Putting a well

[bodman]

I have given considerable thought to putting a well legal or not for water anyone have thoughts on the matter . what problems will I run into ? can i mix them or will i have to just let one run for 2 weeks then switch to the other do not want to draw attention to myself by the water dept using 258,000 gallons a month.

[Adamski]

Dale,

I put a well in at one of my laundromats around 1975. The city was contemplating building an expensive water plant to suck water out of Lake Michigan and pay for it by doubling the water rates.

I had a 4" well casing sunk down 150' through clay to find a 20' wide vein of sand with water. They installed a 5 hp submersible pump and a 300 gallon pitless adapter underground tank for pressure. Total cost back then was around $5,000. I used my well for about 4 years and then abandoned it because the water was less than ideal and the pump failed. I went back on city water but I incorporated a 4 micron bag filter on my water line to limit rust in my water when the city flushed their mains once a year.

The city ended up upgrading their wells rather than building the expensive water plant so the rates did not double in the end.

I don't recommend installing your own well. They're very expensive and you don't know what kind of water you're going to get or even if you'll be able to find an adequate flow to supply your laundromat.

Larry /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[bo]

You will have a problem with the well keeping up with all the washers so pick the group of washers and supply just those that the well can supply. Cold water only, the well water usually has more minerals than city water and you don't want to junk up your water heater. Permit may be a problem as some cities won't issue permits for wells inside a city water district. I was using geothermal air conditioning and got away with it.

[BMWHD3060]

Bodman, the big problem with a well here in Florida is "RUST" people around my Mats come to me to wash their whites do to the RUST STAINS they get. At least that is what I have been told by a dozen or so customers.