Remediation for Low Flow Wells

Just like most other things, you can expect that water wells can come across their own problems and complications. One of the biggest problems that water well runs into is either a lack of flow or a low flow. Luckily this problem has a couple different options for improvement.

The main issue with low flow wells is that there isn’t any one solution that is going to work to remediate it. Everyone has their own opinions about what might work best and different cases will have different circumstances.

The most common remediation methods would be to replace the storage tanks, hydro fracture, deepening the well or creating a new one. Each option has their pros and cons and it should be considered carefully before moving forward.

Storage Tanks

These are a great form of remediation to help with low flow. Depending on your area, the local and federal regulations may indicate whether they are located in the building, in the subsurface or in an underground tank. The demand will dictate how large the reserve will be. The reserves can be costly and expensive to install as well.

Some of the issues with this method is the risk of bacteria becoming an issue in dormant waters, along with the pressure of the water- usually there needs to be a booster pump installed as well. However, the upside to the reserve is that it will always be there for when you need it. When using this method there will be very little interruption because it takes about a day to install and then a few days to wait for the chlorine to flush out of the system.

Hydro Fracture

This method could be great in increasing the water flow based on the lithology. The things to watch out for with this method would include increased sediment/color in the water, and affecting neighboring wells. This process would require resetting the pump and will also result in down time while the chlorine is flushed out. Results are typically a 1-2 gallon increase in the flow, although it is possible to achieve more.

Deepening the Well

Deepening water wells does have its perks- even if it is a lot of work. The pump is pulled, and there is excavation done, but it is definitely worth the mess. No matter what, you are increasing the amount of storage and getting more flow into the well. 6” diameters has the ability to store 1.5 gallons per foot. If deepening the well doesn’t work then hydro fracture should be reconsidered.