Anyone have well water experience?

[Off Grid Andrew]

Right now we use well water to water plants, clean cars, etc.. We have access to city water for inside the house. Our well is pretty close to our septic tank and the water has a very light funky smell lol.

I wonder how bad of a thing this is since we aren't drinking the water. We just use it for outside needs.

This may seem like a silly thing for me to post but, where we live space is limited and this was the best location for the well at the time.

The well is 15-20 meters deep. and 5 meters distance from the tank. The septic tank is only 3.5 meters deep.

I almost wonder if the water would help our plants grow??

Any feedback would be much appreciate.

 

[TAG AND BEE]

Your plants will love it. You use the term septic tank, the tank doesn't leak. Do you have lateral lines?

 

[Off Grid Andrew]

Your plants will love it. You use the term septic tank, the tank doesn't leak. Do you have lateral lines?

it’s basically just a hole in the ground lined with bricks. It’s a cheap concrete floor with a lid. We have 3 around the house here. We call them poop tanks. They do leak a little into the ground. We drain the poop water around the house into a street drain (which is the the common practice here).

 

[TAG AND BEE]

it’s basically just a hole in the ground lined with bricks. It’s a cheap concrete floor with a lid. We have 3 around the house here. We call them poop tanks. They do leak a little into the ground. We drain the poop water around the house into a street drain (which is the the common practice here).

I bet the water is yummy

 

[HippocratesGarden]

Honestly, I'd get the water tested, if it's got enough sewage remnants, it might be good for challenging the immune system, until the immune system gets overwhelmed. I'm not scared of grey water, or humanure, but don't want to be growing too close to, or watering with potential sewage water. Maybe at least quit using it to water anything other than trees.

 

[HippocratesGarden]

Honestly, I'd get the water tested, if it's got enough sewage remnants, it might be good for challenging the immune system, until the immune system gets overwhelmed. I'm not scared of grey water, or humanure, but don't want to be growing too close to, or watering with potential sewage water. Maybe at least quit using it to water anything other than trees.

It's difficult to really assess without knowing the specifics, but another thought that just came to me is, more of a very biologically active buffer zone between the potential source (septic) and garden. Obviously not using it to directly water the garden, but essentially something like an engineered "wetland" or other zone of intense biological activity to "treat" and use up or convert the nutrients etc before they get too far.

Depending on proclivities.. also reducing the "load" by the use of composting toilets etc. As we say in Permaculture, "the problem is the solution". How can the excess nutrient load, but put to good use in an appropriate place and way?

 

[Off Grid Andrew]

It's difficult to really assess without knowing the specifics, but another thought that just came to me is, more of a very biologically active buffer zone between the potential source (septic) and garden. Obviously not using it to directly water the garden, but essentially something like an engineered "wetland" or other zone of intense biological activity to "treat" and use up or convert the nutrients etc before they get too far.

Depending on proclivities.. also reducing the "load" by the use of composting toilets etc. As we say in Permaculture, "the problem is the solution". How can the excess nutrient load, but put to good use in an appropriate place and way?

Luckily since the raining season has started (just started), I think the problem will ”go away” for a few months until the raining stops.

Right now I’ll be focused on drainage so I don’t have a swimming pool where my parking should be

 

[Baldwin Family Farms]

Right now we use well water to water plants, clean cars, etc.. We have access to city water for inside the house. Our well is pretty close to our septic tank and the water has a very light funky smell lol.

I wonder how bad of a thing this is since we aren't drinking the water. We just use it for outside needs.

This may seem like a silly thing for me to post but, where we live space is limited and this was the best location for the well at the time.

The well is 15-20 meters deep. and 5 meters distance from the tank. The septic tank is only 3.5 meters deep.

I almost wonder if the water would help our plants grow??

Any feedback would be much appreciate.

It will definitely help your plants grow - but any chemicals (degreasers - drain clog removers - engine oil you wash off your hands... etc) you put down the drain would go into your plants if near the septic system - this includes if anyone is in the home on big pharma meds (like birth control pills) also dish soap like dawn is an aquatic pollutant (an endocrine disruptor), I prefer to use non-toxic Pure Castile soap (like Dr. Bronner's) its concentrated - you spend a lil more for the bigger bottle, but it makes many more equivalent bottles of dawn, resulting in a much cheaper price per bottle. It is also a non-toxic insecticide soap you can use on your food. One soap with many uses around the home and garden.

Advice
Build a filtration system before adding the water to the garden. The well also collects any chemicals sprayed on the lawn or neighbors lawn - everything is interconnected. Get a water test kit or send the water sample out and buy a TDS meter to know what you are working with. You don't need a $500 meter to get an idea of how toxic or clean it is - a simple $20 or $30 meter will tell you plenty - keep it calibrated.
You want the TDS to be in the 50-150 ppm range - around 300 ppm TDS is bioacumulation range. Anything around 300 or more is not ideal and cause for concern. I've tested local tapwater out of the faucet at various locations around northeast kansas as high as 960s ppm TDS - Toxic! And that's water we pay for to be clean and treated.

Water quality is often overlooked and will stop nutrient uptake into your plants, dead.

Brix level meters can help you see how healthy your plants are and the potential for nutrient uptake.

If concerned about water quality and the science behind it, documentaries about Viktor Schauberger are extremely helpful with understanding what water is and how it functions in nature. He's the Nikola Tesla of water and his research is centered around vortex (the spiral) technology.

