Hi folks,
I've got a well for our water supply, and it is a bit slow (only produces
about 3 gal/minute). This is OK for normal use, but in the summer when I am
watering the garden, the draw is more than the well can provide.

I've spoken to a well company, and they have suggested hydro-fracturing the
well, but haven't told me what that really is..... Does anyone know?

thanks
--JD

When they did the gas well next door, they brought in several huge
diesel powered pumps and forced water down the well in the hope of
"fracturing" the earth/ rock at the bottom of the well, and allowing
more flow. Form my understanding it is a double edged sword and could
just as easily collapse something and reduce flow, which is what
happened there.

On Jan 28, 9:26 am, "jd" wrote:
Hi folks,
I've got a well for our water supply, and it is a bit slow (only produces
about 3 gal/minute). This is OK for normal use, but in the summer when I am
watering the garden, the draw is more than the well can provide.

I've spoken to a well company, and they have suggested hydro-fracturing the
well, but haven't told me what that really is..... Does anyone know?

thanks
--JD

Have a read of this ... http://www.awqinc.com/
article_enough_water.html

its a bit simple but may help you decide.

To me for the money spent , the storage tank concept seems best.
However , if your well yeild is getting worse you may not have an
option.

your probably better off drilling another well much deeper than the
existing one.

use existing well for outdoor use, this way if old shallow well runs
out of water new deep well will continue providing supply

how deepo is your well?

fracturing MAY ruin existing well be prepared to replace it
immediately if this occurs

you might add downspout storage tanks for outdoor watering if you get
a decent amount of rain in your area

On Jan 28, 7:26 am, "jd" wrote:
Hi folks,
I've got a well for our water supply, and it is a bit slow (only produces
about 3 gal/minute). This is OK for normal use, but in the summer when I am
watering the garden, the draw is more than the well can provide.

I've spoken to a well company, and they have suggested hydro-fracturing the
well, but haven't told me what that really is..... Does anyone know?

thanks
--JD


As mentioned in other posts;
1) Deeper is nice but you need to do some investigating with
neighbors and local well drillers who know the area. (our sitation was
that deeper wells got into "nasty water")

2) A storage tank can work really well.

We just sold a place (after 27 years) that had only 1 1/2 gpm with a
1750 gal storage tank. We watered extensive landscaping and a modest
garden. (no lawn though) Did it with a multi stationed drip system
which worked well and the whole setup was a lot less expensive than a
new well.

Bear

On Jan 28, 9:26 am, "jd" wrote:
Hi folks,
I've got a well for our water supply, and it is a bit slow (only produces
about 3 gal/minute). This is OK for normal use, but in the summer when I am
watering the garden, the draw is more than the well can provide.

I've spoken to a well company, and they have suggested hydro-fracturing the
well, but haven't told me what that really is..... Does anyone know?

thanks
--JD

Have a friend who had the same problem. He was told to fire a high
powered rifle down the well and the shock wave would fracture the
underlying rock. He did. The only thing that fractured was the PVC
well casing. So be careful about what others recommend.

On 28 Jan 2007 15:20:47 -0800, "Red" wrote:



On Jan 28, 9:26 am, "jd" wrote:
Hi folks,
I've got a well for our water supply, and it is a bit slow (only produces
about 3 gal/minute). This is OK for normal use, but in the summer when I am
watering the garden, the draw is more than the well can provide.

I've spoken to a well company, and they have suggested hydro-fracturing the
well, but haven't told me what that really is..... Does anyone know?

thanks
--JD

Have a friend who had the same problem. He was told to fire a high
powered rifle down the well and the shock wave would fracture the
underlying rock. He did. The only thing that fractured was the PVC
well casing. So be careful about what others recommend.

Thats about the stupidest things I ever heard of. Lucky he didn't
shoot his pump. Then the bullet left a chunk of lead in the water to
contaminate it, What an idiot !!!

A better option might have been dynamite, and well drillers do use it
at times. Of course one has to know the precise way and amount needed
or the whole well becomes an underground rock pile.

I bet repairing that PVC casing was costly.