Well Care, Well Cleaning

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Probably, for the overwhelming majority of summer residents, concepts such as caring for a well, prevention seem to be something vague, abstract, not worthy of special attention. But this is not entirely true … The well, of course, requires attention and respect for it. And if you at least sometimes check its condition and promptly eliminate any problems that arise, then do not hesitate: your attention will pay off a hundredfold - the well will serve you for a long time and regularly. Which is what I wish you with all my heart.

The well needs attention

If one of the readers thinks that caring for a well is only to sweep away the debris around it, then he is greatly mistaken. First of all, it is the elimination of possible water pollution and prevention of its destruction. Let's start with pollution. They are very diverse. And some of them cannot be prevented.

First of all, it is thermal pollution. It is almost inevitable at any summer cottage, since it includes a number of phenomena, both objective and subjective …

Thermal pollution is very clearly manifested in the fact that the soil freezes and thaws in different ways every year. It freezes very much, and thaws late in spring, then on the contrary - it freezes very shallowly and, accordingly, quickly thaws.

A change in the thermal regime causes various reactions of living organisms. With an increase in temperature, chemical reactions accelerate, thermal equilibrium is disturbed, and heat-loving plants and microorganisms are rapidly growing. The consequence of this is a greater than usual aggressiveness of soils to concrete, wooden and reinforced concrete structures from which the well is built, and to everything that surrounds it. But if thermal pollution in general does not depend on a person, then there are pollution that is a direct result of his activities. The main pollutant of the soil - groundwater - of your well is mineral, organic fertilizers and chemical plant protection products from pests.

The soil accumulates well both the chemical elements necessary for plants, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and harmful, for example, heavy metals. Added to this is one more important factor. The soils of our region are mainly acidic, requiring liming - the introduction of lime or dolomite flour. And with excessive, improper use, some of these materials will inevitably be washed out of the soil and fall into underground waters, and from there, naturally, into your well. Hence the conclusion: in order to avoid this extremely undesirable phenomenon, it is necessary to properly carry out agrotechnical cultivation of the land.

Automobiles are a very serious groundwater pollutant. During repair work, oil change, washing, oil products can easily get into the soil, then seep into underground waters. It should be remembered that petroleum products are an extremely dangerous pollutant, the removal of which from the soil is practically impossible. This is not water, which can evaporate at least to some extent. Even from the topsoil. Therefore, try to keep both the car and everything connected with it away from the well.

Toilets are an inevitable soil contaminant. In summer cottages, as a rule, two types of toilets prevail: a powder closet and a cesspool. A powder closet, simply put, a toilet with a portable bucket. In it, feces are collected and then transferred to a compost pit or heap. Such a toilet is more preferable than a cesspool, however, the problem of pollution in this case is not removed, but only migrates to a compost heap or pit.

The simplest and, accordingly, the prevailing toilet in the summer cottages is a cesspool. It is usually a metal or plastic barrel dug into the ground, sometimes a brick or concrete pit. In all cases, it is necessary to carefully waterproof the cesspools, keeping in mind that concrete and brickwork are not completely impermeable. Surprisingly, building materials (even the most modern ones) turn out to be much more permeable to dirty, salty solutions and waters than to fresh and clean ones!

The main danger associated with cesspools is bacteria and microorganisms - the basis of the contents of the cesspools. Proceeding from this, in no case should the flow from the cesspools be allowed. Because not only yours, but also the wells of your neighbors (although who cares about your neighbors nowadays!) Are exposed not only to pollution, but also to infection by dangerous bacteria and microorganisms.

I understand how difficult it is to implement this in practice, but compost pits, heaps must be waterproofed as reliably as cesspools. This is an extremely necessary measure because the compost must be moist to improve its quality. But under the influence of moisture, the rotting and fermentation processes occurring in the compost generate a lot of heat (remember: it is always hot inside the compost). And this heat, in turn, prevents the soil from freezing, thereby making it permeable to contaminated solutions for a much longer period than usual. And often the whole year.

And, probably, the last type of pollution is domestic waste water. Kitchen waste is usually poured into compost, and I must say that they do not bring significant harm. But the effluent from the bathhouse, from washing, contains synthetic detergents, salts, suspended solids. The best option, of course, is to divert this water into a waterproof structure. But if it is not there (and this is in the overwhelming majority of cases it is), then try to at least keep the bath drains as far from the well as possible.

Special conversation about animals. Remember why the dog lifts his hind leg? Well, the wall of the well is very convenient for this purpose. Therefore, keep animals, including cats, chickens, away from the well. And one more thing: do not wash or wash near the well. Always remember the well-known expression "Do not spit in the well - it will be useful to drink water" since ancient times. To this I must also add that one should not spit near the well either …

The reader has the right to ask a natural question: how to determine whether the well is dirty or not? First of all, you should focus on the taste and color of the water. During the operation of the well, you are naturally accustomed to a certain taste and color of the water in it. And therefore, having noticed deviations from the usual state of water, hand it over for bacteriological analysis to the regional laboratory. And already based on the result obtained, start acting.

A few words about prevention. In order for you to realize the importance of this, I will cite an excerpt from a book about wells: "… Several times a year it is necessary to carry out preventive inspections of the well. For this, an electric lamp with a reflector or a sufficiently powerful electric torch is lowered on a long rope. But you can also use a" sunbeam ": early in the morning or in the evening, install a large mirror on the log house and direct the sun's rays reflected in it to the bottom.

The well must be cleaned 3-4 times a year. With a birch broom or a steel brush, dirt, mucus, moss and all other growths are removed from the walls of the well (above-water and underwater parts). Then the walls and gravel and crushed stone raised to the surface from the bottom are washed several times with water. After cleaning, the well is completely freed from dirty water, disinfected and filled with clean water. Of course, these tips are clearly too many preventive measures. Clean the well 3-4 times a year!? I think that no one else does this procedure so often. Yes, frankly, and there is no need. No, I do not mind at all: if there is a desire, time, opportunity, then clean the well at least every month, or even more often. But is it really necessary? Hardly. Therefore, almost all of these deprived common sense, purely book recommendations are very, very far from real life.

If there is any suspicion that the well is in good order, then you can examine it and try to determine the cause of these suspicions. I usually lower a ladder into the well, climb there and, without any "sunbeams", examine the "insides". In my opinion, it is necessary to clean the well once every 5-8 years. The reasonableness of such a measure has been proven by practice. And not only mine. This can be done more often, depending on the quality of the water and, of course, in emergency situations. When cleaning the well, the stones of the water filter raised from the bottom must be carefully inspected and, if they are not in any doubt, rinsed and backfilled. And if they do not wash well, crumble or smell unpleasant, then they should be replaced.

It will not be superfluous to remind you that, intending to fill the well with stones for a new water filter, try to use boulders of exceptionally hard rocks: andesite, granite, basalt. And avoid limestone and other sedimentary rocks in every possible way. They not only deteriorate over time and thus pollute the water, but often give it an unpleasant aftertaste.

And it is also necessary to take into account this circumstance: often summer residents, taking out stones from a well, clean it by pumping out water. This is very dangerous. Especially in sandy soils. The fact is that together with the water, the soil on which the rings rest is often pumped out. And, as a result of such ill-considered actions, a void is formed under the lower ring. And it either sinks under its own weight, breaking away from the rest, or finds itself without support, being in limbo. It is not hard to guess that all this creates sometimes insoluble problems. For example, how to return the ring to its original place or lower the rest on it.