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By Don Adams
Adams Well Drilling

Yes. But not to the extent you’d imagine.

Governments at various levels regulate private residential and commercial wells. The reason for this is simple: safety. You want to ensure everyone using water from the well can rely on ample volumes of quality water for years to come. Like anything in life, the finished product equals the amount of care and effort you put into it.

Most states enforce standards for well construction, water quality and property rights. No, the feds won’t be sending out inspectors to oversee the installation of your water well and pump infrastructure. But at the very least, local officials will want some quality assurance that drilling and well construction are done correctly and that the people consuming the water will be healthy.

In New York State, private wells must be installed by a professional well driller registered, tested and certified with the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Specific county health departments and/or municipalities may have their own specifications and permitting requirements. (Click here for Allegany County, NY. Click here for Cattaraugus County, NY.) 

The professionals at Adams Well Drilling are NYS registered, tested and certified to perform all water well drilling, pump installation and on-site maintenance. An experienced well drilling and pump installation contractor should know the local requirements, or have the ability to research your needs quickly. But we always encourage property owners to educate themselves to avoid future problems and be a valued partner in the process. 

Here’s a nutshell breakdown of what you need to know:

NYS Residential Water Well Regulations

Well Construction and Pump Installation

The well and all of its components must meet certain construction standards and protocols for the consumer’s safety. Each must be documented on a NYSDEC Well Completion Report, which must be filed and available for review upon request. Specifications include:

• Well depth and casing – The depth must be recorded, and the casing must extend at least 19 feet below grade. The top end of the casing also must be at least 1 foot above ground level.
• Well cap – The cap must be bolted tightly to the top end of the casing. A perfect seal ensures it is water tight and safe from external contaminants including microbes, environmental runoff, man-made waste and even small animals. Split caps are forbidden.
• Concrete or grout – After the casing is installed, the space around it must be filled with an impermeable sealant such as concrete or grout. This also ensures external contaminants cannot infiltrate the well and foul your water table.
• Grading – Leveling the area around the well head helps to prevent ponding during periods of heavy rain or snow runoff. Ponding potentially allows disease-causing bacteria to grow and eventually infiltrate the aquifer below. A helpful practice is to either locate the well head on higher ground or grade the surrounding land to direct surface water away.  
• Yield – The volume of water your well produces per minute, hour and day is the yield. This detail must be recorded in final documentation.
• Pump – The pump and all of its details (make, model, serial number, capacity, etc.) also must be recorded. Here at Adams Well Drilling, we proudly use only American-made pumps by Goulds Water Technology – a Xylem brand, the leading technology in water wells.  

These details may also be verified during a state site inspection, if applicable.

NYS Distance Requirements from Potential Contaminants

The DEC lists the following distance requirements from potential groundwater contaminants. During the cycle of hydrology, much of the groundwater that reaches or flows through your property as rainfall or snowmelt will seep down through the  

• 200 feet from manure storage
• 150 feet from a seepage pit
• 100 feet from a leach bed
• 50 feet from a septic tank
• 50 feet from a sanitary sewer
• 25 feet from a stream, lake, watercourse, drainage ditch or wetland

The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) also urges minimal distances between the wellhead and sources of contaminants. Local municipalities may require their own, more stringent, minimal distances. Pay close attention to these, even after the well is installed, because you’ll ultimately be responsible for ongoing water quality tests.

Federal Requirements

While the federal government issues guidelines for water well safety, it very rarely steps in to enforce those standards. However, a private well serving enough people technically qualifies as a public water utility. To qualify, a water system must serve water for human consumption (drinking, food preparation, bathing, dishwashing, etc.) to at least 15 connections for 25 people at least 60 days each year. Such a system would be governed under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

Educate Yourself. Water Well Regulations Will Keep You and Your Loved Ones Safe

Government regulations protect everyone involved. But most importantly, they protect the water customer from environmental hazards and equipment mishaps that could happen in any industry. So let’s do it right the first time. You know your property, and you know your water needs. The process may seem overwhelming, but educating yourself on the requirements before contracting the job will go a long way toward quality assurance. 

If you have any questions, contact the well-drilling experts at Adams Well Drilling at (585) 968-3923.

By Don Adams
Adams Well Drilling

The groundwater in your aquifer comes courtesy of Earth’s natural water cycle, known as hydrology. 

You likely remember how it goes from elementary school. Water first evaporates from the surface — from rivers, lakes, seas and the ground itself — and then precipitates however conditions allow — as rain, snow, sleet, hail, etc. From there, the cycle continues as the water makes its way at the surface downhill toward the nearest body of water, where it’ll either flow back into a bigger body of water or evaporate once more to complete the cycle. Most of the water infiltrates the ground and makes its way down to underground aquifers. When you have a water well installed, you’re essentially using clean, fresh rainwater after a few stages of permeation and filtration.

