When using a water well system as your source of water supply, you need to maintain the system to ensure maximum efficiency and longevity. There are many easy steps and precautions you can take to make sure your water system continues to operate properly. Without preventative maintenance, a small problem could quickly become a large and costly problem.

One simple task you can do is maintaining your lawn. Make sure you do not have weeds or grass growing around the area that your well pump is located. Be sure to not use hazardous chemicals like fertilizer and pesticides when maintaining this area. Along with weeds, it is best to ensure there are no leaves or snow piling up around your well. This could to lead to problems with the operation of the system and the quality of the water.

Another thing to be aware of is any leaks or holes in your piping. If you do see a leak, call a professional to come repair is as soon as possible. A leak in the piping can let water out and decrease your water pressure and it can also let air in, which leads to air “spitting” out of your faucet. If a leak goes unnoticed or unaddressed, for a long period of time, it will adversely impact the efficiency of your system and can lead to further damage.

Along with looking for leaks you should look for rust.  Rust or weathering on any part of your water system needs to be evaluated and repaired as soon as possible. When rust is present it can attract bacteria that can get into your water and contaminate it. Be sure to look inside your water storage tank for rust at least once a year.  In addition, if you taste a difference in your water, that could also be sign that rust has developed.

Conducting bacterial tests on your water is important to ensure your water is clean and safe to drink. These tests should be conducted routinely, at least once a year, to ensure your water is safe and free of harmful elements.   This test should be conducted immediately if there is any change in the taste, odor or color of your water.

Well caps or well coverings should be checked periodically to make sure they are in place and operational. The well cap is an important part of a water well system because it acts as “the first line of defense.”  If your well cap is misplaced or broken it can lead to contaminates getting into your water supply such as bugs, chemicals, debris, leaves, etc.

Preventative maintenance checks of your water well system are critical to ensure your business or household gets the safe and clean water it needs. All of these maintenance checks are fast and easy to complete and can help you detect issues before they turn into costly problems.  Unfortunately, if you do detect a problem and try to make a repair yourself, there is a good chance you will make the problem worse.  It is true you can conduct many of these maintenance steps yourself, but you may want to schedule an annual maintenance plan with the professionals at Suburban Well Drilling.  With over 70 years of servicing the Chicagoland area, we have the experience and diagnostic equipment to determine exactly what needs to be done to have your system operating safely and at 100% efficiency.