What to do with an old well

Aug 27, 2004 24 Replies

Once when I visited Latvia, I "hardened" my system slightly by deliberately drinking the tanked water in my flat (odd theories I had then).

Out there I was drinking water out of the taps (not always recommended by the locals) and well water (slightly brown but quite smooth and pleasant).

No problems. Mind you - the country is highly underpopulated and farming less intense than here - so the chances of well water being polluted by weedkiller from the next field, or a cess pit built next to the well was pretty small. Even the Daugava River looked practically drinkable[1] - well I got the odd mouthfull swimming. Still alive.

Timbo

[1] That was 1997 - wouldn't want to do that a few years before when Belarus accidently dropped 128 tons of cyanide compounds in it!

Regarding putting the mother-in-law down it, just remember the story about the donkey at the bottom of a well and filling it in with soil.

well water passed through a uv light shouldnt contain any bugs.

Regards, NT

True but if you are going to the expense of UV treatment you may as well fit a filter as well and make it potable...

UV filtering is cheap. Fitting a carbon or whatever filter does not make it potable, you need a comprehensive water analysis, and you can only then drink it if it passes. Plus you need to retest regularly. To use it for non-potable, none of that is needed.

Regards, NT

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