Re-Open Well

[Shot]

We are considering re-opening a well on our property. It’s my understanding this well was contaminated with grey water 4-5 years ago. This is a standard well with a cement sleeve (not sure that is proper terminology), currently covered with a steel lid.

Can this well be cleaned and used? What would the procedure be? Current cost of having something like this done in Phuket, to include pump, filter, etc? Any ideas?

Edit: This water will not be used for drinking water. Washing, showers, etc only.

Thanks in advance,

Shot

　

Edited July 8, 2012 by Shot

[cdmtdm]

IMO ..no ... go for a deep bore submersible pump , it depends where u are in Phuket as to the level of the water table , i used Siam Drilling , 57 metres beautiful water exactly in the spot they chose , cost around 100k from memory ...

[Valentine]

You can add some alum in the well to clear it of any fine sediments which are suspended in the water then install a pump & run it through a filter to a storage tank. Attach a pressure pump to the storage tank which is connected to the water line. A cheaper version would be to cut out the filter & storage tank, just have a pressure pump on the well but it will depend on the water quality eg. it may look clear but could be smelly. A filter with the right media will at least make it ok to bathe in. I would think around 30 to 40K for two pumps, filter & storage tank.

Edited July 8, 2012 by Valentine

[cdmtdm]

You can add some alum in the well to clear it of any fine sediments which are suspended in the water then install a pump & run it through a filter to a storage tank. Attach a pressure pump to the storage tank which is connected to the water line. A cheaper version would be to cut out the filter & storage tank, just have a pressure pump on the well but it will depend on the water quality eg. it may look clear but could be smelly. A filter with the right media will at least make it ok to bathe in. I would think around 30 to 40K for two pumps, filter & storage tank.

and take out health insurance the well has been capped for a reason , perhaps it only has water in the wet season ....

[sportsman69]

I'll stand to be corrected by the experts but I'd do nothing until I took a sample in a clean container and had it tested for turds. We had our water tested by Vichara Hospital at little cost and it was passed as drinkable. Zero Ecoli, no turds. In essence high quality mineral water after passed through a carbon filter to remove laterite particles. Depending on your location it depends on what the groundwater passes through before it gets to you. Bottom line though I believe is that never plan, dig, test, invest in pumps, whatever at this time of the year. Wait until the trough of the dry season, that will be your worst result for the future and you can plan accordingly. Please allow for future development nearby also. Here, in toyland, nothing much can stop the guy next door putting his shitter next door to your well on the other side of the fence.

Check the history books, most wars have been fought over water, possession or control of.

[britpop]

I'll stand to be corrected by the experts but I'd do nothing until I took a sample in a clean container and had it tested for turds. We had our water tested by Vichara Hospital at little cost and it was passed as drinkable. Zero Ecoli, no turds. In essence high quality mineral water after passed through a carbon filter to remove laterite particles. Depending on your location it depends on what the groundwater passes through before it gets to you. Bottom line though I believe is that never plan, dig, test, invest in pumps, whatever at this time of the year. Wait until the trough of the dry season, that will be your worst result for the future and you can plan accordingly. Please allow for future development nearby also. Here, in toyland, nothing much can stop the guy next door putting his shitter next door to your well on the other side of the fence.

Check the history books, most wars have been fought over water, possession or control of.

I can't believe it, i 100 % agree with sportyman69, well said, sensible advice

[Valentine]

I'll stand to be corrected by the experts but I'd do nothing until I took a sample in a clean container and had it tested for turds. We had our water tested by Vichara Hospital at little cost and it was passed as drinkable. Zero Ecoli, no turds. In essence high quality mineral water after passed through a carbon filter to remove laterite particles. Depending on your location it depends on what the groundwater passes through before it gets to you. Bottom line though I believe is that never plan, dig, test, invest in pumps, whatever at this time of the year. Wait until the trough of the dry season, that will be your worst result for the future and you can plan accordingly. Please allow for future development nearby also. Here, in toyland, nothing much can stop the guy next door putting his shitter next door to your well on the other side of the fence.

Check the history books, most wars have been fought over water, possession or control of.

I can't believe it, i 100 % agree with sportyman69, well said, sensible advice

The advice is relatively sensible but remember he does not want to drink it & BTW grey water can be treated to drinking water. All of those concrete ring wells are susceptible to going dry in the high season due to the drop in the water table with less or no rain & the fact many, many more are being used which is why having a storage tank is useful as at least it can be filled up with truck water.

A deep well is fine & a deep well guy I spoke with recently offered to bring one in at Baht 2,500 per metre which includes the permit, drilling, pipe, pump & electric control panel but remember you have to pay for this water usage at the same rate as you do for papa water. He used divining rods, which worked for me as well. but he has a testing unit to ascertain how deep the water is so at least you know how much it will cost beforehand.

