can I drill a new well....near an old septic?

yoshi379

Hello friends, I am looking for advice. We are trying to sell a house in Oregon. We have buyers, but they are concerned that we are on a shared well with two other neighbors. The well pumps 10.5 gpm and although this was enough to satisfy the buyer's lender, the buyer is insisting on their own well.

All three houses are small, but one fool neighbor hooked his irrigation to the well, (all houses are on a river and people irrigate out of the river). Our buyers are concerned that if all 3 houses decide to irrigate off the well, it will go dry, therefore they want their own well. Problem is, our lot is small and it is difficult to find a well site that is 100ft from drain field, 50 ft from septic tank and 50 ft from the river. Because the lots are small...we also have to consider the location of TWO adjacit neighbor's drain fields AND their septic tanks. All 3 lots are just 107 feet wide..

Question 1: Would it be possible to put a new septic tank closer to our drain field, to free up space for a well? I mean, could a well be placed within 50 ft of a non operating septic tank? It has been well maintained and has had no problems.

Question 2: The existing well is 200ft deep, however, the pump is placed at just 86 feet. Would dropping a new, stronger pump down deeper increase the gpm? Would it be a significant amount?

It rains in Oregon non stop for about 9 months out of the year. It's not like there is that much irrigating going on....

Thanks so much, this is wearing me out

joecaption

Going to have to ask this question localy. Heath dept, zoning, building dept.
I my area it's the health dept.

md2lgyk

Nobody here can answer your question. Start by contacting your local Health Department.

The situation you cite would never be allowed where I live. Any lot smaller than 1 acre cannot have a septic system.

yoshi379

Okay, thanks....

but does anyone have any feedback on dropping a stronger pump deeper in the existing well to raise the gpm? thanks

southernkilowat

You would have to know the output of the existing pump, usually in gph and horsepower to determine if a larger or stronger pump could be used, I doubt that it would be significant enough to notice a difference. Just my .02

SK

ben's plumbing

that is always possible to raise the gpm on a system...but will it meet the buyers purchase expections,,because the well is so important to health and safety what your explaining to me is ...there is not enough room to meet the requirments needed for another well...thats why it is shared already..ben sr

md2lgyk

The pump could certainly be placed lower. I don't understand why it's where you say it is if the well is more than twice as deep. My well is 700 feet deep, and the pump is at 650. But if this buyer continues to insist on a new well, you might as well tell them to walk.

Daniel Holzman

The output from a well is controlled by either the maximum pump output or the maximum inflow into the well. Normally when a well is drilled, the driller performs a drawdown test, and calculates what is known as the safe yield, which is the maximum flow you can draw from the well without lowering the water table unacceptably. This information may be available at your local building department.

As for dropping in a more powerful pump, this will allow you to increase the maximum instananeous flow from the well, but if this exceeds the safe yield of the well, all you will accomplish is make it more likely you will lower the water level in the well below the elevation of the pump, which would burn out the pump.

As for drilling a new well, that is primarily a function of local regulations, so you need to check with local authorities. In my community, the well must be a minimum of 100 feet from the septic system, else a difficult to obtain waiver is required. I certainly would not drill a new well to entice a buyer, if they want a new well, they should feel free to offer you a price on the house that includes their estimated cost to drill a new well, and they can put it in. Just like they can put in a backup generator, a backup septic system, a solar panel system etc.

yoshi379

Thank you all for the input. We have come to realize that it is unlikely that we will be able to meet the buyers demands to sell this house.

Despite having reduced the price significately, they continue to come up with a "wish list" of new demands. (including $3500 towards installation and purchase of a new, top of the line wood stove).

ben's plumbing

you sound like reasonable and good people.... I did this once...tell them they have 15 days to accept your final offer...then its off the table...and mean it...ben sr