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Only four of the problem wells had been chilled wells(6 inch diameter). Most of these were <br /> older wells and generally shallower than"modem"drilled wells. Thee of these are in an area of <br /> the county that is known for low-yield wells, and had reportedly had problems in previous dry <br /> periods. <br /> For the replacement wells that have been drilled; the depths and yields have been typical of other <br /> wells recently constructed in the county. In other words,the presence of a shallow well that had <br /> gone dry in the area did not necessarily predict problems in finding water in the new well. <br /> Environmental Health continues to give priority to applicants with water supply problems. <br /> These permits are processed within 24 hours, some of them the same day. <br /> Consequences of Dry Wells <br /> Perhaps one of the biggest challenges for the Health Department occurs when wells start going <br /> dry either sporadically or en masse. Residents may be left without water to drink, to flush the <br /> commode, or to maintain basic sanitation levels in the home. Bottled water can alleviate the <br /> drinking water demand and its use also partially removes some of the deficiency of water from <br /> the well and frees it for other purposes. The lack of water to flush commodes and wash hands <br /> could lead to moderate or even severe public health consequences as modern day plumbing <br /> doesn't work without water. Cleaning and disinfecting one's hands can be adequately provided <br /> for in the short term with waterless sanitizers, but there is no real solution other than water for <br /> flushing commodes. <br /> Aside from the practical limits of supplying the water to homes for use to flush commodes,there <br /> are some legal barriers and health aspects to consider for many of the stopgap solutions that <br /> many have used in the past First,the "spiking" of wells or hauling water m to fill the bore hole <br /> has been deemed by the state as needing an injection permit in the past which is quite an <br /> involved process. Environmental Health has confirmed with the state that this interpretation is <br /> still valid. The concern in this practice is contamination of the groundwater by water that is of <br /> unknown or questionable quality. <br /> Another practice is the use of dry ice to further fracture the well is questionable as to its <br /> effectiveness and may even cause the well to collapse or be damaged. This practice is one that <br /> has anecdotal history of increasing the flow from a well,but no scientific studies have been <br /> found that substantiate these claims. There is a practice called hydro-fracturing (or "fracidng") <br /> the well, which is acceptable, but it generally only increases the flow by a small percentage of <br /> the original flow. <br /> Finally, many times neighbors will let someone with a dry well hook up to their water supply <br /> temporarily. This practice is acceptable with a couple of precautions. First, if the water is for <br /> consumption,it should be transmitted through a hose or conduit suitable for potable water and <br /> not through a normal garden hose. Secondly, in the event the home supplying the water is <br /> connected to a public water supply,there are plumbing code requirements for tie connection that <br /> are designed to prevent cross-contamination of the public water source from the private well. <br /> Gra ater Reuse <br /> This issue has been in the news a lot lately as many residents in North Carolina are affected by <br /> the drought. On the surface, it seems quite logical and practical to use the leftover water from <br />