What's your well water like?

[Dan F]

I'm just curious.

We tested students' water samples last year in science. We are in a rural area, so most of the kids (except the ones that come up from town) are on wells. I had them record the depth of their well if they knew. The second line is the pH, the third the nitrate. I had it in a table, but it didn't import that way.

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School Well (150&#8217
7.1
25 mg/L

Mr. Feller’s Well (550&#8217
7.6
1 mg/L

Saltwater Tank
8.0
0 mg/L

Jace's Pond
6.6
2 mg/L

Jace’s Spring (Tap Water)
6.0
15 mg/L

Kolbey’s Lake (middle)
6.7
1 mg/L

Skylar’s Well Water (?)
7.6
0 mg/L

Skylar’s Chicken Waterer
7.6
0.1 mg/L

Aneisa’s Well Water (450&#8217
7.6
1.5 mg/L

Aneisa’s Puddle
6.2
O mg/L

Skyler’s Well Water (84&#8217
6.0
30 mg/L

Skyler’s Creek
6.7
2 mg/L

Margarita’s Well (?)
7.2
2 mg/L

Peter’s Pond
7.7
1 mg/L

Linda’s Well (?)
6.2
3 mg/L

Aleta’s Tap (Woodburn)
6.8
0.1 mg/L

Aleta’s Puddle
6.5
0 mg/L

Linda’s Puddle
6.4
0 mg/L

Zack’s Well (?)
7.6
0 mg/L

Davis Creek
7.0
5 mg/L

Riata’s Well (?)
6.0
10 mg/L

Sophi’s Pond
6.6
15 mg/L

Sophi’s Well (?)
7.4
0 mg/L

Roz’s Well (?)
7.2
0 mg/L

Roz’s Dog Water
7.0
0 mg/L

Ken’s Aquarium
6.2
50 mg/L

Noah’s Creek
6.5
0 mg/L

Roman’s Well (?)
7.2
0 mg/L

Julia’s Pond
7.6
0 mg/L

Alexa’s Well (?)
7.1
0mg/L

Garrett Well (?)
7.6
0 mg/L

Dio’s Tap (Silverton)
7.0
0.1 mg/L

Gaij’s Hot Tub Pond
6.0
0 mg/L

Sydney’s Well (750&#8217
7.7
1.5 mg/L

Dylan’s Well (275&#8217
7.1
17 mg/L

Sydney's Bottled Water
7.2
0 mg/L

Alex’s Well (?)
6.0
10 mg/L

Kody’s Well (480&#8217
7.6
0 mg/L

Alex’s Pond
6.0
15 mg/L

Shawn’s Tap (Silverton)
7.0
0.1 mg/L

Gaij’s Aquarium
6.2
50 mg/L+

Lupita’s Well (?)
7.0
5 mg/L

Michael’s Well (100&#8217
6.5
10mg/L

Maria’s Well Water (?)
6.3
2mg/L

Keegan’s bucket water
6.6
O mg/L

Shawn’s Dog Water
6.8
0 mg/L

Peter’s Well Water (54&#8217
6.8
5 mg/L

Tom’s Well Water (10&#8217
6.6
2 mg/L

Tom’s Pond
6.6
0 mg/L

Noah’s Well (?)
6.5
0 mg/L

Lupita’s Creek
6.0
5 mg/L

Cage’s Well (480&#8217
7.4
0.1

 

[ar0wan]

Gaij’s Aquarium
6.2
50 mg/L+

lol

soo I probably know the answer to this but
how does one test for Nitrates to
a precision of tenths of mg/L?
and the correlation to ppm?

 

[Dan F]

[/COLOR][/FONT]
lol

soo I probably know the answer to this but
how does one test for Nitrates to
a precision of tenths of mg/L?
and the correlation to ppm?

Yeah, Gaij's fish don't have the cleanest tank around...

As far as the precision, it is a sort of estimate. The test kit had increments that start out smaller - I believe the first increment was 0.5 mg/L, then went up to 1, 5, 10, 20, 30,40, 50. The reading of .1 mg/L had just a trace of pink, so we called it .1 mg/L. Likewise, the readings of 1.5 mg/L were just a bit darker than the 1 mg/L reading. I was having the kids test the water and then as a class we would compare the sample to the color chart and come up with a value. Definitely not absolutely precise, but pretty close.

mg/L and ppm are basically the same, at least when you are talking about room temperature fresh water.

 

[Dan F]

[/COLOR][/FONT]
lol

soo I probably know the answer to this but
how does one test for Nitrates to
a precision of tenths of mg/L?
and the correlation to ppm?

Here is a photo of the reference strip. It is a Seachem brand test kit.

You can see that it is possible to estimate values like .1 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L.

A value like 24.5 mg/L wouldn't be valid, but at lower levels the precision of the test is greater, if that makes sense.

 

[CharlieTuna]

Interesting information. I'm in Eastern CO, on a deep well, about 1000'. PH 8.2 Nitrate 0

Nice water for African Cichlids

 

[wtf]

Where is the septic tank leach field in relationship to the well?

 

[Dan F]

Interesting information. I'm in Eastern CO, on a deep well, about 1000'. PH 8.2 Nitrate 0

Nice water for African Cichlids

Thanks, I really found it interesting as well.

1000' is very deep, it's about as deep as any well around here. We drilled our well ten months ago and the guy said if we got to 900'-1000' and didn't have water we would try on a different part of the property. We ended up with a 550' well, about 50' deeper than average.

That is interesting about you high pH. If you look at the data the general trend is that deeper wells have a higher pH and lower nitrate levels. It makes sense, deep water is far from surface sources of nitrate and has spent a very long time in contact with minerals that would raise pH. Maybe?

 

[Dan F]

Where is the septic tank leach field in relationship to the well?

Around here, if the house was built in the last 60 years or so, the leach field should be a minimum of 250' from a well. It is possible that some of the older places could be closer.

 

[BlackShark11k]

I have no idea how deep it is, but my well water has 35 mg/l of nitrate :/

 

[Dan F]

I have no idea how deep it is, but my well water has 35 mg/l of nitrate :/

Ask your parents how deep it is, I'm curious. If my theory holds true it should be fairly shallow, less than 200' maybe.

That's too bad about the high nitrates in your well, it must make it hard to manage nitrates in your tank(s).