How quickly can a 15 gpm well run dry?

Question

We just bought a house in rural Southern California and during escrow we had a productivity test done on the well which came back at 15 gallons per minute (gpm). Les than a month after moving in, the well is now dry. I just paid over $3000 to have the panel, well pump, and pipe replaced only to have it still not work but for a slow trickle and was told that based on further investigation it must be dry. I realize that we are in a major drought here, but could it possible have run dry so quickly when just a few months ago it was producing at 15gpm? Thanks.

Answer 1

There are several possibilities. Did your contract offer to purchase have a contingent upon the well

testing enough GPM for the number of people in your family? Did your hired company do the test or

one that the seller hired? If the latter, it is known to happen that the seller has a truck load of water delivered

just prior to testing. Get the picture.

However, as we all know California has serious water problems.Mainly, the lack of it. The water table can

dry out completely when there is a severe drought. In a case such as this,a load of water would not last

very long as the ground would suck it away as fast as you feed it. This cannot change until the water table

is replenished with sufficient rain.

Have you spoken with your neighbors as to whether they are experiencing the same problem?

Possibly, they would tell you if the former owners were having problems.

Stay on top of this. You may have a legal issue on your hands.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, lots are dealing with this. What many people new to country living don t understand is there is not a lake of water under your house. You are on a water table with ALL of the surrounding homes & farms & (sometimes) cities. It s not your water - it s everyone s water....and some have rights that supercede yours. My well here in Oregon went almost dry this summer - now I get about 2 gpm. I put in a 3000 gal. water tank & the well pump has to replenish it only when it goes down about 200 gallons. I had it filled initially with a tanker truck of city water for $175....well worth it. I have been on a well for over 40 years, you have to adjust to conserving all water. I know exactly how many gallons it takes for a shower, laundry, dishwasher, etc. A water tank only needs a flow of about 1-2 gpm to keep it filled. Cost about $5000 total - much better than another well going down 325 ft & with no way of knowing if they ll even find water. The reality of living in the country. You can t sell a house without water, so you don t have many options.

Answer 3

The only way to know for sure is to pull the cap off and drop a weight down the well pipe with the jet pump removed because it will block the well pipe at whatever level the pump is at in the well pipe. You may have dried out the well due to the decreasing water table level and will have little recourse until the water table replenishes with rainfall.



On the other hand, if there is water in the well, you may just need a new pump or well lift pipe check valve.

Answer 4

The only way to know for sure is to pull the cap off and drop a weight down the well pipe with the jet pump removed because it will block the well pipe at whatever level the pump is at in the well pipe. You may have dried out the well due to the decreasing water table level and will have little recourse until the water table replenishes with rainfall.



On the other hand, if there is water in the well, you may just need a new pump or well lift pipe check valve.

Answer 5

at one point in August I think there were like 106 fires going simultaneously in California, so I suspect what little water that was left was used for the fires. But yes, a major drought as well. I heard that you need to attach to the city's water system so I can't figure out why you would have paid good money to have the pipe replaced. Perhaps you need to have bottled water brought in. I head that in CA they have timed showers.

Answer 6

Suggest you get another (independant) well company first to make sure the well head pumps are working properly as I doubt the other firm will rubbish their own work, before you spend more money - then you have the option of increasing the ground level storage tank if fitted or installing a large one sized for the water usage, as a last resort sink a new deeper well to pick up a lower aquafa.

Answer 7

ya, the 15 gal part I don't get. I live in town and mine barely puts out 1.5 gal per minute. and that's city water.( i only have 23 lb pressure on a 1/2 line.)so, if your well has run dry, the pump will be running all the time. is that so?? more info plz. I suspect its something else

Answer 8

15 gallons per minute.... that would be one hell of well... 1.5 per minute would be a pretty weak well and I would worry it may not have the ability to run for very long. I am a home inspector and if i was to test this well it would fail. It should be able to do 3 gallons a minute. Be careful.



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Answer 9

Yes

Answer 10

With a drought this severe? Yes it's possible. Good luck.

Answer 11

wells run dry when there is no more water to pump. how deep is the well? you probably should have deepened the well when you replaced the well casing. and it would still be pumping water.

Answer 12

55 million ?

Answer 13

your water table dropped ..

Answer 14

above answer is correct