Private Well Water System

In late 2018, we committed to moving to rural North Georgia and purchased our first home with a private well.  All of our other homes had been supplied with public water for potable water.  In my lifetime, I've only known two people who had private wells for potable water.  I remember the well water was always cold and tasted good, but the water pressure seemed a bit low. 

I knew nothing about private wells, but was fairly certain the well water system at the new property needed work.  The new property's well water system only had a pressure tank and a woven-string sediment filter, and the well head sanitary cap and missing concrete pad were not compliant with state laws.  

I began my research.  I discovered the availability of whole house treatment systems that were capable of self-cleaning the filter automatically and using UV light to kill any presence of bacteria.  The concept of not manually changing sediment filters and continuous UV germicidal radiation was very appealing.  

Along the way, I was referred to American Water Services, Inc.  These guys are rock stars in the water treatment business.  Everyone is courteous and professional.  After a couple of months of working through their evaluation and proposal, I was sold on their solution.  I believe it's important to use  a reputable installer/supplier who is sufficiently funded and licensed as an electrical and plumbing contractor.

It's been over five years since we reworked our well water system.  I'm sharing these details for mine and others who may need ideas/guidance when dealing with well water for the first time.  

Our private well water setup includes a whole house water filtration system installed by American Water Services, Inc.  The system provides sediment filtration, neutralizes acidic pH levels with NSF certified calcium carbonate, softens water hardness caused by the NSF certified calcium carbonate, and uses UV light to kill bacteria. 

Annual maintenance of the water filtration system is required to replenish the water softener salt and replace the UV lamp.  We ensure the brine tank is checked frequently (quarterly or monthly) for cleanliness and a sufficient amount of salt.  I prefer to add salt periodically (semi annually or quarterly) rather than once per year because the brine tank will be easier to clean if and when the tank becomes contaminated.

Well Water and Treatment System

Water Quality Testing

When I first purchased the property and tested the water in 2018, I observed sediment in the water sample taken from the kitchen sink. The UGA lab test for bacteria reported a reading of 2.0 for Total Coliform.  E.coili was <1 (none present). I also observed about 1/4 inch of sediment in the toilet tanks, tarnished water faucets, and stained sinks.  American Water reported an acidic pH reading of less than 7.0 before the new treatment system was installed.  Based on these initial findings, I decided to replace the previous owners' cartridge-based sediment filter system, the ones that are rated to filter down to 30-50 microns, with a new system rated to filter sediment down to 3-5 microns.

System Components

1. Electrical Load Panel - This is often referred to as the breaker box or fuse panel.  Although it's not dedicated to the well and treatment system, I felt it necessary to explain it's purpose and and offer suggestions.  Components 2, 3, 5, and 7 require AC power.  The VFD and well pump (components 2 and 3) should have a dedicated branch circuit.   About the same time as when the well and treatment system was installed, we experienced a catastrophic electrical malfunction which destroyed the main electrical load panel.  The electrician diagnosed the malfunction as a lightning strike.  We installed new Siemens main and sub-load panels with a lightning suppressor and whole house surge suppressor.

2. Pentek PID20 VFD with Link2O - This is Pentair's computerized electrical power controller for the well pump (component 3), commonly referred to as the VFD or variable frequency drive.  The VFD replaces the legacy water pressure switch.  Plenty of information on the benefits and value of VFD technology is available in the public domain.  For me, the benefits of using the Pentek PID20 VFD include reduced electrical power costs,  smaller capacity pump tank (larger pump tanks are more expensive and need more space) to achieve consistent water pressure, increases the life of the well pump and the well pump's electrical wiring connection, consistent water pressure throughout the home (I've only tested two showers and two toilets simultaneously, the one 50 gallon water heater can't keep up with more than two simultaneous showers), and remote control and system status.

The VFD technology protects the well pump by varying the frequency and amperage of the current supplied to the well pump motor.  The VFD will only supply enough AC current frequency and amperage needed to slowly start the pump and maintain the programmed water pressure in the pump tank.  This causes the pump motor to use less electrical power and prevents the well pump from jerking and twisting in the well.

The legacy pressure switches used with well pumps supply all 60 hertz and  30 amps of power to the well pump.  This causes the well pump motor to start with maximum power and torque which causes the well pump to jerk and twist in the well. 