I have not had any water checked at Vachira for a long time but is best to go there first, specify what you want checked & they will give you sterile containers to collect the water in.

For safety reasons all wells should have a cap on them, I have never seen one without.

Edited July 9, 2012 by Valentine

[stevenl]

<snip> but remember you have to pay for this water usage at the same rate as you do for papa water. <snip>

Sorry, don't understand this. Are you saying you have to pay for well water?

[Valentine]

<snip> but remember you have to pay for this water usage at the same rate as you do for papa water. <snip>

Sorry, don't understand this. Are you saying you have to pay for well water?

Only for the deep well water.

[steelepulse]

Does the gov't slap a meter on deep well water, or how would they know about usage?

[cdmtdm]

<snip> but remember you have to pay for this water usage at the same rate as you do for papa water. <snip>

Sorry, don't understand this. Are you saying you have to pay for well water?

Only for the deep well water.

never had a bill from anyone ...

[Valentine]

<snip> but remember you have to pay for this water usage at the same rate as you do for papa water. <snip>

Sorry, don't understand this. Are you saying you have to pay for well water?

Only for the deep well water.

never had a bill from anyone ...

I would keep quiet about it if I were you.

[Jimi007]

Sorry, don't understand this. Are you saying you have to pay for well water?

Only for the deep well water.

never had a bill from anyone ...

I would keep quiet about it if I were you.

Just curious. Who are you billed by? A friend here in Rawai has a large house with a pool and he does have a meter on his well, but told me he just has to report his usage to the Rawai Or Bor Tor. He said if he doesn't report his usage there may be a fine. I have a shallow well, no meter, just a pump.

[Valentine]

Just curious. Who are you billed by? A friend here in Rawai has a large house with a pool and he does have a meter on his well, but told me he just has to report his usage to the Rawai Or Bor Tor. He said if he doesn't report his usage there may be a fine. I have a shallow well, no meter, just a pump.

I only know this from people I know & what the deep well guy stated.

[LivinginKata]

We had a deep well drilled in Patong many years ago. The drilling company paid all the gov licence fees and my understanding is that a one time payment was made for water usage based on the daily water capacity of the well. We never paid anything else, had no water meter, no water bill. That's our experience. Maybe the rules have changed in recent years ???

[NamKangMan]

I'll stand to be corrected by the experts but I'd do nothing until I took a sample in a clean container and had it tested for turds. We had our water tested by Vichara Hospital at little cost and it was passed as drinkable. Zero Ecoli, no turds. In essence high quality mineral water after passed through a carbon filter to remove laterite particles. Depending on your location it depends on what the groundwater passes through before it gets to you. Bottom line though I believe is that never plan, dig, test, invest in pumps, whatever at this time of the year. Wait until the trough of the dry season, that will be your worst result for the future and you can plan accordingly. Please allow for future development nearby also. Here, in toyland, nothing much can stop the guy next door putting his shitter next door to your well on the other side of the fence.

Check the history books, most wars have been fought over water, possession or control of.

If you ever did consider consuming the water, I would also have it tested for heavy metals, particularly nitrate/nitrite.

Edited July 9, 2012 by NamKangMan

[britpop]

I'll stand to be corrected by the experts but I'd do nothing until I took a sample in a clean container and had it tested for turds. We had our water tested by Vichara Hospital at little cost and it was passed as drinkable. Zero Ecoli, no turds. In essence high quality mineral water after passed through a carbon filter to remove laterite particles. Depending on your location it depends on what the groundwater passes through before it gets to you. Bottom line though I believe is that never plan, dig, test, invest in pumps, whatever at this time of the year. Wait until the trough of the dry season, that will be your worst result for the future and you can plan accordingly. Please allow for future development nearby also. Here, in toyland, nothing much can stop the guy next door putting his shitter next door to your well on the other side of the fence.

Check the history books, most wars have been fought over water, possession or control of.

If you ever did consider consuming the water, I would also have it tested for heavy metals, particularly nitrate/nitrite.

i can't believe i'm agreeing again, but 100% correct, very sound and sensible advice, for the sake of a few water tests, better to be safe then sorry.

[Valentine]

I'll stand to be corrected by the experts but I'd do nothing until I took a sample in a clean container and had it tested for turds. We had our water tested by Vichara Hospital at little cost and it was passed as drinkable. Zero Ecoli, no turds. In essence high quality mineral water after passed through a carbon filter to remove laterite particles. Depending on your location it depends on what the groundwater passes through before it gets to you. Bottom line though I believe is that never plan, dig, test, invest in pumps, whatever at this time of the year. Wait until the trough of the dry season, that will be your worst result for the future and you can plan accordingly. Please allow for future development nearby also. Here, in toyland, nothing much can stop the guy next door putting his shitter next door to your well on the other side of the fence.

