Discuss. Well or City water?

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Chris

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Before the mist system thread gets to far out of hand lets discuss the benefits and downfalls of City water and well water. Please keep it civil.
 
To begin with, no monthly bill. In most cases when you have City Water, you also have City Sewer. I don't know how they do it everywhere else, but here in my area, they charge you for sewer no matter where the water goes. In the sink, on the grass or on the Rhubarb.
 
I really don't know much about this topic, except I have used my cousin's well water and city water, because he can switch from well to city with just one valve. The well water tastes very clean, but the electric rates (in Lake Arrowhead, Ca.) for the well water were twice the price than the city water supply, which doesn't cost any electricity to use at all.
 
I really don't know much about this topic, except I have used my cousin's well water and city water, because he can switch from well to city with just one valve. The well water tastes very clean, but the electric rates (in Lake Arrowhead, Ca.) for the well water were twice the price than the city water supply, which doesn't cost any electricity to use at all.


That's one huge plus; an electrical storm can shut down a private water system completely when the electric goes out.

Post #13 covers a great deal of why I'm the first called to disable private systems and finally make the conversion to public.


People don't like surprises like private systems provide. Everything can be peachy until you get a call from the wifey that there's no water in the house.

A phone call to the water district is far more fun, because you can get discounts for interruptions of service.


See if you can get discounts when you buy pumps or switches, bladder tanks when they go bad. It won't happen.


The most common nuisance issue with private water systems is pressure switch failure or bladder tank failure.


Always keep in mind that the vast majority of people that use water systems whether public or private do not fully understand the inner workings involving what makes water flow out of a tap.


They don't need to other than understand that it works, when it breaks, how much is it going to cost to get it back to the condition it was before.

Just because someone uses something daily does not dictate they understand how it works. Perfect example; an automobile.

The most important consideration in regards to private against public is private water systems are always questionable in regards to the "source" of water from where it is pulled from underground that might be high in certain elements that either cause issues to the longevity of the products used to operate or greatly shorten the life of the product without heavy maintenance or use of water softeners that help in resolving issues such as hard water.

And there is always a salesman out there to make sure their product is always better.


Public water supply systems have no salesmenship or "good deals" till the 15th of the month. You either want it or ignore it. They don't force the issue or show up to talk you into it.

People know that their water bill is based solely on the amount of usage. If you don't want to replace your flapper in your toilet? Trust me, you'll pay for it.

Only areas that have developed city sewer systems are required to have a sanitation fee attached to your water bill.


Some think that sanitation should be free...that's pure ignorance. It is estimated that to treat one gallon of wastewater costs $5 (Five Dollars) to treat when you figure the piping that was installed to bring to the wastewater treatment plant, the treatment of chemicals and settling tanks that involves a numerous step process in order to create an end product that is safe to humans, animals and nature enough to be entered back into the rivers/creeks/ponds or bubbling brook streams.


At one time you could trust a private well, but it's not so much what you do on your property as much as it is what your neighbors do, and that can cause contaminations of the water supply to be considered unsafe.


At least when you have a public water supply, you can call for free and a representative will come out and take samples of the water in question from numerous locations inside and outside your home, using sterile equipment and test containers.

They have the statistical and chemical makeup of the water when it left the treatment plant.


Private water systems is merely a guess, thinking that water is pure that it sits in the ground? Not in today's age; thank human kind for that possibility. Jed out at the barn thinking oil changes at quickie-whippie lube is ludracrist, "just dump it in that low spot!" cries out buford...not realizing the cistern is not even 50' away.


Cisterns always leak, guaranteed

In a private system there are so many rubber components, fragile springs, electrical contacts, rubber bladders that go bad from the day they are installed, all of which have pump heads that are NOT solid brass and resist corrosion. They make them with a product that's guaranteed to be job security for the next sale to whoever is lucky for the taking.


Public water supply companies don't venture the internet looking for the next customer, ever.

People want peace of mind, that's attainable with a water bill that normally doesn't crest $100 a month for the majority.

