Installing Backup Storage on a Shared Well

[Blade_Beam]

I'm hoping someone could help me with this.

We moved into a home on a shared well system approximately 5 months ago. The system is entirely overbuilt for the community, but has been inconsistent. They installed six 5hp wells for 24 homes. As far as I know, there is no pressure tank or storage tank in the main system. They have had problems for several years as the builders installed the system with the inappropriate schedule piping, causing various leaks. They recently moved well controls and electronics out of a pit into a new box and with the first cold weather, the pressure pipe froze, which has been corrected. About once every 1-2 months we will lose water pressure/service for approximately a day.

When we do have service, the pressure is great (average 50 psi, usually between 40-60, but closer to 50-55), but can dip with heavy usage. I'd like to install a storage tank backup/booster for when service does go down and to not rely strictly on the wells pumping to maintain pressure and service. Our current usage is low, ~100 gal per day, but will grow as I have 2 young children. I'm looking to install something like a 250 gal storage tank to start as it is going in a basement and expand if needed.

Right now the only way I can figure it to work is to install a float valve to start and stop the water main inlet to fill the tank as needed and to run pressure to the house through a booster pump and pressure tank, but it seems pretty inefficient. I don't know if there's a way to use the well system's pressure to push water through a tank so it won't get stagnant, but only have the boost pump kick on if the pressure gets below a certain point.

We do have an iron reducer, whole house filter and water softener. I don't know if it would benefit to run straight from the main inlet, go through the iron reducer first, iron reducer and filter first, or wait until after it goes through the softener before being stored either. I plan on installing a UV disinfectant filter to limit the risk of bacteria that could grow if it sits too long.

Sorry for the long post, but I don't know if anyone has any ideas.

 

[LLigetfa]

I would run the water through the filters and softener before filling the storage tank for two reasons. First it would be best to have clean soft iron free water sit in storage and second, all of the water conditioning equipment has limited service flow rates. An inline UV is flow rate limited as well.

I would not try to utilize the shared well pressure in the home but rather have a non-pressurized storage tank and use my own pump with CSV to provide the volume and constant pressure needed.

 

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[Valveman]

They installed six 5hp wells for 24 homes. As far as I know, there is no pressure tank or storage tank in the main system. They have had problems for several years as the builders installed the system with the inappropriate schedule piping, causing various leaks. They recently moved well controls and electronics out of a pit into a new box and with the first cold weather, the pressure pipe froze, which has been corrected. About once every 1-2 months we will lose water pressure/service for approximately a day.

When we do have service, the pressure is great (average 50 psi, usually between 40-60, but closer to 50-55), but can dip with heavy usage.

Six 5HP wells, no pressure tank, electronics, various leaks and problems, outages for a day or so, but when it works, it works great. Sounds like those 5HP well pumps are being controlled by a VFD? When they work, they work great, but VFD's give lots of problems like you mention.

You can use a toilet type float valve to fill the cistern tank. Then a booster pump with a CSV1A or a PK1A complete kit would deliver the pressure needed for the house. You can get a VFD controlled booster pump if you want to have even more problems. A CSV was made to replace VFD's, and would make the 5HP well pumps so dependable you wouldn't need your own booster system.

 

[LLigetfa]

They have had problems for several years as the builders installed the system with the inappropriate schedule piping, causing various leaks...

When a VFD goes bad it can output enough pressure to blow any reasonably spec'd pipe so it may not have been inappropriate but of course pointing the finger is easier than accepting the blame.