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

There are several important aspects to be considered when checking the condition of the well:

• The well cover must be tight-fitting and intact to prevent small animals or surface or meltwater 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.
• The inside of the well should be clean, and there should be no runoff marks indicating that rain, surface or meltwater has seeped inside.
• The water in the well should be clear and free of debris.

You should also inspect the surroundings of the well. Pay attention to ground depressions which may damage the structures of the well or form pools of rain or meltwater. At the construction stage, the land around the well should be contoured so that it slopes away from the well, taking rain and meltwater with it.

The quality of the well water should be analysed at least every three years. This is important, as wells can be exposed to surface and meltwaters, especially in the spring.

Well water should also be analysed if:

• the colour, taste or odour of the water has notably changed;
• it is suspected that the well water poses a health hazard;
• the water has not been used for a long time.

The analysis can only be carried out in a laboratory. The well owner is responsible for getting the water analysed. 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

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