Link2O is Pentek's Internet of Things cloud access service to the VFD device.  Using my iPhone or web browser, I can see the status of my well pump and the PSI of my pump tank.  I can remotely switch off my well pump, which comes in handy in case of a water leak.  Update November 13, 2020: The Link2O web app has been replaced by the Pentair Home app for smart phones (iOS and Android) only.  No more access from an HTML browser.  This is clearly a step backwards.  :(

3. Sta-Rite HS Series Signature 2000 Submersible Well Pump - The original well pump faulted when the Pentel PID20 VFD was installed.  The VFD reported a ground fault.  Inspection of the pump showed the insulation on the wiring near the original pump was worn off, likely caused by rubbing against rock in the well.  We replaced the pump with a Pentair 1 HP 2-wire 10 GPM pump and 60 feet of wiring since the labor cost was included in the inspection and repair of the original pump.  The original pump was believed to be 14 years old and installed when the well was drilled.

4. Duramac 20 Gallon Pump Tank - This component is used to regulate the water pressure in the plumbing components.  The water pressure is set to 60 PSI.  The Pentek PID20 VFD is connected to the tank's PSI sensor and monitors the PSI to determine when to send electrical power to the well pump.

5. Helenbrand Promate 6.0 Sediment Filter and PH Adjuster - This Promate 6.0 filters sediment from the water using Micro Z Zeolite media which is claimed to achieve filtration of 3-5 microns versus the 30-50 microns filtration of pleated or string wound filters.  Self-absorbing, NSF certified calcite media is used to neutralize acidic water pH levels.  During the first year, the system consumed approximately 0.125 cubic feet of calcite to raise the water pH level from 6.5 to 8.0.  Both Promate 6.0 tanks share a common back-wash connection to the septic drain that enables automatic cleaning of the filter media during the regeneration cycle. 

6. Helenbrand Promate 6.0 Water Softener and Brine Tank - This Promate 6.0 removes water hardness caused by the self-absorbing calcite used to neutralize the acidic water pH levels.  The Promate 6.0 water softener contains an ion exchange media (often called resin) which removes the hardness from water as it flows through the softener tank.   The Promate 6.0 is programmed to regenerate the water softener exchange media every 14 days.  The back-wash feature automatically cleans the exchange media during the regeneration cycle.  Diamond Crystal Bright & Soft Salt Pellets are used for the water softening salt.  Forty pound bags are available at the big box stores.  During the first year, the system consumed six 40 pound bags of salt pellets (for an average family of 2.25 members).   

7. Viqua VH410M Ultraviolet Light - The VH410M provides disinfection of bacteria, viruses, and certain microorganisms using Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) .  The VH410M includes a lamp life, strength, and status sensor.  The UV lamp is replaced every 365 days.  The UV lamp glass sleeve and sensor is cleaned when the UV lamp is replaced.

Yard Hydrants and Outdoor Faucets

It's worth mentioning that not all plumbing fixtures need the same level of water treatment.  For this reason, I decided to install a yard hydrant in the garden without any filtration or water softening.  I re-plumbed two outdoor faucets to bypass the water treatment system.  I left one outdoor faucet connected to the water treatment system for using filtered and softened water outdoors.

Well Head Characteristics

The well permit on file with the county health department shows the well was drilled by M&R Well Drilling.

M&R Well Drilling
1486 New Bridge Road
Cleveland GA 30528
706-865-3286

On 30 Nov 2018 14:00, a representative at M&R Well Drilling 706-865-3286 provided the following verbal well report:

Well Depth: 325 feet
Well Casing: 115 feet
GPM: 20
Diameter: 6 inches

Well Head Maintenance 2019:
New Pump Installer:  American Water Services, Inc. (F.K.A. Freeman Electric & Pump Systems)
New Pump: 1HP 2 Wire 10GPM Submersible well pump STA
New Pump Depth: 280 feet
New Pump Install Date: 2-20-2019
New Pump Wire Splice: 60 feet of 10/2 stranded copper
New Sanitary Casing and Concrete Pad Install Date: 2-26-2019

Here are some photos of the actual equipment.