how to gauge if the old well is in good order ?

Im not sure if this is the correct place to ask this question :
here goes :

we need to get the well checked on the property that we bought in northern spain.
Initial reports tell us that the well is 35 meters deep with 29 meters of water in it.
It hasnt been used for 3 decades so im wondering what this initial info can tell us about the well and the availability of water in it.
im not that worried about quality at this stage but does this give us any indication about the need to maybe dig a new well ?

many thanks in advance
rosie

Hi Rosie; you said that you were not worried about the water quality at this stage ? I would think that good drinking water would be most important ! After 30 years your well probably has debris in it , but I can see no reason your quantity would have gone down. I would have the water tested and if it tests good for consumption I would just start using it. Is this an open well ? or a drilled sealed well ? An open one might have to be pumped to remove any debris from it. 35 meters is not that deep , your water table may not be able to supply all your water needs but if its drinkable you can start with it and dig/drill a new well as you can afford it. If your water is contaminated then you may need to use it for non consumption needs and dig/drill a new deeper well for drinking water. Bottom line is TEST for human consumption , if it passes use it ! Enjoy your new property Tom

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the speedy reply. Yes of course we will have it tested for human consumption but I just have this info about depth and water levels so I thought Id throw it out there into the knowledgeable permie world and see what Id get back !!
The well is an open well but covered in a small shed, complete with old heavy Iron pump mechanics that would be really cool to restore (?) the land is situated down the mountain from a water bottling plant so Im optimistic that it will be enough for our needs. How is this ascertained ? more tests ?
Thanks again Tom
Regards
Rosie

I think the only way to tell if it's adequate is to watch the levels during August. I'm based in Portugal and a lot of the wells run dry during a bad summer. Ours has never been known to dry out completely, though twice in living memory a very large rock appears on one side. It's knows as one of the most reliable wells in the area. And I think that might be the key - ask the neighbours! They will know better than any test you can do.

Edit to add, I'd love to see a photo with the pump apparatus. Mine has a defunct donkey-powered device for raising the water. Is yours anything like that?

Good idea Burra
we will do this the next time we are there.
here are some pics of the well and pump , as you can see quite old !
Do you have photos of your pump ?

That's rather beautiful. How is it powered?

Here's mine...

wow thats somthing else !!
is it still working ? I see a green pipe slinking its way down the well !
Im not sure how our was powered, there is old electrical boxes in the same shed so maybe over the years it went from the iron to electrical powered.
my knowledge of these things is less than zilch !

It needs a bit of work to bring it back into use. A bit of welding here and there, a whole set of new buckets on the chain, the pipework under the donkey track needs replacing, and the tank leaks. Hence the green pipe attached to an electric pump. Can't do everything at once. It's fun learning about it all and doing what we can though!