Evergreen homes with wells (foreclosure, house, purchasing)

[coorbust]

We're moving to Evergreen and are concerned about purchasing a home with a well. (we are looking for a house with some land--at least 1/2 acre) I've read some articles about water shortage issues and found that it's impossible to know how long your supply will last. Any info on wells in the area would be greatly appreciated!

[2bindenver]

sometimes you have a good one, and sometimes you have to dig a new one.

sometimes the older a well is the more likely it is to continue to produce, and sometimes that is not true.

That is one reason you get the well/septic tested prior to closing.

There are no guarantees.

[Consider_Again]

Originally Posted by coorbust

We're moving to Evergreen and are concerned about purchasing a home with a well. (we are looking for a house with some land--at least 1/2 acre) I've read some articles about water shortage issues and found that it's impossible to know how long your supply will last. Any info on wells in the area would be greatly appreciated!

When we bought in Conifer, just south of Evergreen, the home inspection included a well test. The inspector tested flow rate and time till the well goes empty (the well should replenish itself if/when it quits flowing under constant use).

The inspector said anything over 6 gpm was acceptable and our well ran 9.4 gpm. The inspector ran the well full open for two hours and it did not decrease in production. At the two hour mark, he called it good. We never had a water issue in the three years we were there; two adults, three cats and a small flower garden.

We had Geowater Services in Evergreen test our water for purity. They have a standard test for biological and heavy metal contaminates. I recommend this test before you buy. Most everyone on a well has some sort of water purification system for potable water. We had a four-element reverse osmosis system under the kitchen sink. For showers/teeth brushing/clothes washing we used what come out of the ground; always cold, clear and crisp.

Good luck

[High Altitude]

Get it tested for flow and quality.

In almost 5 years in Evergreen we have not had any problems. We test yearly and have had zero problems. The water is clean and tasty and flows plenty. It is rare to hear from people with problem wells but it does happen so there is always a risk. There are areas in Evergreen on city water so it is always an option.

Once you are on well water, you will be able to smell and taste the chemicals in city tap water.

Kind of makes you wonder......................

[ottodog]

Good thread. Me being slightly new to this "mountain living" have noticed a few things when it comes to well water.

We do have a softnener & filter but the water seems to be a little cloudy or effervesant(sp), but seems to clear in a few seconds. Taste is great but seems a little funny at first. I gues this could be the soft water, and have nothing to do with the well.

I've also noticed on one occasion when I was changing the water in the hot tub, the pump tripped the breaker after about 4 hrs or so. When I reset the breaker, it seemed like it was having trouble getting water. This was a few months ago and it has been fine since. Maybe it just takes time to replenish itself??

Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread. Just need some input from other well users.

[BowMarPizza]

Hello all,

We just bought a little cabin in Evergreen (Brook Forest), we are on a well and septic. We purchased the cabin 'as is' foreclosure from the bank and were not able to test the well or septic prior to closing. The property was 'winterized' during the winter. We just took ownership and had the property 'dewinterized' only to find that the water would not turn on. The plumber believed that one of the pipes next to the 'well switch' inside the home may be frozen and that we should have constant heat (space heaters) running on it until it melted the ice. We have done that for a constant week and cannot get the water to run. After speaking with our new neighbors we were told that our cabin is known to have problems with freezing and that in the past the previous owners have had to call out a well company to send a "shock" from the well to the switch to melt the ice in the plumbing. Granted, I am probably not explaining this correctly, I am a city girl and I'm used to just turning on a faucet and water magically appearing. I was wondering if anyone knows a reputable company in the Evergreen area to call, and if someone could possibly educate me further so that when they arrive I'm not taken advantage of for being 'well ignorant'. Thanks for any help! Beth

[cvinny25]

Hi Beth,
That certainly doesn't sound like a fun situation. I'm surprised your Realtor didn't arrange to de-winterize the home for the inspection. All banks will allow you to do that prior to moving forward. You just have to pay for it and possibly pay to winterize if you walk away. If there was a problem, the bank may have fixed it prior to closing as it's a "material defect" they wouldn't want to own. I'm sorry you had this experience.

To answer your question, I suggest 2 plumbers to help you.
Blue Sky Heating and Plumbing at 303-421-2161
Weber Plumbing, Justin Weber: (303) 917-5703

Hope this helps.
Please let them know you were referred by Chris Vinci of da Vinci Realty as I know these plumbers well.