Wellwaterology: WHICH ONE IS YOURS?

By Eric Koslowski

What I will attempt to explain about private well water systems is not from a regulatory, global belief, or a theoretical perspective. It is from credible facts, personal observations, and discoveries that I was fortunate to be a part of. What follows, I feel, is a logical, systematic interpretation of a private well system from the raw groundwater source to the end user having a glass of water. Within these pages, my primary focus will be on the concepts with as much detail as necessary to explain them because I believe that stepping back and looking at the big picture results in more understanding than being inundated with too much fine detail.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 31, 2024
• ISBN: 9798891570238

Book preview

Wellwaterology

WHICH ONE IS YOURS?

Eric Koslowski

Copyright © 2024 Eric Koslowski

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2024

This is a work of nonfiction. This book has been written for informational purposes only. Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and accurate as possible. However, there may be mistakes in typography or content. Also, this book provides information only up to the publishing date and is correct at the time of publication.

The purpose of this book is to provide information on well water systems. The author and the publisher do not warrant that the information contained in this book is fully complete and shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions. The author and publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

ISBN 979-8-89157-031-3 (hc)

ISBN 979-8-89157-023-8 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

To my loving wife, Lori; and our beautiful children, Tammy, Jay, Samantha, Shauna, and Britney; and to my in-laws, Jane and Rev. Howard Underwood

Eric Koslowski

Explore the unexplored.

—Hannah Burchell

Preface

Acknowledgments

1

Wellwaterology

2

Where Does Our Drinking Water Come From?

3

Private vs. Public Water

4

Private Well Types

5

Birth of a Private Well System

6

Pre-Well Installation Considerations

7

Who Determines Water Quality Criteria—the Government?

8

Commonsense Private Well Water Quality Test Parameters

9

Reasons for Testing Well Water

10

Laboratory Science Used for Well Water Analysis

11

The Sixth-Sense Water Test Instruments

12

Expected Water Testing Results for Well Water

13

Water Test Interpretation

14

Safe Well Water Quality Recommendation Standards

15

Water Test Examples—Good, Bad, and Ugly

16

Well Water Quantity

17

General Well Site Evaluations

18

Camera Inspection

19

Evaluating Well Components after the Well

20

Well Evaluation Report

21

Well Water Characteristics

22

How Private Wells Become Contaminated

23

The Fix

24

Owner Well System Maintenance

25

A Discussion on Well Water

26

Future Well Systems

27

Well Water Troubleshooting Guide

28

Visual Examples

29

My Final Thoughts

About the Author

To my loving wife, Lori; and our beautiful children, Tammy, Jay, Samantha, Shauna, and Britney; and to my in-laws, Jane and Rev. Howard Underwood

A black symbol with a diamondDescription automatically generated

Eric Koslowski

Explore the unexplored.

—Hannah Burchell

Preface

It's been a long forty-year road passionately researching, collecting data, and experimenting with many of my own inventions and commercial devices that can be used to analyze water and remediate client water problems. I can only hope that what I have to say impacts the private well community in a positive way and stimulates future private water scientists to continue my work.

Hi, my name is Eric Koslowski, and I'm about to wow you on the science of well water, also known as wellwaterology. Sit back and enjoy the read. Hopefully, this information will help you in your current and future private well endeavors. Feel free to share the information with your neighbors too. I'm sure they will appreciate it.

What I will attempt to explain about private well water systems is not from a regulatory, global belief, or a theoretical perspective. It is from credible facts, personal observations, and discoveries that I was fortunate to be a part of. What follows, I feel, is a logical, systematic interpretation of a private well system from the raw groundwater source to the end user having a glass of water. Within these pages, my primary focus will be on the concepts with as much detail as necessary to explain them because I believe that stepping back and looking at the big picture results in more understanding than being inundated with too much fine detail.

I truly hope you enjoy this book and use the valuable well system knowledge contained within these pages, either now or in the future. I appreciate your interest in this vital subject and am grateful that you are taking up some of your valuable time to read my book. Thank you. I hope I make a difference to better this wonderful world.

Acknowledgments

It has been my great pleasure to have the opportunity to work with ETR Laboratories and interact with some very talented people in our field. These people have given me guidance and inspiration as well as a firm foundation in research and testing of private well water systems. Because of them, this collection of well water discoveries became a written reality.