When a private water system fails, as it always does due to its conditions it has been subjected to, $$$ or $$$$ <<< You take your pick, it's always a 3 or 4 digit equation when you are paying the person trained to install these products.

One bladder tank replacement, one submersible pump changeout with a tank will wipe a year's worth of fees from a public water supply right off the map.



But comon people,


Do you really trust underground water at this point, knowing the conditions employed by human nature, chemicals used that are poisoning our grass, our gardens, our fields of crops?

By all means, this subject matter doesn't apply to those who have no access to public water systems.

I will assure you that there is more than just a dozen valid reasons why people are so glad to hear that the water company is trunking in another main line in your neighborhood.

It's peace of mind without a salesman who can sometimes be unkind.
 
Much of what you say is true, and unarguably so. Public water systems are much less likely to get contaminated, much less likely to fail, are generally backed up by generators in case of power outages, etc.

But I much prefer the well water at my house. I have lived in cities for two short stretches in my life, and I could never bring myself to drink that chorinated stuff.
 
That's one huge plus; an electrical storm can shut down a private water system completely when the electric goes out.

Post #13 covers a great deal of why I'm the first called to disable private systems and finally make the conversion to public.


People don't like surprises like private systems provide. Everything can be peachy until you get a call from the wifey that there's no water in the house.

A phone call to the water district is far more fun, because you can get discounts for interruptions of service.


See if you can get discounts when you buy pumps or switches, bladder tanks when they go bad. It won't happen.


The most common nuisance issue with private water systems is pressure switch failure or bladder tank failure.


Always keep in mind that the vast majority of people that use water systems whether public or private do not fully understand the inner workings involving what makes water flow out of a tap.


They don't need to other than understand that it works, when it breaks, how much is it going to cost to get it back to the condition it was before.

Just because someone uses something daily does not dictate they understand how it works. Perfect example; an automobile.

The most important consideration in regards to private against public is private water systems are always questionable in regards to the "source" of water from where it is pulled from underground that might be high in certain elements that either cause issues to the longevity of the products used to operate or greatly shorten the life of the product without heavy maintenance or use of water softeners that help in resolving issues such as hard water.

And there is always a salesman out there to make sure their product is always better.


Public water supply systems have no salesmenship or "good deals" till the 15th of the month. You either want it or ignore it. They don't force the issue or show up to talk you into it.

People know that their water bill is based solely on the amount of usage. If you don't want to replace your flapper in your toilet? Trust me, you'll pay for it.

Only areas that have developed city sewer systems are required to have a sanitation fee attached to your water bill.


Some think that sanitation should be free...that's pure ignorance. It is estimated that to treat one gallon of wastewater costs $5 (Five Dollars) to treat when you figure the piping that was installed to bring to the wastewater treatment plant, the treatment of chemicals and settling tanks that involves a numerous step process in order to create an end product that is safe to humans, animals and nature enough to be entered back into the rivers/creeks/ponds or bubbling brook streams.


At one time you could trust a private well, but it's not so much what you do on your property as much as it is what your neighbors do, and that can cause contaminations of the water supply to be considered unsafe.


At least when you have a public water supply, you can call for free and a representative will come out and take samples of the water in question from numerous locations inside and outside your home, using sterile equipment and test containers.

They have the statistical and chemical makeup of the water when it left the treatment plant.


Private water systems is merely a guess, thinking that water is pure that it sits in the ground? Not in today's age; thank human kind for that possibility. Jed out at the barn thinking oil changes at quickie-whippie lube is ludracrist, "just dump it in that low spot!" cries out buford...not realizing the cistern is not even 50' away.


Cisterns always leak, guaranteed

In a private system there are so many rubber components, fragile springs, electrical contacts, rubber bladders that go bad from the day they are installed, all of which have pump heads that are NOT solid brass and resist corrosion. They make them with a product that's guaranteed to be job security for the next sale to whoever is lucky for the taking.


Public water supply companies don't venture the internet looking for the next customer, ever.

People want peace of mind, that's attainable with a water bill that normally doesn't crest $100 a month for the majority.

