Are insects doing the backstroke in your North Barrington well water?

Do you want to think about insects swimming in
your North Barrington well water? Probably not.

Would you enjoy a glass of water knowing that, a short time before you drank it, an earwig was doing the backstroke in your glass? Of course not. This is why the well out behind your North Barrington home has a cap on top.

The cap on top of your well is designed to keep bugs out, as well as contaminated standing water on the surface of the ground. The well cap is sealed to ensure bugs and standing water don’t get in. The seal can even, potentially, keep water out if there is flooding.

Just as you wouldn’t want a bug swimming in the glass of water you drink, you wouldn’t go out back and scoop up a glass of water from your North Barrington yard for a drink. It’s filthy. Who knows what’s in it, starting with the potential for bacteria and insects.

Obviously, the well cap and its seal are important components of your well system. This is why, when you have your well inspected, the well technician doesn’t just check the electronics, the charge in the well tank, and the operation of the well pump. They also check the quality of the water in your well. And, they check the well cap and its seal.

Most wellheads extend up from the ground a sufficient distance so that standing water, and flood water, are unlikely to rise to that level. However, if you’ve allowed debris to pile up around the wellhead, insects may find it more tempting to test your well cap’s seal. It’s a good idea to keep the area around your well head, and well cap, clear.

If you do have an infestation of insects in your well, a well technician will have to flush the pressure tank and hot water tank. They’ll have to remove insect parts and eggs from filters, faucet aerators, showerheads and anywhere else where the bugs have had access. Then, they’ll have to disinfect the well and water system. With an infestation or bacteria, they may have to do this more than once. Until they’re done, however, you could be drinking water with insects and bacteria.

The best way to ensure that bugs and bacteria aren’t making a home in the well water you drink, bath in and use around the house is to have your North Barrington well system inspected and chlorinated annually. With the winter approaching, this is a good time now.