I live in W. North Carolina and have an ~190 foot deep well (I live on a hill). If Y2K does cause certain systems to shut down (i.e. power, water, sewer etc.) and of course people today don't know how to adequately deal w/ human and other wastes. Subsequently, rivers, streams etc. in the area will likely become contaminated. If this scenario were to come to pass, then what is the liklihood that well water aquafirs would become contaminated and subsequently require treatment of the water obtained from said wells. Would filtration w/ a high quality water filter (i.e. British berkfeld) be adequate to ensure safe drinking water or would chemical treatment (i.e. chlorine bleach) be necesary as well.

Thank you for any help that you can give on this matter.

Zeck.

-- Zeck Buckner (bph1994@yahoo.com), December 23, 1999

Answers

Zeck,

Surface water will not immediately affect your
well as it is getting its water from a different
water table. The only way that it can be
contaminated is if flooding raises above the top
of your well cap. If this happens, you can make
the water potable again by pouring fresh chlorine
into the well and then pumping it clean. Leave
the chlorine (no additives) in for a couple of
hours. the

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), December 23, 1999.

I have similar conditions in Central Carolina and I don't worry too much. Look at Eastern North Carolina where the watertable is shallow and where they spray hog waste on fields. For as long as they have been doing it, they would have killed half of the rural population by now if the surface water had reached and contaminated the aquifier.

I am not saying that this EPA and State approved procedure won't backfire some day big time. But in Y2k water situation (availability and possible contamination,) you and I have a definite advantage with deep wells, if we have the means to pump it into or homes.

Living on a hill has the added advantage that no contaminated flood water will enter you well from the top (air vent) since flooding is unlikely on a hill.

-- W (me@home.now), December 23, 1999.

Zeck, I had a well dug recently, my first experience. It was kinda pricey, so I took off work to watch "this show". After they hit water, they had to run the water until it ran "clean", there was water EVERYWHERE! I expressed my concern to the workers that the well would run "dry" before they could get out of the yard! Anyway, I asked the worker, "All this water on the ground, not counting the evaporation process, will this water go back to the Water Rock?". He told me it would take 30-50 years for the ground water to reach the Rock. So no, I don't think you have to fear contamination from recent events.

-- An inquisitive person (watching@gettingmoneyworth.com), December 23, 1999.