When a private water system fails, as it always does due to its conditions it has been subjected to, $$$ or $$$$ <<< You take your pick, it's always a 3 or 4 digit equation when you are paying the person trained to install these products.

One bladder tank replacement, one submersible pump changeout with a tank will wipe a year's worth of fees from a public water supply right off the map.



But comon people,


Do you really trust underground water at this point, knowing the conditions employed by human nature, chemicals used that are poisoning our grass, our gardens, our fields of crops?

By all means, this subject matter doesn't apply to those who have no access to public water systems.

I will assure you that there is more than just a dozen valid reasons why people are so glad to hear that the water company is trunking in another main line in your neighborhood.

It's peace of mind without a salesman who can sometimes be unkind.
My well works just fine when the electrity goes goes out. The generator kicks in. About a 10 second delay.
 
Much of what you say is true, and unarguably so. Public water systems are much less likely to get contaminated, much less likely to fail, are generally backed up by generators in case of power outages, etc.

But I much prefer the well water at my house. I have lived in cities for two short stretches in my life, and I could never bring myself to drink that chorinated stuff.
Not in Michigan. We have to have a "0" bacteria count to put the well in service. The test is pass/fail.

City water has an acceptable level of bacteria. That is why all the chlorine.
 
Many city water systems IS well water. We have drilled a few for cities.

There is no way non-potable water can get in a properly constructed and grouted water well.
 
City water lacks good pressure. I hate to do dishes at my friend's house. I get 20 GPM at my sink, with city water she get about 8 GPM.
 
Can someone answer me on one question? I know floride is added to municipal water supplies. Do private wells offer the same? By looking at the lack of teeth and rotten teeth, is England all on private wells with non-floridated water?
 
Can someone answer me on one question? I know floride is added to municipal water supplies. Do private wells offer the same? By looking at the lack of teeth and rotten teeth, is England all on private wells with non-floridated water?
I have seen labs tests where high levels of fluoride occur naturally.

I have never known of a system to put fluoride in wells. Most people I know take their children to a dentist for fluoride treatments.
 
Many city water systems IS well water. We have drilled a few for cities.

There is no way non-potable water can get in a properly constructed and grouted water well.



Correct. But you know, as well as I do, how many wells are dug and once installed, never maintained or checked out for "issues" until they go in disrepair affecting the flow of water.


If you want me to knock public water systems...here it goes:


When you hear of a situation whereby "The water company hooked a water main to a sewer line"


and think that is totally uncalled for?


It's not, and I'll tell you why:


Ductile iron closes up the same as galvanized water lines commonly found in homes for water distribution.

In my days of brief "time" dealing with larger tap ins to main water supply lines, and replacing a few 3" plantmasters at Kahn's in Cincinnati Ohio...

I'll tell you that the condition of that piping is horrific over time, and the look and smell of that piping is so close to the smell and look of sewage that you would never think that water main was not a sewer line, seriously.

In my area the water distribution system is about to embrace its first overhaul in 59 years, and it comes with a massive cost.


Other considerations of public water supply distribution:

High chlorine levels

Extreme high water pressures

Corrosive water (high or low ph is aggressive to copper piping systems)

Contaminations when repairs or breaks in the supply distribution


And the worst?


Cross connections and/or backflow situations

A search on the above bold text will show you how your neighbor, a city, a business or a factory can introduce the "bad" stuff into the network of a large piping system and do harm or cause sickness, personal injury with what we bathe in, drink, cook with and various other applications.

No perfect water supply out there, but the majority prefer constants in expenditures and the ability to blame another when things go wrong.

If any of you knew how many 1000's of dollars I've made by the simple nail into the eductor head of a pump where the brass fitting is that serves the 1/8" line to send the message to the pump switch...


you'd be pissed, knowing how such a small spec of rust glazing over that fitting can be so easily resolved with a simple poke through, system starts operating again.

Tons of pressure switches I've replaced countless times, along with the brady air volume controls for the non-bladder type tanks.

That's right; I'm that old and that's all we had back in the day.
 
