Water, water, where?

We're on a well shared by four families. Pete said he pays $10-15 a month for water. Water is free, the $$ goes towards well/pump maintenance account. Anything over and beyond that, the neighbor comes asking for $$. This summer I get to re-insulate the well house and we're thinking that one of the storage tanks is needing to be replaced. Don't want to let the pump go into disrepair, the well itself is over 1200' deep.

We're also on septic. I guess we're pretty lucky, the tank has never had to be pumped in the 15 years the house has been here. And thanks to hydropower, 2.5 cent a KwH electricity. Our house is all electric. I've pretty much stopped using the dryer, I hang the clothes and put a small fan on them, they dry in a couple hours. Come warm weather, I'm gonna hang them outside. We did buy a small, two person spa. That is 10% of our monthly bill (about 100 a month). Water saving front loader Bosch washing machine and i use the dishwasher for storage.

Irrigation water is practically free as well, just a yearly fee to the irrigation district.
 
DeeG said:
We're also on septic. I guess we're pretty lucky, the tank has never had to be pumped in the 15 years the house has been here.
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Dee, does this mean that you have never had a problem, or that you have had the tank checked (or have checked it yourself) and it doesn't need pumping?

A septic system reduces most of what you put in to it into soluble stuff, which then exits into the leaching field dissolved in the water. However, some solids remain and collect in the tank. If the tank gets full and these solids then get washed into the leaching field, you are looking at a big bill to rehab or replace the leaching field.

After 15 years I would certainly want someone to open up the tank and check for solid levels.

-Skip
 
smigaldi said:
Well it depends on the rocks. A lot of times the water does not actually go straight down from your septic. It may travel many miles before it finally gets into the aquafir. I know from cave diving in northern Florida that the water does get pretty clean. Zepherhills water just takes it straight out of the springs. The very springs I am diving in and ...well you know ;).
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Note to self: Do not buy Zephyrhills water....
 
wsuffa said:
Mike,

I pulled out an old bill here. 17,000 gallons in 3 months, almost 6,000 gallons a month. There's some outside use in there (as it spans back to autumn), but not a ton.

4,000 gallons in a month is not out of line.
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Are you kidding? 4000 gallons of fresh water a month for a man and his dog is ridiculous.
 
TMetzinger said:
Just got my water bill today. 27,000 gallons for two adults, one child (4) and two cats. That's 9000 gallons per month, 300 per day. Mine has historical data on it to and it's consistent over the past year. I KNOW we don't have any water leaks because I've got a flow and pressure gauge where the supply enters the house and when the faucets are shut the flow is zero, and pressure remains constant when the water is shut off at the street.
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You're totally average. In Lake County (where Mike lives) the planned-for consumption rate is 350 gallons per household per day (with an average household a hair over 3 persons).

All those flushes, showers, handwashes, dishwashers and especially a water softener that recharges daily will eat up plenty of water.
 
Pjsmith said:
You're totally average. In Lake County (where Mike lives) the planned-for consumption rate is 350 gallons per household per day (with an average household a hair over 3 persons).

All those flushes, showers, handwashes, dishwashers and especially a water softener that recharges daily will eat up plenty of water.
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No water softener. We get lake water.

I shouldn't have that much. I don't even water the lawn. I DID also wash and hose down the deck in there somewhere, which may be another big use.

What's the flow rate of a hose hookup?
 
Skip Miller said:
Dee, does this mean that you have never had a problem, or that you have had the tank checked (or have checked it yourself) and it doesn't need pumping?

A septic system reduces most of what you put in to it into soluble stuff, which then exits into the leaching field dissolved in the water. However, some solids remain and collect in the tank. If the tank gets full and these solids then get washed into the leaching field, you are looking at a big bill to rehab or replace the leaching field.

After 15 years I would certainly want someone to open up the tank and check for solid levels.

-Skip
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Skip,

The tank has been here since the house was put in 15 ago. I've been here for 8 years and I KNOW its never even been looked at. Pete does things weird, he over engineers everything. I'm guessing the tank was designed for a house of 6 and there are only 2 living here. And we don't use that much water. No dishwasher, no garbage disposal, the only solids that go in there is what gets flushed.

Leach field is pretty big and is on a hill side, and if we had to check the tank, I'm not even sure where to look for the lid........:dunno:
 
DeeG said:
The tank has been here since the house was put in 15 ago. I've been here for 8 years and I KNOW its never even been looked at. Pete does things weird, he over engineers everything. I'm guessing the tank was designed for a house of 6 and there are only 2 living here. And we don't use that much water. No dishwasher, no garbage disposal, the only solids that go in there is what gets flushed.
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I have owned my house since it was new 15 years ago so I know how big a tank they put in. It is huge. I had it pumped at 6 years and the guy who pumped it said that I could go much longer next time. That was when there were 2 people living here. Now there is only me, and I'm not always here. The only solids I put down there is what I flush. I figure I can go for at least 10 years this time. :fcross:
 
We just got a notice from the village yesterday that they detected a possible leak based on their monitoring. Checked, and yup, a couple of toilets are leaking. Today the sewage bill came in and we've been billed for 5400 gallons for the past month for 2 people and a cat. Water softener (once a week), dishwasher, and clothes.
 
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