How Drought Affects Well Water Systems and What You Can Do
If your home uses well water, paying attention to the weather and water level conditions is of the utmost importance. Without proper planning, you and your family could be left in a tough spot. This is especially true in the case of a drought, where the groundwater level may lower to the point that problems will arise.
But how exactly do droughts affect your well water system? And what are some things you can do to help the situation? Those questions are exactly what we’ll be diving into here!
How a Drought Affects Your Well Water System
It’s important to understand just how a drought could impact your well. Depending on conditions such as geography, your particular system, and the water level in the ground, your well could suffer from any of several adverse effects.
The first concern during a drought is the quality of your water. During times of little rain, the water that comes through your water well system can pick up odors or sediments it normally doesn’t. This will result in your water smelling odd, being a strange color, or having obvious sediment.
However, the biggest worry is that the groundwater level will dip below your well pump. This can lead to a couple of serious issues. The first concerns the well pump itself. A pump that tries to run without any water to push through it could burn out or sustain other mechanical damage. If this happens, you’ll need a professional to repair it, which can be a hassle.
Secondly and more importantly, you won’t have enough water for daily activities! We take the fact that we have water at our fingertips for granted sometimes, but during a drought, there simply may not be enough water to sustain your regular lifestyle.
What Can You Do?
A drought is never something you want to deal with. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to mitigate the problems you might face!
Be Extra Careful with Water Usage
The most obvious solution to not having enough water is to use less water. There are a multitude of ways to do this , including taking shorter showers, fully loading up your laundry machine and dishwasher, and taking care when or even skipping watering your garden. But the most important thing is to make sure you have enough drinking water. If you’re worried you might run out, buying bottled water is an easy decision.
Recycle Your Water
From cooking and cleaning to bathing and watering plants, you use water all the time. When there isn’t enough water to go around, you need to use it wisely. Reducing your consumption isn’t the only way to do this; you can also use the same water for multiple things. For example, you can use the water you cooked with to water your plants. This way, there’s no waste, and you can worry less about your water supply diminishing. Just don’t go using your bathwater for drinking water!
Lower the Well Pump
Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to lower your well pump. Your well pump is where the groundwater first enters your system, so if the groundwater level is below the pump, you won’t get any water. Because of this, sometimes the best solution is to have the pump lowered to where the groundwater is. Having a professional lower your well pump is a solution that works on many properties, but it does come with a cost.
Install Water-Efficient Fixtures
The technology of today is much better than that of a decade ago, and that can easily be seen by comparing the efficiency of an old fixture to a new one. Modern showerheads, washing machines, and dishwashers are much more water-efficient than older, outdated models. This means that when your area suffers from a drought, new appliances will use less water to get the same job done and can even save you money in the long run.
Fix Leaky Faucets and Pipes
During a drought, you have to save all the water you can. So don’t let it dribble down the drain! Leaky faucets and pipes can cause you to lose a significant amount of water without you realizing it. To prepare your home for a drought, one of the best steps you can take is to seal up the leaks around your home!
Work With Joe the Plumber to Make Your Home Drought-Ready
Don’t wait until a drought is here to get your home ready. Turn to Joe the Plumber to get ahead of the problems and save money! We’ll get your leaky pipes and faucets in tip-top condition and outfit your home with top-of-the-line fixtures and products. Our pros pride themselves on their craftsmanship and their customer service, so no matter what you need, know that you’ll be in good hands. Contact us today for premier plumbing services in Cypress, Katy, Spring, Magnolia, Tomball, and Houston, TX.
