Summer cottage season is almost here – check the condition of your well

There are several important aspects to be considered. The well cover must be tight-fitting and intact to prevent small animals or surface or melt water from getting inside the well. It is a good idea to have a lock on the well cover to reduce the risk of vandalism. The external and internal structures of the well should be in good condition when checked visually, the seams should be tight, and the frost insulation should be in place.

When inspecting the surroundings of the well, you should pay attention to ground depressions which may damage the structures of the well or form pools of rain or melt water. At the construction stage, the land around the well should be contoured so that it slopes away from the well, taking rain and melt water with it.

The inside of the well should be clean, and there should be no runoff marks indicating that rain, surface or melt water has seeped inside. The water in the well should be clear and free of debris. 

It is important to get the well water analysed regularly, especially in the spring, when wells can be exposed to melt and surface waters. The analysis can only be carried out in a laboratory. The well owner is responsible for getting the water analysed.

Espoo Region Environmental Health Services advises well owners to get their well water analysed at least every three years. The water should also be analysed if the colour, taste or odour of the water has changed or if it is suspected that the well water poses a health hazard. You should also get the water analysed if the well has not been used for a long time. You should avoid drinking suspicious well water until it has been analysed in a laboratory.

Further information:

espoo.fi/en/housing-and-building/environmental-health-services/domestic-water-drinking-water

https://www.vesi.fi/vesitieto/kaivon-huolto/(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish)