How Much Water Can I Use From My Well?

Having a well on your property is a great way to ensure that you have a steady supply of healthy water for you and your family. However, there are some misconceptions concerning wells and the amount of water you have access to. When you are consulting with water well drillers to have a new well installed on a piece of property, you will need to understand some basic details concerning the amount of water you can access during a certain amount of time. This information could affect water usage on your property. You need this info so that you will know if you need supplemental water storage or not. 

Are There Limits on How Much Water I Can Use From My Well?

Yes, there are limits on how much water you can access from your well within a designated amount of time. These limits are in place to ensure that groundwater supplies stay steady.

There can be slight variations from place to place, but in general, a residence can use five gallons of water per minute.

Why Are There Limits on My Well Water?

There are a few different reasons there are limits to how much well water you can use. One of the most important is that if you overpump an aquifer, it increases the chances of contamination. If groundwater is contaminated on a deep level, it can cause a host of problems for residents in that area.

The other important reason why aquifers cannot be over-pumped is that it can affect the amount of water that is available to other properties. This would be an unfair usage of water if you were allowed to pump too much on your property.

How Will I Know How Much Water I Have Access To?

When you are having a well installed, one of the most important details that you should discuss with the professionals drilling your well is flow and yield. Different types of wells can allow for different amounts of flow and yield of water.

You will want to do your own research to establish what type of flow and yield you will need for your property. Your flow and yield needs can be affected by how many homes are accessing the well, if you have livestock that you are watering from the well, and if you will be using the water for farming or gardening needs.

Most average homes will never use the maximum daily yield that their well is capable of. However, if you have livestock or run a farm, your water needs could be much higher.

Categorised in: Water Conditioning