Feel free to discuss these variables with your water well installation professional. 

3 Groundwater Must Knows Before Having a Water Well Installed

1. Geology

In our areas around Franklinville, Rushford and Cuba, NY, geologic formations can vary greatly from solid rock to loose silt — and everything in between. Experience in these areas is critical to ensure the well is drilled and constructed correctly the first time.

2. Types of Aquifers

Aquifers are water-saturated subsurface formations. Sometimes they’re deep. Sometimes they’re shallow. Sometimes they occur alone and are uncontained. In general, there are three types of aquifers: confined, unconfined and perched water tables. In any case, wells siphon groundwater from these aquifers. 

Confined aquifers sit deep down between two layers of rock. They’re typically sustained by a recharge area at a higher elevation. If feasible for drilling, water quality in confined aquifers is usually best, as the top layer of rock is a barrier from potential contaminants. For these, artesian wells are drilled from the surface down through the first large rock formation and as deep as necessary to access the confined water.

Unconfined aquifers sit on top of the first large underground rock formation, closer to the surface. These are referred to as unconfined because they draw water directly from the ground above them. Shallower water table wells work fine to deliver high volumes of quality groundwater.

Perched water tables are even shallower. The water table represents the boundary underground between the soil surface and water-saturated subsurface locations. Sometimes this water table sits above a confining rock formation closer to ground level. 

3. Topography Affects Groundwater Flow

Groundwater falls and melts across a variety of topographies — hilly areas, lowlands, open field, swamps, rivers and ponds, and everything in between. Where the rain water falls and what it travels through makes a big difference in terms of safety and quality. 

Knowing the flow of groundwater will help your water well professional to identify the ideal location for your well. Generally, groundwater in an aquifer flows the same direction as the ground slope. Consider it like a slowly flowing underground river. When slope isn’t so obvious, years of experience drilling in an area reveal valuable trends to finding volumes of clean well water. 

Be aware of potential nearby contaminants like septic tanks and landfills. Your well should be constructed a safe distance away, as groundwater will carry their bacteria and hazardous waste whichever way it flows. As a rule, distance is a great filter.

Adams Well Drilling has decades of experience harnessing the power of hydrology to supply clean, dependable groundwater for commercial and residential properties in Western New York. Call us now at (585) 968-3923 for a free consultation.

By Don Adams
Adams Well Drilling

It’s best to think of a water well as a complete system. There are numerous working parts beginning at ground level down to the groundwater aquifer and up to the delivery infrastructure servicing your residential or commercial property.

Your water well will not work properly if it’s not constructed properly and with quality assurance. In the worst case, the well will deliver poor quality water that may be unhealthy for consumption. So it’s best to have an experienced water well drilling and pump installation professional tackle each part of the process.

What are those working parts?

5 Main Components of a Safe and Reliable Water Well System

1. Well Casing

After the well is drilled in the right location and down to the proper depth, a well casing is inserted into the hole. This casing is a carbon-steel pipe — or a series of interconnected pipes — sometimes extending several hundred feet into an underground aquifer. The casing maintains the well opening. Once installed, it’s cemented or filled with grout around the circumference to further seal any empty spaces between the casing and hole. This ensures no outside dirt, geological elements or other contaminants can make their way into your water supply. The well casing also restricts the groundwater to its location for future delivery.

2. Well Cap

The cap seals the well from any contaminants above ground. It must be installed and sealed correctly to the portion of the well casing that extends above the ground. It ensures disease-causing microbes, debris, insects and even small animals can’t enter the well. The best way for a secure seal is to bolt the cap down snugly so it can’t be easily or accidentally removed. It should be removed only by a professional for routine and ongoing maintenance.

3. Pump

The pump draws the water from the well. Thank amazing advances in technology for the fact that you no longer have to pull water up with a bucket. It’s important to select the pump that will supply your average daily needs in both water head pressure and volume per minute. Anything short will leave you and your property thirsting for water — literally and figuratively — especially during peak usage times. In the household market, there are two types: submersible and jet pumps. Submersible pumps are typically best for deeper wells. Jet pumps are often the right choice for shallow wells no more than 25 feet deep. Work with your experienced water well professional to determine which pump will provide the most consistent and reliable water volume and pressure. Here at Adams Well Drilling, we proudly use only American-made pumps by Goulds Water Technology – a Xylem brand, the leading technology in water wells. 

4. Pitless Adapter

The pitless adapter begins the water-delivery infrastructure to the point of consumption. It forms a sanitary seal between the well casing and water service line, or water main. Here in Western New York, where winter seems to last half the year, we take special care to install these below the frost line. If this critical seal is broken, you may experience water quality and contamination issues. An experienced contractor will install the pitless adapter securely for a seal that lasts many years.