I would also like to thank my dear business partner, Terry Barter, for his patient understanding and support throughout the years of our business relationship. My hat is off to you, sir.

1

Wellwaterology

Wellwaterology is the science and study of private well water systems. This science combines all the fields that are responsible for the creation, usage, maintenance, and disposal of private well water systems. If you try to find this term on Google, don't be surprised when you can't find it. That doesn't mean that the concept doesn't exist. Let me explain why I coined the term wellwaterology.

Private well water science and technology have been a mystery for many decades. Yet so many people use/own wells and depend on them as their only water source. Can you imagine flushing your toilet or being in the middle of a shower, all lathered up, and the water flow suddenly slows down or stops completely? Perhaps you start experiencing a bad odor; a gritty, salty touch; or an unpleasant water discoloration. What do you do? Who do you call? Ultimately, who is responsible for fixing and maintaining your system—the local board of health, town, state, or federal government? In short, it's you.

Owning a private well system is like being a parent. Your child doesn't come with an owner's manual that shows you exactly what to do when there's a problem. Unfortunately, a complete well system manual doesn't exist either.

When I first realized this, I set forth to document all the information I had gathered over forty years of well water research to compile a private well water guide that could act as an aid to private well owners and well water users. However, like most things in the world, a solution first requires a thorough understanding of a situation. That's why it takes a little time and investment to explore the subject.

So why are well water systems so mysterious, and why should we put our trust in a system that we can't understand? Maybe the answer lies in the black box syndrome. Out of sight, out of mind.

Who wants to take the time to learn how the black box really works? That could take a lifetime of study, and who has the time for that? I agree. Nobody can learn everything about everything. Yet there are some things that should be known, and that includes your private well system. Hopefully, this book will take some of the mystery out of the black box and provide a practical, common-sense approach to any well water issues. Enjoy!

Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

Is all water created equal? Is it safe to drink? Can I bathe and cook with it or water my lawn? How do I know my water is safe and it won't cause serious health effects down the road for my family? These are questions I've been asked just about every day in my forty-plus-year career of testing potable drinking water and examining private well systems.

Is my water safe?

My answer is usually Maybe. That all depends. First, let me ask you a few questions. To me, this is the most important part of evaluating any water quality situation (i.e., first stepping back and looking at the whole picture). To develop a complete profile, this includes the well source structure, quality, quantity, past history, and present condition. I'm a firm believer in a systematic approach when deciphering a well water problem with the understanding that there is always a solution. Here are just a few sample questions I ask clients when I'm introduced to their situation for the first time:

What is the type of water source (private or public water system)?

If it's a private well, then what is its type, age, location, construction, type of well cap, and height above the ground? What is the history of maintenance, and are there any quantity or quality complaints?

Is there any wetland nearby (swamp, stream, lake, or ocean)?

What type of land surrounds the well (residential, farm, industrial, or known land contamination)?

Can photos of the well site be provided?

For public water systems, what is the house age, town, and what water treatment is used?

What is the location of the house on the distribution system? Are there any complaints?

What type of filtration system is installed between the water source and the kitchen faucet?

What type of plumbing is used in the house—plastic or copper?

Are there past or present health issues with the family?

Has family health or the health of pets been shortened or compromised?

Did the previous owners of the house have any complaints?

Are there any known environmental issues in the immediate area?

When was the last time you did a water test or well inspection?

In a perfect world, clients would be able to answer all of my questions, making it easy to solve their water problems on the spot. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world—at least not yet. So gathering information becomes necessary. It really is a team effort between me and the client to find the relevant answers. The more information I can receive, the quicker I can come to a practical solution.

I realize that not all the answers to my questions are always available from the client. Yet every piece of information will certainly help, even if it's a vague memory. I also understand that not everybody has access to all the technical data relating to their well system. However, what has always concerned me is when a client can't answer the simplest of questions—for example, Where is the wellhead located on the property? or Can you describe what the wellhead looks like?

When I hear confusion about identifying a wellhead from a septic vent pipe, this can be disturbing. It sends up a red flag that I must now use a different approach. The absence or lack of their water source knowledge usually indicates that the well has been forgotten for many years along with any practical maintenance. This now becomes a challenging situation, and usually, my course of action is to go back to square one and try to follow a logical path by way of their explanations.

