Pros and Cons of Having Your Own Well

I grew up living outside of town without own

well supplying water to the house. Overall, it

was convenient for my family and I don’t recall

there every being any issues. However, if you

are planning on installing a well on your

property there are a few things to think about

it. Here are some pros and cons to factor into

your decision.

Pros Money-You will find that although drilling your

own well initially has higher costs over the

lifetime of the well you will end up saving

money. There will no longer be a bill every

month for water. You have access to as much

water as you want for free. There are also other financial benefits such as tax deductions for owning a

well. Make sure to check with your local and state laws on any changes you can anticipate before you

start digging.

Going Green-Having your own well benefits the environment at large. There is far less pollution and

energy used on your own well when compared to the industrial size machines used to filter water for

towns or cities.

Taste-The taste of your water can be better than the industrial variety. I remember liking the ‘clean’

taste of the water growing up, but at the same time when I visited by grandmother (in another state) I

remember her water being yellow and gross (high iron content). So this really is a personal preference.

You may need your own filtration system if the water is naturally as clean as you would like.

Cons Initial Costs-Depending on the system that you choose the initial cost can actually be quite high making

it take longer to cover the costs of your investment and make it worth the time. Beyond the hardware

and time that you will be spending you will also need an expert come over for groundwater mapping so

you know the best location to place the well.

No Chemicals-Wait a minute, I know I just said that one of the benefits was the lack of chemicals in the

water resulting in a better taste but there are some chemicals which can be beneficial like Chlorine.

Chlorine is used as a water purifier eliminating any harmful bacteria, effectively cleaning your water.

The chlorine also helps to solve the problem of high iron content in the water like I mentioned above.

Not only does high-iron water taste bad it can discolor

your laundry along with the plastics and enamel of

your sinks and tubs. Another helpful chemical you will

be without is fluoride. Despite any fears you may have

of fluoridation (think Dr. Strangelove) fluoride can

actually be very beneficial to your dental health. If you

are worried about the fluoride option you can always

take it on your own before brushing your teeth.

Reliance on Electricity-Most water wells will work on

electricity (although you can add hand pumps) and if

your electricity ever goes out, there is a black out, or

the system goes out you can find yourself with just the

water that you have left in your tank. Ways to

diminish this risk include having your own backup

generator or having an excess store of water to be

used in emergencies.

While there are both Pros and Cons to building a well I

would encourage you to make the investment, but

before you do sit down and list all of the costs of installing the well and the resulting savings and make

your own decision.

Photo Credit: Matt Swaim, Official Us Navy Page