost
> around 2500 as near as I can recall but that was 10 or 15 years ago.
Obviously prices varry. We recently drilled a well and it came in
at 175 ft at a cost of $3600. I'm amazed whev I hear of 50 ft wells.
We were lucky, as most wells around here are 300 ft or more and a
neighbor, only about a half mile away, had to go to 900 ft.
Dave
Goedjn
wrote:
What you need is a giant rotary nose-hair clipper.
Ronny TX
>
> Group: misc.rural Date: Sun, Mar 4,
> 2007, 7:17am From:
> vpd...@CLUTTERhiwaay.net (Vic Dura)
Ronny:
Interesting problem and it took me awhile to even began to understand it
since I'm still trying to wake up this morning! LoL
And I had no idea that fine tree roots would go down that deep! And I
know of no people safe herbicide that could be put in your well. Would
suggest you start by talking to your county agent and well people in
your area.
What I've got here is a shallow well,30 or 40 feet deep,with either a
stream or a aquifier feeding that. Pump on top of the ground and foot
valve with copper or stainless steel screen down in the water. Great
tasting water,has algae that you can see in it;but that never clogs the
foot valve screen. The only think I have to be concerned about is a worn
out foot valve and or a small pebble being sucked up in that and keeping
it open so that the water drains back when the pump cuts off.
Otherwise,not problem in that area. And since my well is shallow is not
that huge a deal to pull the pipe out of the well and check and change
the foot valve.
And I read in a later post where you put a screen over part of your
submersible pump. But it seems to me that your pump should of come with
one of those already on it where water is sucked into the pump. And it
looks like that would keep the fine hair roots out at least for awhile.
And if you pull the pump up,clean the small roots out and have a proper
screen on the pump,then I wonder how long it is before things would stop
up again? Real often or would it take quite awhile? If quite
awhile,then it might be worth leaving things as they are? That is,if
there is a right type of screen on your pump and all that. Just thinking
here;but no real answers,as I don't know enough to really come up with
one.
Ronny TX
>
> Group: misc.rural Date: Sun, Mar 4,
> 2007, 7:17am From:
> vpd...@CLUTTERhiwaay.net (Vic Dura)
Ronny:
I just had another idea tonight and I don't know if it would work for
your well situation or not;but would it be possible that you could pull
your pipe and submersible pump up a bit out of that chamber,shorten the
delivery pipe some and still have it in plenty of water that you could
pump from,from water up higher where they are no small roots to clog the
pump?
Nick Hull
bud...@webtv.net (Ronny TX) wrote:
Might be better to set the pump as deep as possible in the cavity since
the roots will be towqrd the top and fewer roots at the bottom where
they would be drowned by constant water
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