It's all about putting the puzzle pieces together to gain a clear and concise understanding of what we're dealing with. This information, along with a thorough water test analysis, is powerful knowledge.

I can usually answer the clients' questions with confidence about past, present, and future well water quality and quantity. Unfortunately, we are sometimes left with incorrect puzzle pieces, which can create an information gap that threatens to lead us down the wrong path.

Keep in mind that a private well system is not the simple home utility that most people think it is. In fact, the private well system is a highly complex mechanical device with many functional parts that all need to be integrated, maintained, and monitored for proper quality operation. Because of its complexity, it takes many types of professional experts—like design engineers, well drillers, pump installers, filtration installers, plumbers, chemical and biological analysts, and more—to create and maintain a functioning well system. I have had over forty years of well research and water testing, and I'm still learning new facts and exploring new characteristics of private wells and how they function over time. I truly believe that wellwaterology will be an ongoing study for many years to come. In the following chapter, let's look at some basic facts about the origin of water.

2

Where Does Our Drinking Water Come From?

There are three natural sources that can supply potable drinking water to our faucets:

Rainwater from storm clouds

Subsurface, under the direct influence of surface water, known as the water table

Deep groundwater fed by deep aquifers

With that in mind, let's examine how rainwater is utilized for both private and public use.

Private rainwater collection

Using rain to collect private drinking water is still popular in many parts of the world today. This is especially common on secluded islands where salt-free freshwater lakes are unreliable and hard to find. Instead, rain is collected from the house's roof and must be stored in large holding tanks for future use. The stored water is cleaned and treated. After this, it can service one or more dwellings. Usually, these collection systems service private homes and are solely built, maintained, and tested at the owner's expense. By today's standards, private rainwater collection is not the best quality water available. It's very difficult to maintain a consistent quality. Unfortunately, this may be the only source of drinking water available for some homes.

Public rainwater collection

This is also used widely by public municipal water facilities, commonly known as public reservoirs. A large system is needed to supply water to thousands of homes. Reservoirs, rivers, and lakes are used to collect and store rainwater. This water is then filtered, processed, disinfected, and tested at the local municipal facility, assuring its potability and consistency. After leaving the treatment plant, the water is distributed through many miles of pipes throughout the town to multiple end users. These water systems are funded by local towns and are government-regulated (for the most part). From initial construction to future operating costs, these are financed and maintained via government taxes. Currently, these types of public water systems serve about 88 percent of domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes in the US.

Subsurface or water table water layer

Where does it come from and how does it stay there? Most groundwater comes from the ocean via sky clouds into the ground and makes up our subsurface or water table layer. Surrounding rivers, wetlands, and lakes may also feed the water table, thus supplying a shallow well.

The depth of the water table is dependent on the soil permeation factor. Typically, we find these water layers between five and twenty feet below the surface layer. It must be deep enough to avoid evaporation (around five feet) and permeate as much as possible (twenty feet or so) to form the bottom of the storage layer. This water table layer is typically used to supply shallow or dug wells for private and municipal public use.

The contamination usually found in these well types is mostly microbial, such as bacteria, fungi, algae, insects, and parasites. These water sources are also subject to any surface contamination, such as from road salts or petroleum products like gasoline. These can find their way into the water through the loose surrounding topsoil and can then make their way into the well.

Deep groundwater

The deep groundwater sources are fed by multiple aquifers that are found beneath the subsurface or water table layer that receive water from deep underground rivulets. These aquifer rivulets can sometimes be influenced by the down seepage from lakes and oceans or could even be prehistoric water trapped deep beneath the earth's surface. To tap into these water sources and harvest these aquifers, you need to drill deep beneath the surface (usually between forty and one thousand feet) to find the best quality. This type of well is typically microbe-free because the deep groundwater environment conditions do not fully support bacteria, fungi, algae, insect, or parasitic growth. My observations have been that deep water column sources are dark, lack oxygen, and are under extreme pressure, all of which inhibit microbial growth and existence. However, these water sources are sometimes prone to natural elemental contamination, including iron, manganese, calcium, sodium, arsenic, and various other salts, which we will discuss in later chapters.

