Buying a home with a private well
A general home inspection may observe visible components but does not establish well production, drawdown, or recovery.
PRIVATE WELL PERFORMANCE
Understand How Your Well Performs Under Demand
A Well Performance Evaluation documents how your private well and pumping system respond during observed field testing. We measure water level, pump output, drawdown, recovery, and available water stored within the well bore—then explain what those measurements mean for the way your property uses water.
TWO DIFFERENT QUESTIONS
Water quality and well performance are not the same thing.
Water analysis asks what is in the water. A Well Performance Evaluation asks how much water appears available during the test and how the well and pumping system deliver it.
The services may be performed together when appropriate, but one does not replace the other. Understanding both can be especially important when buying a home, investigating reduced supply, or planning treatment equipment that depends on reliable flow.
Learn about Water Analysis →WHEN IT MAY HELP
Questions a faucet test cannot answer
Running out of water
Document how the water level changes during pumping and how it recovers after pumping stops.
Reduced pressure or flow
Separate well-supply behavior from possible pump, pressure-system, plumbing, or treatment limitations.
Unknown well capacity
Establish useful present-day measurements when original well records are incomplete or unavailable.
Changes after storms or drought
Create a current performance record when the well appears to behave differently than it did before.
Planning for sustained demand
Understand the relationship among pump output, observed recovery, stored water, and household demand.
THE FIELD EVALUATION
What we measure and document
The exact procedure depends on the well, access, installed equipment, and site conditions.
- Static water level before pumping
- Well depth and casing diameter
- Pump depth, when known or available
- Pressure settings and available system information
- Measured pump-discharge rate
- Controlled pumping duration
- Pumping water level and total drawdown
- Water-level recovery after pumping
- Estimated recovery during the observed interval
- Available standing water and well-bore storage
- Relationship among pump output, recovery, and stored-water use
MEASUREMENT EQUIPMENT
Purpose-built field instruments
Where conditions allow, H2O Easy uses an Eno Scientific WS2010 Pro Well Sounder for water-level measurements and an Eno Scientific WS131 Flow Meter for pump-discharge measurements.
Alternate methods may be used when direct electronic measurements are not available or appropriate. The report identifies the method used and distinguishes measured flow from inferred or estimated flow.
THE RESULT
Observed performance, not a simplistic grade
The evaluation does not reduce a private well to Pass, Watch, or Fail. It reports the measurements and explains the observed relationship among pumping, drawdown, recovery, and water stored within the well.
Findings may identify recovery-limited behavior, dependence on well-bore storage, significant drawdown, or possible limitations during sustained or simultaneous high-volume use.
DOCUMENTED FINDINGS
A report you can review and keep
The printable report records the property and well information, testing method, observed values, pump rate, drawdown, recovery response, key findings, written performance interpretation, recommended considerations, and technician notes.
When supported by the findings, considerations may include managing simultaneous high-volume use, longer-duration testing, pump protection, monitoring over time, additional system evaluation, or water storage.
IMPORTANT SCOPE
What this evaluation establishes—and what it does not
A Well Performance Evaluation documents performance during the observed testing period. It does not guarantee future well production, determine water quality, or replace specialized well-construction, pump, electrical, regulatory, or real-estate inspections when those services are required.
START WITH WHAT YOU ARE NOTICING
Tell us what is happening with your well.
Share the symptoms, property location, known well information, and any available inspection, drilling, or water-test records. We will review the information and help determine the next step.