We don't dig, we drill. Then we pump high pressure grout the entire length of the casing.

Unless the casing is broke, and I have seen it break from a car hit. No maintenance is needed to the well.

Of course, in time the pump will have to be replaced.
 
Most of the well water used for city water is simply aerated to remove the rotten egg odor and filtered to get the iron out. The hardness is still there and is up to you to remove. The chlorine, ammonia and fluoride are added later. Those are also up to you to remove if you object to them.

I always thought if you wanted Fluoride you could get it at the Dentist's office, not in your drinking water.

Well water from deep sources is as safe as it was 100 years ago. The only people talking about how bad well water is are softener salesmen and anybody else who has an agenda.

As far as treating sewage, what ever happened to septic systems. They work wonders for treating sewage and don't cost much at all to operate.

Using the fact that power outages are a big deal with well water. What about all these water line breaks we hear about that takes out a whole city block at the same time then people are boiling their water for the next week until the chlorine gets back into the lines.

You can argue both sides of the debate, but for my money I'll stick to my well. I don't like chemicals in my water whether I drink it or not. You still have to bathe in it and for those that don't know, you get as much if not more contamination through your pours and into your bloodstream than you do by ingesting water.

One more thing. I agree that pressure switches are one of the biggest problems with a well system. Ants, Lizards and Frogs in my State are the culprits. Bladder tanks are also a problem if you don't know what brands to buy. In my opinion there are a lot more bad ones out there than there are good ones. I recommend two brands only. If you haven't figured out what those two brands are yet, you are part of the problem.
 
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This is my favorite system.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJw6vcU_vkc]YouTube - Grundfos SQE video[/ame]

No old fashion pressure switch.
 
PICT0063.jpg

This is one of our hook ups.

Four gallon tank, computer controlled. Any amount of pressure you want up to about 35 GPM.

Then we switch to a sub drive system. Still no problem getting it.
 
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I don't have any experience in wells but I do install city lines for a living so of course I am for them.:p I have heard of the hooking up to a sewer line but they are not under pressure so you would not get anything out of it unless it was a force main which is very rare unless the sewage must flow uphill to the treatment facility. I have heard of more cases of contractors hooking up to the reclaimed line on accident on lines that were installed before they required purple pipe, That water is technically safe to drink although I wouldn't even if you paid me. I have seen many of water lines that are just disgusting and the amount of chlorine it would take to clean them would make it not drinkable. I don't drink tap water just because I see the lines it goes through to get to my home. One day I hope to live in an area that I can at least experience well water I know alot of people on well and they love it, especially for irrigation purposes. My bill for water in the summer months is about $200 and I don't have all that much watering and that does not include sewer.
 
Regarding the Grundfos Video....that was good information but I had a hard time dealing with the bad acting and boring narration. I felt as if I was in my eighth grade cafeteria watching a sexual education film clip! :D
 
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I don't have any experience in wells but I do install city lines for a living so of course I am for them.:p I have heard of the hooking up to a sewer line but they are not under pressure so you would not get anything out of it unless it was a force main which is very rare unless the sewage must flow uphill to the treatment facility. I have heard of more cases of contractors hooking up to the reclaimed line on accident on lines that were installed before they required purple pipe, That water is technically safe to drink although I wouldn't even if you paid me. I have seen many of water lines that are just disgusting and the amount of chlorine it would take to clean them would make it not drinkable. I don't drink tap water just because I see the lines it goes through to get to my home. One day I hope to live in an area that I can at least experience well water I know alot of people on well and they love it, especially for irrigation purposes. My bill for water in the summer months is about $200 and I don't have all that much watering and that does not include sewer.
Wow!! $200!!! I heat and cool my home in Michigan for about that a month. Last month my electric bill was $206.87. A four bedroom house. I use a Geo system and my water well.
 
Regarding the Grundfos Video....that was good information but I had a hard time dealing with the bad acting and boring narration. I felt as if I was in my eighth grade cafeteria watching a sexual education film clip! :D
LOL Stop by the house sometime. I will show you live.

The well system, not sex ed.
 

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