Water – Getting the most out of a low yield well

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I have a low yield well: it's only 27 feet deep which is a big part of the problem. Recently a neighbor had their well re-dug to 350 feet which I guess lowered the water table, because ever since we have been running out of water much faster than before. If someone takes a shower, a second shower runs out of water about halfway through and it takes hours to get a decent amount back.

I know the best way to resolve this is either to get a new well dug, or to get a storage tank with a secondary pump. A new well is not happening right now because of the cost. However we are in the middle of building a new bathroom, and the tub we purchased will require us to get either a second or a larger water heater since our current one is 40 gallons but the tub takes around 55. Would the water stored in a second 40 gallon water heater make it take longer to run out of water when taking showers, doing dishes, etc., or will I still need to install a storage tank?

Best Answer

Your recovery rate is the problem. A larger water heater will still need to be refilled as the water is removed so you will run out of pressure in about the same amount of time.

A water tank of several hundred gallons added to your system with a pump may help, but in the summer you may have a lower water table and not have water at all.

In some areas there are companies that rent tanks/pumps that your system can pump into. If you do go dry they can be filled by a water truck. Very expensive water to go that route but it may be an option until you can have a new well drilled.

Just a word of warning drilling deeper doesn’t always work; close to the coast you may hit salt water going deep, other areas can have arsenic / sulfur that makes the well unusable. Make sure to get a good driller that knows your specific area and you may want to talk to a certified water tester (the ones that check for flow and contamination) as they know the depths and problems in the area.