There it is. Maybe it’s a rusted stem of well casing protruding from a field about 18 inches, with a cast aluminum turtle shell style well cap on the top. You know it’s a water well, but that’s about where your knowledge stops. How deep is the well? How far down is the static water level? What is the static water level? The questions can build quickly, and for many, a water well can present a good deal of mystery. Let’s unpack some of that mystery and solve for at least one common question: how far down is my water?
To some, measuring the depth of water in a water well - or even the overall depth of the well itself - seems complicated. Will I run into obstructions? How do I even access the inside of the casing? Do I need speciality tools?
The answer, for most situations, is actually very simple, and presents little to no cost to the average well owner. Maybe you’re thinking of installing a backup hand well pump, like the Flojak Rigid or Flojak Rapid so that you have a backup plan for access to water in your well. And you know that one of the most important pieces of information that you will need is the distance from the top of the well to the water level inside.
First, take a closer look at your well itself. If there isn’t a cap or well seal installed, that will make things even easier, although you may want to consider installing a covering of some kind on your well to keep insects and debris at bay. If you have a well seal or a cap, check to see if there is an access hole on the cap. Commonly, there is a small threaded plug installed into one or more small access holes in the cap or seal itself. These are easily removed with a wrench or socket, providing easy access to the interior of the well casing.
If there is not an extra access hole in the well seal or well cap, then you can always work to remove it. In some more rare circumstances, the cap will actually be used to suspend some of the equipment inside the well itself, and at that point, you may need to consult a professional well contractor or plumber.
However, if the cap or seal is easily removed, or if you have an access hole, or no covering at all, then go ahead and gather a few items as listed below.
To measure the depth of water in your well, you will need:
- A long roll of string. These rolls of construction string are commonly available from a hardware store in 500 - 1000 foot lengths.
- A metal washer or nut for weight. It should be small enough to fit through your access opening, but large enough to provide ample weight to the end of the string.
- A tape measure. The longer, the better, as you’ll be measuring the length of string you drop into your well to contact water. This could easily be 100 feet or more, so a long reel style tape measure is best.
If cleanliness of the items you’re going to install in your well is a concern, then use an isopropyl alcohol to thoroughly clean anything before you lower it down into your well to help prevent introducing any contaminants.
Once you have gathered all the items you will need, tie one end of the string securely around the washer or nut. They carefully lower the string down into your well. Pay close attention to the feel of the resistance on the string. Listen carefully to any sounds as well. Once you contact water, you will both feel the resistance to the weight from its buoyancy with the water and can also likely hear a small splash as it breaks the surface.
Tie a small knot even with the top of the well casing. This will indicate your static water level. Now, keep lowering the string another 20 feet or so to ensure you will not contact the bottom of your well itself. With a Flojak Hand Well Pump, we recommend keeping the bottom of your pump at least 20 feet below the static water level to keep up with seasonal fluctuations of the water table underground. You also want to ensure that the installation of your Flojak Hand Well Pump will not contact any of the potential sediment at the bottom of the water well that could clog the inlet of the pump.
You can, if you choose, continue to lower the string until you do contact the bottom of your well. Sometimes, this may not be possible due to the extreme depth of some water wells in certain areas of the country. As long as you know where your static water depth is located, and that you have at least 20 feet of clearance beyond that level, you should be in good shape to install a manual backup well pump if that’s your goal.
Now, simply draw the string back to the surface, lay it on the ground, and measure the distance from the weighted end to the knot you created. Keep that measurement handy, and if you plan to order a Flojak Hand Well Pump, then order a system that exceeds that length by at least 20 feet.
That’s all there is to measuring your static water level in your well. If you’re interested in ordering a Flojak Manual Backup Well Pump kit, and have other questions about measuring your static water level or anything else, feel free to give us a call and speak with one of our specialists. It’s our mission to provide easy access to water for just about anyone with a well. Thanks for reading!