# Cloudy Well Water



## JoeCal52 (May 2, 2014)

Hello all - I am new here and not sure I am posting in the right place, but here is my question. After 4 days of hard rain, nearly 6 inches, my well water turned cloudy and brownish. I live 1/4 mile off the James River in Va., and the river is way above it's normal level. I hear stories about cracked well casings but here is what boggles my mind. If it is cool out like it has been, then the water clouds up after heavy rain, but in the heat of the summer, my well isn't affected in any way no matter how much rain. Could this be because it is hot out and the water evaporates before it sinks below the cement line of the well. I don't think I have a serious problem but any advice will be appreciated.
Thanks - BTW - my well is only 9 years old and 350 feet deep.
Joe C.


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## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

Welcome to the site.


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## JoeCal52 (May 2, 2014)

RonM said:


> Welcome to the site.


Thanks Ron - any idea what could be going on with my well water - after 2 days now it is all clear...Odd!


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## haunted (Jul 24, 2011)

I think you are getting surface, or nearly surface, water into the well. It clears after a couple of days because whatever dust that washed in has settled to the bottom. I'd guess, but do not know it doesn't cloud in the summer because the soil closer to the surface is not as wet and the soil absorbs the water so it doesn't leak into the well. It could also be because in summer the soil is warmer, therefore the casing is warmer and expands enough to prevent leakage.


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## Guest (May 3, 2014)

I once had almost the same problem . The only difference being I never noticed outside temperature making any difference . A few days of hard rain & my well would get turbid . After a lot of research I came to the conclusion that either the cement seal was bad or that when it rained a lot a higher vein of water would flow into the well .
I installed a GE Homespring filter system & eliminated the problem . Expensive but solved the problem .
There are cameras that can be put down the well to see if the casing or cement seal have a problem . Surface water getting into the well isn't a good thing if that's what the problem is .


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## JoeCal52 (May 2, 2014)

Thank you Haunted and WV Hillbilly...
Both answers sound logical. I guess I should have it checked out. It happens so rarely, but if there is a crack somewhere it should be fixed. I don't think I can afford such a job and may have to live with this. I will make some calls Monday and see what they charge for that camera method of finding a crack....

Joe C.


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## ct01r (Jan 21, 2014)

Hey JoeCal, welcome to the forum! We have the same problem every 3 - 5 years or so, and it had always cleared up after a few days. Some times it's from a lot of rain, some times it just happens. We use a temporary filter (Brita) to wash dishes, drink bottled water for a day or two, and it goes away. We take samples out to be tested occasionally, and have never had any problem with bad water. We just live with it. Curt


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## JoeCal52 (May 2, 2014)

ct01r said:


> Hey JoeCal, welcome to the forum! We have the same problem every 3 - 5 years or so, and it had always cleared up after a few days. Some times it's from a lot of rain, some times it just happens. We use a temporary filter (Brita) to wash dishes, drink bottled water for a day or two, and it goes away. We take samples out to be tested occasionally, and have never had any problem with bad water. We just live with it. Curt


Thanks Curt - mine is the same way - when we get those "gully washing" rainfalls as we call them, it gets looking like the color of the James river - no sediment and it is already gone - I don't think I have a cracked casing because it would happen all the time - mine doesn't happen in the summer oddly enough.
Thanks for the welcome - Nice place!


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## Junkhound (Sep 14, 2010)

When a water well clouds up after a rain, it is usually an indication that the annular seal between the well casing and the earth has been breeched by surface run-off. You can dig down around the casing as far as possible and pour the hole full of cement, or bentonite to reseal it. As a lic. well driller here in Texas we are required to cement at least 10 ft deep to prevent surface contaminates from entering the groundwater. Hope this helps.


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## JoeCal52 (May 2, 2014)

Junkhound said:


> When a water well clouds up after a rain, it is usually an indication that the annular seal between the well casing and the earth has been breeched by surface run-off. You can dig down around the casing as far as possible and pour the hole full of cement, or bentonite to reseal it. As a lic. well driller here in Texas we are required to cement at least 10 ft deep to prevent surface contaminates from entering the groundwater. Hope this helps.


Thanks for the input junkhound!
Here we are required to go 20 feet minimum. I called the guy who did my well and he said they did go 20 feet and a lot of people who live so close to the river experience cloudy or off color water after a heavy rain. I may have misled you by saying cloudy - it looks more like the river water, ya know? cloudy and greenish, but no sediment. Since it happens only after a heavy downpour, I am going to live with it. It could rain her for 10 days straight and nothing will happen, but one of those heavy rains it will do it, and ONLY in cool weather????? That's what's got me.
Have a great day!


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## JoeCal52 (May 2, 2014)

Junkhound said:


> When a water well clouds up after a rain, it is usually an indication that the annular seal between the well casing and the earth has been breeched by surface run-off. You can dig down around the casing as far as possible and pour the hole full of cement, or bentonite to reseal it. As a lic. well driller here in Texas we are required to cement at least 10 ft deep to prevent surface contaminates from entering the groundwater. Hope this helps.


