NOTE:  Nothing should be stored in or near the wellhouse or wellhead - particularly any gas, oil, or chemicals (e.g., paint, fertilizers, cleaning supplies, etc) that could contaminate the water supply.  This includes parked vehicles.  No fertilizer or pesticides should be used within a 25 foot radius of the wellhead or wellhouse.  Remember - unless you want to drink it, don't use it near the wellhouse or wellhead!

General Information:

Your house receives water from one of 7 wells within the neighborhood, each of which serve 6 homes.  Each well is separate and distinct from the others and serves ONLY the 6 homes on its line.

Your water costs are included in the annual homeowner dues, which also incorporate anticipated maintenance needs for the year.

There are four well houses that contain the pumps and reservoirs for the 7 wells.  Well houses with more than one well contain separate equipment for each well – there is no sharing of systems or equipment.  Some wells may have a reservoir to compensate for slower recovery time.

The depth of each well differs depending on the depth of the water table at that location.

The pumping capacity of each well is different.  Some have more pressure and recover faster or slower than others.

All wells provide potable water with the exception of the irrigation well (well house A) which is not connected to any homes.  It serves only the front entrance area irrigation system.

Wells are inspected and tested annually per Pierce County regulations.  A copy of the latest inspection/test results are available from JC Higgins.

Capacity:

The wells are designed to provide adequate water and pressure for normal household human consumption. 

They are not designed, nor do they have capacity, to provide unlimited water for irrigation systems.  If the homes on your system use excessive amounts of water for non-consumption purposes, you (and the houses on your well system) will run out of water.  You will be out of water until the system can recover.  This may be minutes or hours.

If you choose to irrigate or water your landscaping, you will need to schedule your irrigation times with your fellow well-users to allow enough capacity and recovery time.   Irrigation use is always a lower priority than household consumption needs.  You may be asked to stop or reduce your use of irrigation water if your well cannot keep up with demand.

Maintenance:

Each well system is flushed once per quarter to clean the main lines and remove any impurities that may have accumulated in the lines.  A map of the well system flush-out points is here.  The map also shows which well houses serve which Lots.  A schedule of the well flushing is posted in the mailbox area and updated regularly on the calendar.

The Well Committee provides maintenance  of the well systems and well houses, including turning on/off heaters and replacing light bulbs.  Homeowners are responsible for general cleaning - this includes sweeping, removing spiderwebs, keeping the exterior clear of debris or weeds.  A checklist for recommended semi-annual cleaning and inspection is included for your reference.

You are responsible to learn about your well if you use water – and you should understand how your well system works in case of emergencies.  A member of the Well Committee will be happy to teach you about your well.  The website has a list of current members.

Emergencies:

The wells are subject to normal emergencies; loss of power, equipment failure, popped breakers, weather-related damage, etc.  If you feel there is an emergency, use the following checklist and take appropriate action.

Power:  Power outages are rare and when the power is interrupted, there will be no water to your home. 

• Each well house is wired to accommodate a generator if power is lost.  The power panel accepts a standard 240v generator plug.  A Well Committee member can show you how to hook up a generator if you are interested in being prepared and have access to a generator.

• There are no generators specifically for the wells provided by the association per decisions made in past Board and Homeowner meetings.  This will not change.

• Each set of homeowners served by a well has either purchased a common generator for their well house or uses a generator provided by one of the homeowners on a temporary basis.

No water:  If you have power and are not receiving water, there are several steps you can take.

• Ensure your household water is turned on.

• Go to your well house and reset any popped breakers.  Note if there is water in the storage tanks.

• Contact a Well Committee member and describe the situation.  In the case of water use in excess of well capacity, you will have to wait until the system recovers.

• Contact JC Higgins, who will contact the Board or Well Committee

Recommendations to minimize the effects of water interruptions:

• Learn how to troubleshoot your well system.  Contact a Well Committee member PRIOR to an emergency to learn how to fix minor problems.  Well Committee members are listed on the website.

• Although weather-related power losses are very rare, if bad weather (particularly high winds) are in the forecast, fill your bathtub with water before the power goes out.   This allows you to flush toilets and have water for non-potable needs until power is restored.

• Keep a gallon or two of drinking water on hand in the fridge or pantry for short-term emergency uses.

• Learn who (on your well system) has a generator and learn how to connect it.

• Identify a neighbor NOT on your well system that can provide water if there is an equipment failure in your wellhouse.  Problems are addressed as quickly as possible, but sometimes you may have to run a hose from the neighbor or borrow a pail of water to tide you over until repairs can be made.

Well information:

Please contact a committee member if you have any trouble or would like to volunteer to assist with the well systems.