When it comes to your manufactured home, especially if you’re enjoying the peace and quiet of country living, having a reliable source of water is essential. Unlike traditional housing in the city connected to a municipal water supply, many rural properties depend on private wells to provide fresh water for drinking, cooking, and everyday needs. If your manufactured home isn’t served by a local water district, chances are you’ll be relying on a well to keep the taps flowing.
Owning a well comes with a bit more responsibility, but it also gives you more control over your water supply. To keep your family safe and your water running smoothly, it’s important to regularly check that your well is maintained and that the water itself is clean and safe. With a little routine care and some simple precautions, you can enjoy fresh, dependable water for years to come-no matter how far out in the country you live.
Well Water Maintenance
If your manufactured home relies on a well, a little routine care goes a long way in keeping your water safe and your system running smoothly. Here’s a simple guide to help you stay on top of well maintenance:
- Test Your Water Every Year: Once a year, have your well water tested for coliform and E. coli bacteria by a state-accredited lab. These tests are important for making sure your water is safe to drink.
- Every Three Years: It’s a good idea to check for pH levels, total dissolved solids, and any other tests recommended based on nearby land use. If you ever notice odd tastes, strange odors, or unusual staining in your sinks or tubs, don’t wait-get your water tested right away to find out what’s going on.
- Annual Inspections: Take a walk around your well each year to look for any obvious signs of damage or contamination. Make sure the area within about 100 feet of your well is clear of clutter, chemicals, or anything else that could seep into your water supply.
- Every 10 Years: Schedule a professional inspection with a licensed water well contractor. Keep all the reports and paperwork-these should include details like water depth, construction specs, when the well was drilled, and the water yield. It’s also helpful to hang on to water quality test results, inspection reports, invoices from repairs or pump replacements, and any warranties or manuals for water treatment equipment.
By staying proactive and organized, you’ll help ensure your well keeps providing clean, safe water for your family, year after year.
Performance
When a water well ages, the yield will tend to decrease, particularly if the well was not drilled and developed properly when first installed. Water loss can occur from persistent droughts, and over-pumping. More likely, a drop in water yield can be associated with changes in the well itself, such as:
- Pump Damage
- Sand Pumping
- Casing or well screen corrosion
- Plugged aquifer (saturated layers of rock, sand, and gravel through which water is transmitted)
- Bio-fouling (microorganism growth)
- Mineral deposits and encrustation
If a decline in water well yield exceeds 24 percent or more, you may need to have a rehabilitation scheduled. To tell if you have a significant decrease, you need to have a common point of reference. Usually this is the date that the well was constructed and pump test data, which should be provided to you by the well installer. If you do not have this information, here are some characteristics to look for that may clue you into a need for rehabilitation:
- Decrease in total well depth
- Decreased water level
- Decreased pumping rate
- Decreased specific capacity
- Increased cloudiness (typically sand or sediment content in water)
If you notice any of these symptoms, you may need well-rehab. There are two types of rehab used:
- Chemical – Reduces the incrusting material from your well
- Physical – Physically clean the well
If you believe you need work on your well, or maintenance on your well, hire a professional well repair service.
If you are buying a manufactured home and you would like more information about setting it up, schedule a free consultation.
