Very OT: Filling a pool from a shallow well.

Submitted by Blueisgood on

Here is something else to discuss/help me with besides all this expansion stuff. I bought one of the small inflatable pools from Intex for my wife and kid this summer. I'm trying to fill it but I have a shallow well and its making me nervous. I only need like 900 gallons, but the pool filling places I called can only bring a minimum of 4500 gallons. Not sure what I should do. I go out and fill it for about 15 minutes and then let it sit for 30 minutes, but I'm still nervous, and at this rate its going to take a long time to fill. Any suggestions?

Steve in PA

June 10th, 2010 at 2:38 PM ^

One of my many jobs during college was building swimming pools.  Most, if not all Fire Depts will fill a pool for a "donation".  We advised people not to use them since most were filling their trucks with water from local creeks or streams for pools.  Ones that use city water are much better because it takes a very minimal amount of chemicals to get it to pool levels.

I wouldn't use the well especially as we're coming into the dry season unless where you are at doesn't get dry in late summer.  

 

Good luck.

gomaize11

June 10th, 2010 at 2:48 PM ^

Via WikiHow:

Call the local fire department, many times they will fill [the pool] for a donation.

http://www.wikihow.com/Fill-in-an-Inground-Pool

As far as filling up from a well, this guy at Yahoo Answers sounds pretty knowledgeable:

Your well always has water running into it. When it is full, that small flow does little or nothing to stir up the sediment on the bottom. When the level in the well gets low enough, the water flowing into your well stirs up the sediment.

Filling a pool from a well is time-consuming when done right.
If you can measure the well water depth(as in a dug well), try not to pump out more that 1/2 the water at any one time.
It should take several days to fill a pool with a well, a couple hundred gallons at a time. For first time filling, I recommend getting your water trucked in. Then just use your well to top off when evaporation, or splash out occurs.
Good luck.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1006041320162

FWIW, we used to have an above ground pool when I was a kid. I remember we would fill it from the well, it just took a long time. But I was a kid, and it felt like everything took a long time.

mgomiller

June 10th, 2010 at 4:50 PM ^

Your well may or may not be able to fill your pool in one shot.  If it doesn't the water will return, but how fast it returns depends on what type of geology your well is drilled or driven into.  Some shallow wells produce a heck of a lot of water.  If you're still weary after reading this, call a well driller and have them do a sustainable yield test.

jimmn

March 6th, 2018 at 4:16 AM ^

Hey there, I advised people not to use them since most were filling their trucks with water from local creeks or streams for pools.  Ones that use city water are much better because it takes a very minimal amount of chemicals to get it to pool levels.

Jim Visit Thebestabovegroundpools.com