Water Well FAQs
Water Well FAQs
How will purchasing a well save my family money?
- According to the 2009 budget adopted by the CFPUA, all customers' rates are projected to increase 36% between now and 2013.
How much water do I need?
- This depends on the amount of water usage. Without irrigation, a very conservative estimate is: most families will use between 75-100 gallons per person per day, or roughly 400 gallons for a family of four.
How deep will my well be?
- Most wells will vary depending on the area. Wells in the eastern NC area range between 60' to 425'.
Where should a well be located? Wells should be located:
- Away from potential contamination; accessible for drilling rigs and pump installation equipment; a minimum of 25' from house or structure (soil treated foundations).
- In a minimum of 25' from house or structure (soil treated foundations).
- In an area away from potential contamination.
- Areas must be accessible for drilling rigs and pump installation equipment. An area 12' wide with a clear area of 30' above ground is required.
- In an area 50 feet from a non-tidal body of water and 25 feet from tidal water.
How long is it going to take to obtain a well permit?
- A well permit can usually be obtained in 3-5 business days.
Do I need a two inch or four inch well?
- This depends upon volume and pressure requirements. For example, if greater than 10 gallons per minute is required, a four inch well may need to be installed.
- A four inch well provides 4 times the pressure and 2 times the volume of a 2 inch well.
How long will it take to install a new irrigation or drinking well from start to finish?
- For drinking wells only, bacteria testing takes a minimum of 48 hours if CFDS takes to private laboratory.
- For a new well, it usually takes one day to install the well and pump. For an irrigation well, an additional day may be required for system completion., e.g electrical connections and connecting to irrigation.
- A replacement irrigation well may take 1 day less as piping will not have to be installed. These time frames are estimated and may vary.
What does your company do to protect the aquifer that serves my family and my community?
- CFDS uses pressurized grouting techniques to grout the casing to total well depth. This prevents water transfer between aquifers and allows us to completely seal casing. Aquifer protection is important, since we cannot survive with a contaminated drinking water supply and thousands of people rely on our local aquifers.
Will an electrician be required for well installation to be complete and well to be functional?
- An electrician is not required if the following apply:
- A well that currently has power is being replaced.
- During construction, a well breaker has been installed and wire has been provided outside the home for future well installation.
What type of warranties do you offer?
- As long as no damages have occurred after installation, all wells are covered, parts and labor, for 2 years.
Does soft water have more sodium?
- The brine or salt water used during regeneration leaves only a small amount of sodium ions in the resin bed. This sodium is imparted into the water supply during softening. However, it is negligible and you won't add a salty taste to your water. In fact, two slices of white bread have more sodium than a half-gallon of softened water! (Courtesy of CSI.)
Will the water be tested after drinking well installation?
After drinking well installation the county will test your water. To facilitate removal of any contamination that may enter the well during the normal drilling process, we recommend the following.
- If you have a water softener or water treatment system, it should be put on bypass until the county has completed your water sample.
- Hook a hose to the hose bib/spigot that is the greatest distance from your well.
- Turn the hose on and leave it running at its maximum capacity. It will be less messy if you can run the hose into a ditch or drain.
- You do not have to be concerned about this process damaging your pump, as pumps operate most efficiently when they run continuously.
- Run your well non-stop, continuously for 5 days prior to the county inspector's appointment. That means without cutting it off ever, even for a few seconds.
- The inspector will turn the water off after they take the sample. They do this on a regular basis. You do not need to ask them to do this.
- You do not need to be home for the inspector to take the sample as long as the water source at your well is accessible.