Temporary & Emergency Water Systems   PumpChamber

Question: We had a 700 foot deep, 3 gallon per minute well that filled up to within 20 feet of the top when we built our home ten years ago. As more houses were built around us there were times when we would run out of water if I sprinkled the lawn. Now, with the drought, it seems that the pressure in the house is getting poorer as time goes on even though I no longer water the lawn. There are times when the pressure won't climb much above 20 pounds, but I still get some water when I open the faucet on the first floor. What does this mean?

Answer: If the water level in the well has dropped considerably, as it may in a drought, the pump is working harder and will deliver less water than it used to. If the pump installer sized the pump to run out of lift before it comes out of the water you would get the symptoms you are reporting as the well level drops. The pump is still pumping water but it doesn't have enough lift once the pressure builds to 20 lbs.
To test this theory, turn the pump off for a couple of hours and then turn it back on. If the pump tank fills up and shuts off it's a pretty safe bet that we were correct.

A Well Manager® can help cure this problem because the storage tank is not pressurized so the pump has very little back pressure to work against. Therefore it can deliver water from farther down the well. This means that in a drought, the water will have to drop much lower before you run out.

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