How Rain Can Affect Water Wells and Groundwater

If you’re a homeowner who relies on a well for your water supply, you might wonder how environmental factors, the elements and groundwater levels in Monroe, NC could potentially affect the groundwater in your area. It’s understandable to be concerned about dirty rainwater or runoff getting into your well and polluting your water supply.

In general, so long as your well is in good operational condition, you do not need to worry too much about how rain will affect your groundwater. Here’s a quick overview of what you should know about the effects of rain on water wells.

Rain and the water table

Melting snow combined with frequent rain in the spring and summer will result in the water table being higher than it was before periods of drought. However, the effects this will have on the operation of your well may vary.

First, it’s important to understand that not all of the rainwater seeps into the ground to become groundwater that is available for local wells. Beyond the precipitation that gets retained in reservoirs in our local area, a lot of rain and melting snow will run into other bodies of water, either naturally or through manmade drainage systems.

In addition, the rainwater that does stay in your immediate area does not become groundwater right away—that water will seep through the ground at a very slow rate of only about 10 feet per year. This means if you have a heavy rainfall in your area, you may or may not ever see any difference in the levels of groundwater near you, and thus, in the operation of your well.

There are some other issues to consider with high levels of precipitation, though. Well owners might have greater concerns in such circumstances about problems with higher frequency and levels of coliform bacteria after there has been a lot of precipitation in an area, which might require some extra steps to ensure the safety and quality of the water. The water level itself, however, is unlikely to see an impact.

If you do have higher levels of bacteria in your well, you may need to engage in chlorination to kill off some of them. It is in your best interest to work with a team of water well technicians to complete this so you do not over-chlorinate your well water. There is a delicate balancing act to maintain when treating your water after periods of heavy rain that may result in a greater number of bacteria.

Ultimately, water levels in the groundwater are not affected in the short term by heavy rain, but long-term periods of rain or drought can certainly have an impact on groundwater. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can protect your groundwater and maintain excellent well operation, we encourage you to contact the team at Love Well & Pump Supply, LLC today. We’d be happy to teach you more about groundwater levels and the effects of groundwater pollutants on water wells in residential areas in Monroe, NC.

Categorised in: Groundwater

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