Salty well water

[Gonsalviz]

Just had a well drilled. The water is salty tasting and a bit hard to get a soap lather in the shower. The well is 25 meters. We are in Kalasin provonce but not too far from Maha Sarakham which is a fairly famous place for producing salt.

Will use of the well make any difference over time or is it time for an R/O filter?

[Norlund]

Salty water in your well can be a result of irrigation. When the farmers use irrigation (ground water) the water table sinks and the water can be salty.

[Gonsalviz]

Salty water in your well can be a result of irrigation. When the farmers use irrigation (ground water) the water table sinks and the water can be salty.

The rice fields all around the area are irrigated with water from a dam.

[Aussieroaming]

Yep, time for an RO filter or something

[aussiesteve63]

I live in Kantharawichai and have had my bore down for 5 years now, it's down to 25 metres and in the beginning was quite salty a couple of months after the wet season. What I have done to reduce this is when I had a carport built 3 years ago I had gutters installed and a tank to collect the water and when the tank is full the water is diverted back down the bore and now I get good quality water right through to the next rains come.

[meatboy]

NEIGHBOURS could be useing it as a URINAL.

Edited December 16, 2015 by meatboy

[SantiSuk]

Ask the driller. 25m is a bit shallow for Isaan (in my part of it anyway) - maybe better at 35m.

[Gonsalviz]

Ask the driller. 25m is a bit shallow for Isaan (in my part of it anyway) - maybe better at 35m.

I used to be in eastern NBL Just west of the Loei border and had a well there that was 35 meters. I think the standard here is 25 but I'll check anyway.

[richard0460]

I live in Khamsakaesaeng one hour from Nakhonratchasima in a farm area where we built a new house a few months ago. We bored a new well and have local district water. When I tested them, they both had small amounts of soil sediment, very high in calcium, high in Ph and a bit salty and who knows what herbicide and pesticide residue which is usually present in most agricutural areas even in the USA as well as Thailand. When I took a shower, my skin would itch and burn afterwards and it was almost impossible to get a bar of soap to foam enough to use.

What we did is consult Bob and Moses at Ruangsangthai -- a building supply store in Buriram. They installed a cartridge filter for the sediment, a charcoal filter for the pesticides and herbicides and odors and a soft water filter for the dissolved calcium and any other metals in the water. In order to remove salt or make it totally safe for drinking you would need a reverse osmosis which is more costly than what I did. Our system with installation was about 40,000 Baht These people are very personable, customer service oriented and speak fluent English.

The Ruangsangthai people evaluated our problem and kept working at it until our problem was fixed. They spent a lot of time on the phone with me to get the right solution and they were willing to travel several hours to work.

My showers now are very comfortable now. I dont drink the water but I am not worried about it if some got in my mouth. My appliances dont get calcified anymore and it will be great for washing clothes and for use in my swimming pool.

[Gonsalviz]

I live in Khamsakaesaeng one hour from Nakhonratchasima in a farm area where we built a new house a few months ago. We bored a new well and have local district water. When I tested them, they both had small amounts of soil sediment, very high in calcium, high in Ph and a bit salty and who knows what herbicide and pesticide residue which is usually present in most agricutural areas even in the USA as well as Thailand. When I took a shower, my skin would itch and burn afterwards and it was almost impossible to get a bar of soap to foam enough to use.

What we did is consult Bob and Moses at Ruangsangthai -- a building supply store in Buriram. They installed a cartridge filter for the sediment, a charcoal filter for the pesticides and herbicides and odors and a soft water filter for the dissolved calcium and any other metals in the water. In order to remove salt or make it totally safe for drinking you would need a reverse osmosis which is more costly than what I did. Our system with installation was about 40,000 Baht These people are very personable, customer service oriented and speak fluent English.

The Ruangsangthai people evaluated our problem and kept working at it until our problem was fixed. They spent a lot of time on the phone with me to get the right solution and they were willing to travel several hours to work.

My showers now are very comfortable now. I dont drink the water but I am not worried about it if some got in my mouth. My appliances dont get calcified anymore and it will be great for washing clothes and for use in my swimming pool.

Thanks, I might be giving them a call if another idea doesn't come up soon.

[Gonsalviz]

Would a deeper well help?

[aussiesteve63]

Would a deeper well help?

Some times going deeper can get saltier Edited December 18, 2015 by aussiesteve63

[richard0460]

I found it was tricky figuring out what was wrong with the water in the first place, other than it caused a rash on my skin. Because if you dont know exactly whats the problem then you do the wrong thing or too much of something or too little--all of which is expensive. I sent my water to Bangkok to have a goverment agency test it and it never came back. I tested it with a pool testing kit and found high alkalinity and calcium and high PH. Then I looked at a sediment filter we were already using and it got brown easily with dirt. I know it tasted a bit salty but I dont know how salty. Salt in the water doesnt seem to hurt the appliances but calcium and lyme has already ruined my bathroom sprayer with cement hard deposits after 3 months. It can destroy washing machines and water heaters. Ruangsangthai Building supply say they are getting a testing outfit but I dont think they have it yet.