5. Pressure Tank

The pressure tank is a critical component of your delivery infrastructure. It stores well water under pressure to relieve unnecessary strain on the pump. Without a pressure tank, the pump would be forced to kick on and supply sufficient water every time a tap is turned. Considering the sometimes lengthy distances and optional treatment and heating processes your water must travel through, relying on the pump alone would be unrealistic or downright impossible. An average residential water tank serving a family of two to four people will hold between 20 and 80 gallons of pressurized water at a time. 

Have a Professional Install Your Water Well and Pump System the Right Way

A quality water well and pump system is a big piece of infrastructure. The interconnected equipment, installed correctly, should serve your property with safe, clean water for years with minimal ongoing maintenance. Trust the experienced professionals at Adams Well Drilling to do it right for you. Call (585) 968-3923 for a free consultation.

By Don Adams
Adams Well Drilling

More than 42 million Americans use wells to access their daily water supply. They’re ideal for clean, safe water for both residential and commercial properties — especially in rural areas like here in Allegany and Cattaraugus counties.

But how do water wells work?

Water well drilling is a process that’s been perfected over hundreds of years. But it has advanced, as technologies do, to be a very safe and dependable operation.

In a nutshell, a well begins as a hole. How deep that hole may be here in our area depends on location. Sometimes the aquifer may be shallow; other times it may be several hundred feet deep. Geological formations, groundwater conditions and other variables may also impact the ideal location and depth of this hole that’ll eventually bring you millions of gallons of water. 

This hole is held open by a casing, which is essentially a large carbon-steel pipe that descends into the ground to the aquifer. The pipe, when sealed, protects the well from outside contaminants and is the conduit through which the pump siphons water from below. From there, a water-distribution infrastructure provides water to the point of consumption.

How about an easy visual? 

Think of a well as a straw in a glass of water. The water within the glass is essentially the aquifer beneath your feet and the straw is the well casing. The person using the straw is acting as the pump suctioning the water directly to the point of use.

Of course, the water well drilling and pump installation process involves a few more moving parts. It requires the right equipment and experience to do it right and ensure the water is safe and reliable for consumption for years to come. Here at Adams Well Drilling, we’ve been doing it the right way since 1978. Contact us here and we’ll do it right for you.

By Don Adams
Adams Well Drilling

Here in the Southern Tier of Western New York, groundwater is generally abundant enough to know that a new water well should perform for many years. We live in a temperate region, with ideal amounts of rainfall and snowmelt, year after year, to keep our underground aquifers well supplied with clean, safe water.

So, most often, you’ll have an adequate flow of water if you choose a good well location. But will you have good water pressure? In addition to understanding the volume of water flowing into your well, we must also consider some other key factors that you can control.

3 Water Well Pressure Factors You Can’t Ignore

1. Water Well Flow and Storage Capacity

It goes without saying, but you first need water in the well for there to be any water pressure. The flow of a large volume of water into your well is the first environmental condition that would dictate water pressure at point of use. 

As I said, accessible groundwater can be found at most locations of our region. Admittedly, some locations may require a deeper well. Other locations may offer some geological obstacles. But getting to the water is relatively easy.

Knowing the water flow, however, takes a seasoned hand. An experienced water well professional will assess the area’s topography and geology to determine water flow direction and help you to select the ideal spot on your commercial or residential property. They will then construct a well with a storage volume, or capacity, suiting your individual needs.

2.  Pump Capacity

For adequate water pressure, the property’s demand in gallons per minute must match or exceed the pump’s per-minute capacity. Most conservative guidelines say a residential property of two to four people will require 150 to 300 gallons of water per day. Peak use times (typically mornings and evenings, when people are more likely to cook, wash dishes, shower and do laundry) factor into those guidelines. If demand during those, or any other, times exceeds the pump capacity, your water pressure will be low.

Discuss with your water well professional your anticipated water needs to select the right pump for the job. Here at Adams Well Drilling, we proudly use only American-made pumps by Goulds Water Technology – a Xylem brand, the leading technology in water wells. Submersible pumps are great for supplying a steady, dependable flow from deeper wells. Jet pumps at the surface will work great for shallow wells.

3. Pressure Tank Size

Pressure tanks are a key part of your water-delivery infrastructure. Typically, located within your residence or commercial property, they maintain water under pressure so the pump will not need to operate every time water is used. Most water pressure tanks range from 20 to 80 gallons, depending on your need.

If you’re unsure of your water volume and pressure requirements, contact your local water well drilling and pump installation expert for a free consultation.