Rural Hungary

Yeah.... Diggers back from his travels Thought you might be potting about up there.
You made me laugh at the mental image of a Don Quixotesque Digger taking the lives of the weeds and being Hungary, you would of course be using a saber to do so.
Hope the weather stays good for you

Peter_in_Hungary

There is probably not much point in testing the well water. Water tests on a dug well are a bit like an MOT on a car - shows the condition at the time of testing only. The next week....could be different. It will depend upon the construction of your well (and your neighbours) and the type of roofs and lids on the wells, not to mention the construction of the walls as to how good the well is at keeping nasties out.

The main contaminants are bacterial, from leaking cess pits or wild life (or the occasional cat) that fall in, and chemical, from agricultural run off or industrial sources.

Most village wells are dug wells, that is dug by hand with either brick or concrete ring walls. These wells go down to the first level of water. That water is rain water that has fallen in the local area soaked into the ground until it comes to an impervious layer then stops. If you dig a hole down to this impervious layer the hole will fill with water seeping in from the surrounding ground. Line this hole to stop the soil falling in and you have your well. The problem with this type of well is that it is difficult to impossible to seal properly so contamination is easy and it is fed by local rain so a couple of dry years and the wells can dry up. Also whilst the soil will act as a filter as the water soaks down contaminants can get washed into the water layer.

For (more) secure water you need a bore hole which is drilled down to a lower level of water (I have one bore hole at the 2nd level and one at the 3rd level) Water at the lower levels is not local water and are not reliant on last years rain. Also as the water is quite old and has typically traveled some distance, both time and distance will sort out most man made contaminants. Natural 'contaminants' are more likely though e.g dissolved lime stone or naturally occurring heavy metals.

All wells improve with use. That is the more you use them the better the flow will be. Dug wells will need occasional cleaning out, that is de-silting. This is more likely if the well has not been used or infrequently used for some time. (time scale for this is in years or 10s of years - different for each well)

The usual garden shower in Hungary is a barrel on stilts to be warmed by the sun. I would be nervous about using a dug well to supply this. IMO taking your dubious quality water (at typically 12deg) putting it in a barrel to sit being gently warmed all day by the sun to a nice bacteria loving 30 -40 deg is asking for trouble.

Use the dug well water for watering the garden, flushing the loo or running the washing machine but don't drink it or shower in it.

In Hungary most town water comes from bore holes whereas in England most water comes from rivers or collected in reservoirs which is why you get hose pipe bans in England but not here.

Rural Hungary

No Peter, you should never have said that no... no... no... Do you realise how many owners have insisted I taste their "drinkable" well water and the wells had no lids - I can't even think about it.
Apart from that, great info

Carrot_Cruncher

Thank you Peter_in_Hungary for the excellent advice. Our well is brick-lined, stone-rimmed and covered with two semi-circular stones atop and I have plumbed it at 54ft down to water level with about 9ft of water. It originally had an iron pump with huge wheel, since defunct and detached but we've kept it to restore as a centerpiece somewhere.
The previous occupant, who we've known for seven years has said it's never dried up as long as they've been here and they've never had any work done on it. My wife says there are a couple of guys locally, who are keen potholers, who apparently clean out wells and deepen them so we may get an inspection done. Rather them than me. I have great respect for the people that built it, it's not a task I would relish.

Without digging myself how could I know which water level we are at? Surely to get to 2nd level you would flood the hole at the first level and so forth.

Sorry if it's a daft question.

Thanks again, these forums are a treasure trove.

fidobsa

Yes, are the bore holes lined with something waterproof to stop contaminated water mixing with the purer water?

mawood47

The Bore Hole is lined with a cement base, they have a steel liner outer core and a inner liner steel tube the pump the Grout mix in and drawing the outer sleeve first leaving the inner in place till grout is set, base of the drill well is a steel ring witch stays their when completed a water draw pipe go's in to the water level and water drawn of at surface level by electric pump, the cost a friend has a bore hole Drilling 400.000fh plus Pump and Electricity supply and he had to pay a further 280.00fh tax correct me if I am wrong digger

Pollypaprika

One blossom sighted

gcroft

Our apple blossom is just coming out too...just as everything else is finishing.
Must want to be alone.

Pollypaprika

I must admit, apple blossom is my favourite blossom

Peter_in_Hungary

You can't dig a well below the 1st level water because as you surmise once you get to the 1st level the hole fills up and would prevent further digging. So if its a dug well its at first level.

Sorry
I forgot to mention that with wells without lids you also have bird poo

What Digger said about lining is correct, there are several way of doing it but all the ones I have seen have been steel pipes and cement slurry. Bore holes usually have submersible pumps due to the depth and the price for drilling is priced per meter (I'm out of touch with today's prices) and the drilling continues until you find water or the customer runs out of money

Rural Hungary

You might be a valued member of this forum but I am sorely tempted to you on the grounds that you make nauseating posts Next you'll be telling me there are rats and snakes in them

mawood47

If you won't some nice long Snakes and nasty looking then I can supply in August last year I capered 3 nice big ones not knowing to do with them I went and presented the Polymaster with the problem he I think was not amused when I left there in a bucket for him to sort out and 2 days later I presented him with 2 Moore digger

Rural Hungary

LOL bet your popular there! The secretary probably runs a mile now when she sees you coming.... I've only ever seen the brown ones near lakes - none in the garden to date.

gcroft

I thought you were joking when you told me that story!

mawood47

I think they wear adders as I am good at counting digger