In 1972, it was mandated that developers provide proof of adequate water supply that was available and the “quality, quantity and dependability was sufficient” (Guide to Colorado Well Permits, 2012). The State Engineers office then reviews this and decides whether there is adequate water supply. The El Paso County Regulation Board states that a developer must be able to prove enough water for 300 years. Developers do not need to prove that the water is actually capable of being extracted from an aquifer. Only a little over half of the water in the Denver Basin System is capable of being removed.
Quality
Residents in El Paso County can get their water tested for bacteria and other levels by collecting a sample. You can obtain and drop off a test kit at : The El Paso County Public Health 1675 West Garden of the Gods Road, Suite 2044 Colorado Springs, CO 80907 (719) 578-3120 MAP or you may pick up the kit at: Falcon Fire Station #3 (Bacteriological and Inorganic Anions) 7030 Old Meridian Road Falcon, CO 80831 719-495-4050 MAP (Samples must be returned to El Paso County Public Health Laboratory - see above)
Calculating The Flow Rate For A Well Generally speaking, the flow rate of a well is defined by the rate, measured in gallons per minute, that water can be extracted from the well. Measuring this calculation is a fairly simple task as long as you don't have a combination well pump and pressure tank. If you simply need to calculate the flow rate for a standard well, then follow these three steps:
Measure the flow of the well into a bucket.
Be sure to time the flow using an accurate stopwatch.
Divide the gallon size of the bucket by the number of seconds it took for the bucket to be filled, then multiply by 60. This will give you the flow rate measured in gallons per minute (gpm).
Let's say that you used a five-gallon bucket and that the bucket was filled in 45 seconds. Using the formula outlined above, your well flow rate would be: 5 gallons divided by 45 seconds x 60 = 6.6 gallons per minute.
If you have a well with a well pump and pressure tank, then you will need to use a different tactic.
Open a faucet until the pump turns on.
As soon as the pump turns on, close the faucet so that the pump can fill up the pressure tank. Once the pump has turned back off, begin step three.
Open the faucet into a five-gallon bucket (you may need more than one bucket). Measure the entirety of the water discharge before the pump turns back on.
As soon as the pump turns on, shut the faucet and use a stopwatch to time the pump cycle.
Make a note of the pump cycle time (round to the nearest second) once the pump has turned back off.
Divide the total number of gallons collected in step three by the number of seconds calculated in step five.
Multiply your answer from step six by 60 to calculate the average pumping capacity, or flow rate, of the pump in gallons per minute.
