Twenty people sent me their well information for the unofficial survey on how water levels were doing half-way through this drought period. Usually September is when most wells are at their lowest, and the info people were sending was from July and the beginning of August. These were for wells located all over the island.
Three locations (one in Foster Point neighbourhood, one in the Forbes Road neighbourhood, and one in the Moore Hill area) reported dry or almost dry and murky wells. These wells ranged from <100’ to >300’. 2 people reported 50% of normal volume for that time of year. Most people had no well issues at all and most of those were storing water in tanks and by having “well-minders” on their systems not heavily drawing down the water column constantly. Several people reported that they have no idea how their well is doing because they have no means of measuring the column, but because they store water and the tanks are always topped up, they felt they were having no issues during the past couple of months when our region hit drought level 4.
Some people have hedged their bets by also storing rainwater for garden irrigation and are using their well water for potable water only.
In looking at the results, this does not appear to be (yet) an abnormal year for well water levels in most cases.
Let’s all hope the heavy rains come soon though (preferably at night!).
Jeannine
