Is there sand in your Inverness well water and what should you do about it?

You expect a little sand in the water when you go to
the beach. But, you don't want sand in your Inverness
well water.

You’ve grown accustomed to the pure, clear water that is delivered by your Inverness well. You’ve even shown it off to friends who visit, who often have homes served by city water. You proudly point out that your private well delivers fresh and delicious water without the monthly invoice from the city. But, lately, you’ve started noticing that there is sand in your water.

The sand in your water will soon clog the aerators of your faucets. Already, the water pressure seems to have dropped at some of the faucets. What’s this all about? Why would sand suddenly find its way into your well water?

There are several reasons why you would find sand in your water, including:

• The well pump is set too close to the bottom of the well and is, therefore, sucking up sand as it pulls in water.
• The well pump isn’t sized correctly; it’s too strong and is pulling sand from the bottom of the well.
• The well screen is beyond its prime and is allowing sand to filter into the well water. The well screen is a casing installed at the time that your well was drilled. It has spaces to allow water into the well but, overtime, it can lose its integrity.
• The well tank is waterlogged, the bladder is ruptured, or the tank has the wrong charge causing the pump to surge the well.

With the first of these issues, the problem was probably apparent early on. In other words, you aren’t as likely to find sand suddenly appearing in your water. However, if the well screen begins to lose its mojo, begins clogging, it’s liable to do so gradually and over time. A problem with the well tank is also liable to come on and get worse over time (it’s vital that you fix this promptly as it’s likely to cause your well pump to burn out quickly).

To address the problem, you can add a screen filter. Depending on the grade of the sand, different filter mesh is available to address the sand prevalent in your well. These filters are generally installed after the well tank. They also have a valve to drain off the sand.

Sand in your Inverness well is a nuisance. But, more than that, the sand can cause problems with your well equipment and your fixtures. It’s a good idea to address the issue of sand in your well water before you have more reason to do so.