Private Well Inspections

[Kris Svendsen]

I'm having a hard time getting the information I need to be able to perform private well inspections. Anyone have any suggestions on correspondence course material or classroom education?

[Scott Patterson]

I'm having a hard time getting the information I need to be able to perform private well inspections. Anyone have any suggestions on correspondence course material or classroom education?

Check with your state, many states regulate well inspections.

I have watched well inspections being done by folks who know what they are doing and unless you have the equipment to pull pumps, view the well shaft, take samples from inside the well shaft, and measure the flow I would let somebody else do it. Just not enough money for what is needed to do it properly. Well inspections in my area go for around $100 to $175 then any water testing is extra.

[Lon Henderson]

I do relative flow tests all the time. Not much to it really, and I almost feel guilty getting paid to do them......almost. More and more lenders are requiring them. Years ago, an engineer who used to be with the Water Engineer's office taught me how he did them.

The key point is that all I do is a relative or functional flow test. It doesn't require opening the well head or pulling anything out. With 300-700 foot wells around here, well companies charge north of $500 for that. I attach a 3/4" water hose to an outside faucet, preferably a riser faucet near the well head if possible. And measure the amount of water into a five gallon bucket to get a gpm. I take a measurement every twenty minutes for two hours, running the water continuously for the whole period. Occasionally, someone wants a full well inspection and I direct them to a well company for that.

Obviously, I am not testing static water level, draw down level, recharge rate, or anything inside the hole. But this simple test will find a well struggling to maintain enough water for normal use.

Additionally, I shut the well down, run water until it runs out and use an air gauge to check the pressure tank for proper pressure. I have found many under inflated and some with failed bladders.

And finally, if the client wants a potability test, I take a sample per the Health Dept.'s protocols. Most folks want a simple coliform/ecoli test, but some want more extensive testing. Lately, every lender has demanded a potability test. I just had one lender demand documentation of the chain of custody of the sample.

[Kris Svendsen]

Thanks Lon. This is more of the type of information I'm looking for. I bought a course from ASHI, but it turned out to be a bust. I thought it was how to perform well inspections (including the pressure tank and the other equipment) but it was actually geared more towards water analysis.

I feel silly at the moment because I can do NAWT certified septic inspections, but not a well inspection (or at least I want more information before I offer that service).

If there is another North Dallas inspector that's well versed in well inspections and you need someone to bring you your morning latte in exchange for some knowledge, let me know. Heck, I'll even throw in a lunch if you let me tag along.

[Stuart Brooks]

I advise all potential clients buying a house with a well and or septic system to have them inspected by a qualified well contractor or in the case of septic systems, a septic system contractor. This is especially applicable to older homes. The cost of replacement or major repairs can run into the thousands.