Check the history books, most wars have been fought over water, possession or control of.

If you ever did consider consuming the water, I would also have it tested for heavy metals, particularly nitrate/nitrite.

i can't believe i'm agreeing again, but 100% correct, very sound and sensible advice, for the sake of a few water tests, better to be safe then sorry.

There is a lot of water on this island which is sourced from old tin mines. These are known to contain heavy metals yet people consume fish from there. However, the OP is not talking about using his well for drinking water. Nitrates are heavy metals & usually enter the ground water from fertilizers.

[NamKangMan]

I'll stand to be corrected by the experts but I'd do nothing until I took a sample in a clean container and had it tested for turds. We had our water tested by Vichara Hospital at little cost and it was passed as drinkable. Zero Ecoli, no turds. In essence high quality mineral water after passed through a carbon filter to remove laterite particles. Depending on your location it depends on what the groundwater passes through before it gets to you. Bottom line though I believe is that never plan, dig, test, invest in pumps, whatever at this time of the year. Wait until the trough of the dry season, that will be your worst result for the future and you can plan accordingly. Please allow for future development nearby also. Here, in toyland, nothing much can stop the guy next door putting his shitter next door to your well on the other side of the fence.

Check the history books, most wars have been fought over water, possession or control of.

If you ever did consider consuming the water, I would also have it tested for heavy metals, particularly nitrate/nitrite.

i can't believe i'm agreeing again, but 100% correct, very sound and sensible advice, for the sake of a few water tests, better to be safe then sorry.

There is a lot of water on this island which is sourced from old tin mines. These are known to contain heavy metals yet people consume fish from there. However, the OP is not talking about using his well for drinking water. Nitrates are heavy metals & usually enter the ground water from fertilizers.

Nitrate is only one heavy metal that the water should be tested for. Other heavey metal that should be tested for are:

Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Soluble, Boron, Cadmium, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Iron,

Lead, Manganese, Mercury, Molybdenum, Nickel,

Selenium, Sulphur, Uranium, Vanadium and Zinc

I don't know how reliable any test you got done here would be. So, on that basis, I wouldn't consider ever drinking the water.

Edited July 9, 2012 by NamKangMan

[NamKangMan]

I'll stand to be corrected by the experts but I'd do nothing until I took a sample in a clean container and had it tested for turds. We had our water tested by Vichara Hospital at little cost and it was passed as drinkable. Zero Ecoli, no turds. In essence high quality mineral water after passed through a carbon filter to remove laterite particles. Depending on your location it depends on what the groundwater passes through before it gets to you. Bottom line though I believe is that never plan, dig, test, invest in pumps, whatever at this time of the year. Wait until the trough of the dry season, that will be your worst result for the future and you can plan accordingly. Please allow for future development nearby also. Here, in toyland, nothing much can stop the guy next door putting his shitter next door to your well on the other side of the fence.

Check the history books, most wars have been fought over water, possession or control of.

If you ever did consider consuming the water, I would also have it tested for heavy metals, particularly nitrate/nitrite.

i can't believe i'm agreeing again, but 100% correct, very sound and sensible advice, for the sake of a few water tests, better to be safe then sorry.

Any post that agrees with my post, I have to agree with as well. :)

[T_Dog]

Shot.... Do you know the source of the original contamination? Was it a grey water drain field and was it the field moved? "Might" be okay to use it again if you can prove it will stay clean, but if the drain fields are still there, it will get contaminated again. Knowing where your sewage and grey water drain fields are is very important so that you can locate your well safely away from those.

We lived at a rental house that had a sewage drainage field 3 meters from a well that fed about six houses. During the rainy season you could smell sewage in the water. We moved.

[Shot]

Shot.... Do you know the source of the original contamination? Was it a grey water drain field and was it the field moved? "Might" be okay to use it again if you can prove it will stay clean, but if the drain fields are still there, it will get contaminated again. Knowing where your sewage and grey water drain fields are is very important so that you can locate your well safely away from those.

We lived at a rental house that had a sewage drainage field 3 meters from a well that fed about six houses. During the rainy season you could smell sewage in the water. We moved.

@ Valentine. Yes, grey water, and not for consumption, we are prepared to buy 2 1500 L tanks, pumps and simple filters.

@ T-dog. I am told grey water was dumped above the well, on a hillside. The grey water ran down the hill and entered the well. This continued for about a year. The well was abandoned when it started to smell bad. The drain field is at a different area.

Just for information: I had no idea you could clean a well. See link if interested.

http://www.luisierdrilling.com/Cleaning.html

　

[Shot]

Also, Thank you all for your input. I learned a lot about wells today.

Edited July 9, 2012 by Shot

[sportsman69]

Also, Thank you all for your input. I learned a lot about wells today.

Well, well, well, there u go,

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