Bottled water

Another alternative water source is bottled water. This isn't considered natural and is a factory-produced product. It has an incredible social market that is growing rapidly among both the young and the old. The average Joe seems to believe that bottled water is the safest type of water on the planet. Technically, bottled water can come from any of the natural water sources I've discussed above. However, it goes through several processing procedures, including filtration, chemical alteration, and disinfection. Then bottled water is stored in glass, plastic, or metal containers for future use. This growing industry is worth billions of dollars and glamorizes water to create the illusion that bottled water is something it's not. It makes it seem elite to only drink bottled water. Generally speaking, this type of water is acceptable for use in small quantities, including for human ingestion, cooking, and even medical injection, depending on its processed purity grade. Because of the cost and container handling, it becomes impractical to use for bathing, washing automobiles, or irrigation purposes.

There can be multiple types of contamination and quality inconsistencies associated with bottled water products. One should consider that the water is processed in a factory, bottled in containers, and transported by various means to customers. There are certainly a number of hands in the pot when it comes to bottled water.

Processing bottled water and delivering the final product to a client is not a simple process. A consistent and suitable water source like a groundwater well or purchasing water from the neighboring municipality is needed. Next, water processing procedures—which may include initial testing, disinfection, filtration, final testing, and preservation—need to be performed.

This is where things can go wrong. I have personally tested a large number of bottled water companies' products because of customer complaints. In doing so, I have found various instances of contamination due to processing and container problems. While very rare, we have, on occasion, found trace organic contamination as a result of machinery lubricating oils and greases used on the processing lines. It's hard to determine if the organic contamination was part of the water processing treatment or if it originated from container manufacturing. Just be aware that bottled water, like most things in this world, is not perfect and may have some shortcomings.

I remember a client bringing in a popular brand of bottled water to my lab. She had consumed half of it and had then noticed a greenish residue floating in the water. When she noticed this, she took it to a hospital for analysis, thinking it might be toxic and affect her health. The hospital could not test the contaminated water, but the woman's doctor advised her to keep the water in her refrigerator in case it was required for future analysis. Within a few days, she became very ill, and her doctor prescribed her antibiotics for a bacterial infection. Days had passed, and she was not feeling better. She attributed this to the contaminated water and brought it to me for testing. As soon as I saw the greenish material swirling in the water, I thought it was because of outside contamination. My guess was that it had entered the water bottle at the processing plant.

Upon analyzing the water, I found a fungi yeast called Cryptococcus neoformans, a microorganism commonly found in bird droppings. This wasn't surprising because it's common for birds to enter factories and for their droppings to contaminate products. Most factories are large, open areas with high ceilings, which is an invitation to house nesting birds. It would only take a single bird flying over an open assembly line for the dropping to make it into the bottled water. I believe this is what happened, and that my client was the unfortunate recipient of a contaminated water bottle. What were the odds? Once we discovered the yeast contamination, she immediately contacted her doctor, who promptly treated her for a systemic yeast infection. She had a successful recovery, but I don't think she'll be buying bottled water again anytime soon.

Other important water distinctions I must discuss are the two main categories of water—private and public water.

3

Private vs. Public Water

So what exactly is the difference between private and public drinking water supplies? There seems to be a lot of confusion and controversy on this matter because of control and regulation issues. For some reason, local, state, and federal governments feel that they must have full regulatory control over all the water on and deep within the earth to protect the human race from extinction. Ideally, they would like to have this level of control, but fortunately, this isn't the case. In the real world, we have all kinds of private water systems, including private well systems.

To categorize water supplies as private or public, you must answer a few simple questions, including questions about who installed, funded, and maintains the water system. Is it the homeowner or the town municipality? If the homeowner is solely responsible for the initial construction and all the mechanical maintenance, funding, pumps, filtration, disinfection, and water testing, the water source is considered private. On the other hand, if you pay a municipality to supply you with water that is then shared by other neighbors and is the sole responsibility of the city or town, it is considered public.

Let's see what the feds say about public or private water supplies. According to the EPA, the definition of public drinking water is this: "A public water system provides water for human consumption through pipes or other constructed conveyances to at least 15 service connections or serves an average of at least 25 people for at least 60 days a year.