What Should I Know About a Shared Well Before I Agree to One with My Neighbor?

There’s an old saying, “you can live without riches, you can live without honor, you can live without love, but you cannot live without water”.

Water is not just a commodity – it’s a fundamental requirement of life and advancement. Safe, reliable water can mean the difference between prosperity and poverty, health and – everything else.

The Situation Today

While we’ve left behind the days of lawless shootouts, disputes between well users continue to generate headlines, especially in subdivisions where more than one homeowner draws water from the same source. Although the idea of shared wells might appear to be a saving in money, thought should be given to long-term problems.

At first glance, shared wells might appear to be a reasonable plan to skimping on costs. But differences in water consumption be-tween in droughts or dry seasons: ween users can place strain on relationships and cause conflicts. There are also joint responsibilities for maintaining and upgrading it. Changes to contract or new parties can complicate matters, and leave homeowners potentially exposed to costs they were not even aware contained.

Is Shared Water Well Worth It?

Water is also not always accessible especially when properties have little space for infrastructure. A conflict could be over easements or encroachments, which can impact property values and plans for development.

And sometimes varying residency status among the owners can make things messier. Arguments over costs, like pump replacements or power bills, can spiral out of control, creating tension between people and their wallets.

Shared wells also need a dependable power source that becomes a matter of lawsuit if one party’s dereliction can be proved by another. Delays or disagreements regarding power bills can affect everyone’s access to water and make everyone involved angry and with additional costs.

However, the question of whether a shared water well is a more cost-effective option is balanced by the effects of a shared well on you and/or your property, as the cost of operating a well is balanced off after many years.

When your house has its own well, you are the master of your water use and maintenance making it your water that you use and no more water arguing with other households. In addition, having a well is a guarantee of an independent access to water, no matter what happens, or even if neighbors are at odds. Over the course of time the security and freedom of a private well outweighs the upfront cost.

Don’t you want to have your own private water supply? If the answer is not, get in touch with Boylan Water Well Service & Supply now.