Hey junkhound - I got a callback from another well person and wasn't happy with what they said. They told me surface water is entering the well, and they charge a flat $1,700.00 to come and put a packer in (sleeve). The part I DON'T like is he said that could possibly reduce my water flow, or actually cut it off and I would be without water at all. What kind of business man does work like that? I am going to live with it and that's it..Any advice???


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## blooba (Feb 9, 2010)

Are you sure your well head just isnt getting covered by water? 6" of rain does cause some minor flooding everywhere. How high is your well head vs ground level? Have you checked on it during a rain? 

It's also possible that when the river gets high enough it reverses the flow of your water table and the river flows into your water source. If thats the case only redrilling the well into another water table is possible.


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## JoeCal52 (May 2, 2014)

blooba said:


> Are you sure your well head just isnt getting covered by water? 6" of rain does cause some minor flooding everywhere. How high is your well head vs ground level? Have you checked on it during a rain?
> 
> It's also possible that when the river gets high enough it reverses the flow of your water table and the river flows into your water source. If thats the case only redrilling the well into another water table is possible.


I had the original person who drilled the well come out here with a camera and found nothing wrong - He said what you said...The water table was so high this is what happens. If it were his house, he wouldn't drink the water till it clears after 2 days - He wouldn't bother drilling a new well since this a rare instance...Thanks for your assistance blooba!


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Does anything settle out if you let a jar full of water sit for a few days?

If the water is green you could have a chlorophyll A test done. that would tell you if it's phytoplankton river water. I think they cost about $20.


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## JoeCal52 (May 2, 2014)

fishhead said:


> Does anything settle out if you let a jar full of water sit for a few days?
> 
> If the water is green you could have a chlorophyll A test done. that would tell you if it's phytoplankton river water. I think they cost about $20.


Nothing settles in a jar - it just remains cloudy - The guy who was here has determined that when we get such immense amounts of rain and the water table is way up, I am getting river water in my well - I had all tests done to rule out e.coli, but river water was present. Nothing I really can do at this point except drink bottled water after it rains.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Doulton ceramic filter should take that cloudiness out and make it safe to drink.


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## JoeCal52 (May 2, 2014)

Harry Chickpea said:


> Doulton ceramic filter should take that cloudiness out and make it safe to drink.


I just looked that up and the cartridge looks similar to the filter I have but mine is not ceramic, it is like a pleated cartridge. Would the Doulton ceramic filter fit into a standard filter casing, or is it a special setup all together???


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Different setup. It filters down to one micron so you may need to scrub off the surface more often. Don't bother with whole house, get one for your drinking water.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

How did someone determine it was "river water"?

The chlorophyll A test would show that it's surface water by indicating plant life.

Good luck with your water.


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## Junkhound (Sep 14, 2010)

JoeCal52 said:


> Hey junkhound - I got a callback from another well person and wasn't happy with what they said. They told me surface water is entering the well, and they charge a flat $1,700.00 to come and put a packer in (sleeve). The part I DON'T like is he said that could possibly reduce my water flow, or actually cut it off and I would be without water at all. What kind of business man does work like that? I am going to live with it and that's it..Any advice???


 Not knowing how your well was completed at the surface, makes it hard to diagnose. Setting a packer outside the casing in the annulus space is next to impossible on a well that is already completed unless it is dug out around it. An old practice (illegal most everywhere) was to stuff sacks the annular space to hold up the seal/plug until it could set up. If the soil dries and shrinks away from the plug it will let in surface water, after a rain until it swells and reseals it self. You can take a long thin steel rod sharpened to a point and probe around the casing to see if there are any hollow spots in the seal. If there are, then contact the driller and request the he come and fix it properly. He probably would, since he is liable for sub par work. Also his business reputation is also at stake. 

junkhound


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## JoeCal52 (May 2, 2014)

Junkhound said:


> Not knowing how your well was completed at the surface, makes it hard to diagnose. Setting a packer outside the casing in the annulus space is next to impossible on a well that is already completed unless it is dug out around it. An old practice (illegal most everywhere) was to stuff sacks the annular space to hold up the seal/plug until it could set up. If the soil dries and shrinks away from the plug it will let in surface water, after a rain until it swells and reseals it self. You can take a long thin steel rod sharpened to a point and probe around the casing to see if there are any hollow spots in the seal. If there are, then contact the driller and request the he come and fix it properly. He probably would, since he is liable for sub par work. Also his business reputation is also at stake.
> 
> junkhound


This guy said they use PVC on the INSIDE of the pipe going down, not the outside. So my 6 inch Pipe would be reduced to 4 inches. He said he can only guess to go down 80 feet and hope for the best. For $1,700, I need more than hope, besides, after 6 inches of heavy driving rains last night - my water is fine..Why? Because it is hot out. I can't figure it out so I will live with it.


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