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<br />only four of the problem wells had been drilled wells {6 inch diameter). Most of these were <br />older wells and generally shallower than "modem" drilled wells. Three of these aze 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. Tn 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 hauxs, 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 iii 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 corrunodes 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 far <br />flushing commodes. <br />Aside from the practical limits of supplying the water to homes for use to flush commodes, there <br />are same 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 in to fill the bore hale <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 ar be damaged. This practice is one that <br />has anecdotal history of increasing the flow from a well, but na scientific studies have been <br />found that substantiate these claims. There is a practice called hydra-fracturing {or "frocking") <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 />temporazily. 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 the connection that <br />are designed to prevent cross-contamination of the public water source from the private well. <br />Graywater Reuse <br />This issue has been in the news a lot lately as many residents in North Carolina are affected by <br />the draught. On the surface, it seems quite logical and practical to use the leftover water from <br />