Can a Water Well Ever Go Dry?

January 12, 2021

If you rely on well water at your property in Wewahitchka, FL, it’s easy to take the source of water for granted. The aquifer that feeds your well may be located deep below the surface, which means you are unlikely to have any idea of how much water there actually is in that groundwater source.

Depending on where you’re located and the quality of your aquifer, it is possible that you could, at some point, experience a water well that goes dry in Wewahitchka, FL. Here’s what you should know about this phenomenon.

When groundwater wells dry up

A well is said to be dry if the water levels in the well reach a point where they fall below pump intakes. This does not mean there is no more water in the well, or that the well will never have water in it again—just that, for all practical purposes, the well can no longer be used due to the water being below the pump levels.

Aquifers can recharge over time as precipitation passes through the soil and down into the water table. In addition, as the well goes unused for a period of time, it allows more time for the well to rejuvenate and fill back up to a level above the pump intake.

All groundwater comes from precipitation, but the characteristics of the soil and the geology of the rock underground will determine how well that precipitation can infiltrate the aquifer and how the water in the ground will move. You can expect the water level in the well to be influenced by factors such as:

  • The depth of the well
  • The type of aquifer tapped by the well (confined or unconfined)
  • Characteristics of the underground rock, including porosity and permeability
  • The amount of pumping that occurs in the aquifer, and the rate of that pumping
  • How much recharge happens in the wells as a result of either precipitation or artificial recharge

Wells that have unconfined water table aquifers are more likely to be directly influenced by insufficient rainfall than wells that are dug into deeper, more confined aquifers. Meanwhile, deep wells in confined aquifers in areas that don’t see a lot of pumping of the aquifer to the surface are much less likely to go dry than those wells that are located in shallow water tables.

It’s important to have an understanding of the depth of your well and the geology of your area if you are to have a reasonably accurate gauge of your risk of the well ever running dry on your property. We strongly recommend having a professional come out to inspect your well if you are interested in learning more about the specific characteristics of your well and the aquifer from which you are drawing water.

To learn more about what can make a water well go dry in Wewahitchka, FL and the steps you can take to prevent this from happening, we encourage you to contact the team at Action Electric Motor & Pump Repair today.

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