 

[Off Grid Andrew]

It will definitely help your plants grow - but any chemicals (degreasers - drain clog removers - engine oil you wash off your hands... etc) you put down the drain would go into your plants if near the septic system - this includes if anyone is in the home on big pharma meds (like birth control pills) also dish soap like dawn is an aquatic pollutant (an endocrine disruptor), I prefer to use non-toxic Pure Castile soap (like Dr. Bronner's) its concentrated - you spend a lil more for the bigger bottle, but it makes many more equivalent bottles of dawn, resulting in a much cheaper price per bottle. It is also a non-toxic insecticide soap you can use on your food. One soap with many uses around the home and garden.

Advice
Build a filtration system before adding the water to the garden. The well also collects any chemicals sprayed on the lawn or neighbors lawn - everything is interconnected. Get a water test kit or send the water sample out and buy a TDS meter to know what you are working with. You don't need a $500 meter to get an idea of how toxic or clean it is - a simple $20 or $30 meter will tell you plenty - keep it calibrated.
You want the TDS to be in the 50-150 ppm range - around 300 ppm TDS is bioacumulation range. Anything around 300 or more is not ideal and cause for concern. I've tested local tapwater out of the faucet at various locations around northeast kansas as high as 960s ppm TDS - Toxic! And that's water we pay for to be clean and treated.

Water quality is often overlooked and will stop nutrient uptake into your plants, dead.

Brix level meters can help you see how healthy your plants are and the potential for nutrient uptake.

If concerned about water quality and the science behind it, documentaries about Viktor Schauberger are extremely helpful with understanding what water is and how it functions in nature. He's the Nikola Tesla of water and his research is centered around vortex (the spiral) technology.

That’s very good to know. Thanks for the info!

I’ll have to see what’s available here for test kits. This well luckily will be temporary. I’m going to move the well to the other side of the property. We will also be getting 2x 500 gallons water tanks (filled by city water) for the house (and also will be used to water plants.

 

[Baldwin Family Farms]

Are you going to use gravity to power the water flow out of the tanks or use pumps? Are you digging the well or doing a sand point well spike? A sand point well spike is just a couple hundred dollars in comparison and they are usually in that 50ft range.

 

[Baldwin Family Farms]

Are you going to use gravity to power the water flow out of the tanks or use pumps? Are you digging the well or doing a sand point well spike? A sand point well spike is just a couple hundred dollars in comparison and they are usually in that 50ft range.

A zerowater filtration pitcher for your fridge or counter comes with a TDS meter. To test the water going in and coming out. IT FILTERS DOWN TO 000 TDS.

An extra
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32 cup model
Don't know how big of a family you have - they have larger models up to 5 gallons for a water cooler dispenser.

 

[Off Grid Andrew]

Are you going to use gravity to power the water flow out of the tanks or use pumps? Are you digging the well or doing a sand point well spike? A sand point well spike is just a couple hundred dollars in comparison and they are usually in that 50ft range.

The wells here are made by just digging a small hole and putting several 10cm tubes together (15+ meters) into the ground. Honestly, im not sure what the name of this sort of well is. If you know, please let me know

Our Water tanks will all have pumps. Everything will be connected to our solar. Right now we have a small water tank (maybe 100 gallons) in the house we are living in (we build a small guest house on the property first so we could work on the other house).

I'll certainly take a look at the zerowater. I wonder if they ship to SE Asia? If they can ship to Thailand or Vietnam, I can pick it up by car (or hire someone to get it for me). Is this sort of the same as the Berky? I know @TAG AND BEE really like theirs (or at least used to!).

 

[Baldwin Family Farms]

The wells here are made by just digging a small hole and putting several 10cm tubes together (15+ meters) into the ground. Honestly, im not sure what the name of this sort of well is. If you know, please let me know

Our Water tanks will all have pumps. Everything will be connected to our solar. Right now we have a small water tank (maybe 100 gallons) in the house we are living in (we build a small guest house on the property first so we could work on the other house).

I'll certainly take a look at the zerowater. I wonder if they ship to SE Asia? If they can ship to Thailand or Vietnam, I can pick it up by car (or hire someone to get it for me). Is this sort of the same as the Berky? I know @TAG AND BEE really like theirs (or at least used to!).

They don't ship to Asia. And I'll put that in my memory bank you're not in the states. Berky water filters are great.

ZeroWater removes more total dissolved solids (TDS) and strips everything from the water, whereas Berkey filters reduce contaminants, but preserve beneficial natural minerals like calcium and magnesium.

The major negative of ZeroWater is the cost of filters, but it gets damn near everything out - a Berkey will filter thousands of gallons in comparison, so the filtered water is much cheaper per gallon. The ZeroWater is an entry level price point filtration system that needs a new filter every 40 gallons - a Berkey costs more on the initial cost of purchase and is the better buy in the long run if you're going to stick with it and not just push it to the side. Not many people stick with their choices, so I tell people to try the ZeroWater first, because you're getting the $20 TDS meter with it to use in testing your water. And the container fits in the fridge. But yes, if you can afford the Berkey snag it up, and also buy a TDS meter to test what's going in, and coming out, so you know when to replace the filters. The dirtier the water going in, the more often you have to change the filters. Taste isn't an accurate detector of clean. Many of the nasty things in the water (including chemicals) have no taste.