When people think about wells, most do not think about how they get their water. In fact, there are many individuals who assume that wells have an infinite water supply, just like magic. However, this is simply not the case. Wells need to have a supply for them to be able to provide the water that people need.
In the everyday use of a well, it continuously does its process to tap out water from its supply. If you have a well, you may notice that there are times when the water that supplies your faucets declines, but eventually goes back to normal after a couple of hours. This happens due to a variety of reasons, but is mainly due to the reason that the water level on your well may not be replenished at the moment. Until it is able to recover, your well will not return to its normal water yield.
Where do wells get water?
In order for us to know about how wells are able to replenish their water, we need to know first how exactly they get their water.
There are three types of wells. The first variant is the bored well. Also called dug wells, they are commonly placed by digging a hole on the ground using a shovel or backhoe. This type of well is the standard one and has been made to help with agriculture back in the earlier years. The second kind is the driven wells that are made by driving a pipe into the ground. Lastly, the modern kind that is now being used for newer construction is drilled wells. They are made by drilling a hole using a machine.
Depending on the kind of well, there are many sources of water that they individually use to get their water supply. Most wells nowadays get their water from the ground, which is specifically taken from “aquifers.” Aquifers are a type of water-bearing rock that most wells rely on for their supply.
As we all know, having an inspection conducted by a well professional is crucial before having a well installed in your property. When an inspection is done, the expert will assess if there are enough aquifers that can provide water for the use of the well. However, well contractors will need to dig or drill before knowing how deep they would need to find a stable amount of aquifer. There are many cases where they will need to continue to dig deeper and deeper until they are sure that the aquifer level will be enough for the water consumption of their client.
How does the water from aquifers replenish?
As mentioned above, an aquifer is a layer of water-bearing rocks that are found under the ground. Depending on the location, some areas can only have one layer of aquifer, while some may have several layers. If an area has several layers of aquifer, most well contractors would want to install the well screen at the lowermost layer, as it usually contains cleaner and safer water, compared to the aquifers that are closer to the surface which is more prone to be contaminated with bacteria and chemicals.
Aquifers get their water from various sources. They can be from the moisture they get from other bodies of water, other rocks or sand, snow, and can even come from rain that has reached the rocks’ surface. When aquifers get their water from these sources, the process is also called recharging or replenishing. This happens when the water or moisture from these sources travel naturally until they are absorbed by the aquifers, which are then stored until they are utilized by the well for it to produce its water.
Unfortunately, the replenishing of an aquifer may take a lot of time, especially in dry areas. If water is not conserved, it will take the aquifer a much longer period until they are able to store water again. This is the reason why it is recommended to practice conserving water and to not use more than what is needed, as doing so will be detrimental to the aquifers.
Is it possible for a well to dry out?
Unfortunately, aquifers are considered to be one of the many things in the world that are non-renewable, which means that it is possible for them to break and reach their limit. Before this happens, it would be best to prevent this event to occur by taking care of a well properly in the first place.
Most wells get their water supply from aquifers, and aquifers get their supply mostly from the moisture from bodies of water, rain, and other sources. When the aquifer is not able to retain moisture due to several reasons such as drought, it will be possible for the well to dry out. Depending on the cause of the insufficient water supply, it can be recharged within a couple of hours, or may take days and even weeks for the well to recover. There are also some instances where the water would not be replenished until a well contractor does maintenance, as some can be due to problems with the well’s parts themselves and are not due to the aquifers.
Use your well properly.
Having a well on your property, whether for residential or industrial purposes, comes with so many benefits. Not only do they provide your family and crops with clean water, but they will also result in bigger savings in the long run. However, having one also entails a responsibility you will have to continuously practice. It is important to take proper care of your well and have it maintained by a well professional to make sure that it will be functional for many years. Avoid using water that will exceed the recommended use, and make sure that you are conducting water tests yearly to guarantee that the water from your well will be safe for consumption and everyday use.