Water well and pump companies are always looking for ways to discern themselves from their competition, and those that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award are already several steps ahead. In addition to its Diamond Certified status, Jerry and Don’s Yager Pump and Well Service differentiates itself by providing 24/7 emergency repairs for wells, pump systems, storage tanks and more–a comprehensive approach to customer satisfaction that many of its competitors don’t have the resources to match. “Our main focus is providing round-the-clock service,” confirms partner Jim Mickelson. “We always have a technician on hand who can repair anything that moves water out of the ground and up to a fixture, from pipes and pumps to all types of water treatment equipment.”

Jerry and Don’s Yager Pump and Well Service has been installing, upgrading, repairing and rebuilding wells and pump systems for residential, commercial and agricultural clients throughout the North Bay for more than 55 years. The company has two locations in Sonoma County, one in the north and one in the south, so it’s able to offer faster response times than most of its competitors. It also maintains an extensive inventory of repair parts in its service trucks, so each job can usually be completed in a single call, which reduces costs for clients. “Our service trucks stock just about everything needed for residential service and repairs, and we can almost always get a temporary fix in place within one day for commercial and agricultural systems,” adds Mr. Mickelson.

Another distinguishing feature of Jerry and Don’s Yager Pump and Well Service is the vast amount of industry experience possessed by its owners and technicians–two of three partners have been working in the well industry for more than 30 years, and most employees have been with the firm for more than a decade. “We bring a wealth of experience to the table,” says Mr. Mickelson. “Not only do we have experienced crews and an extensive inventory of parts, but we have records on every property we’ve worked on since 1970. If we’ve ever worked on a system, even if it was before a person owned it, we know exactly how to make it operate at its peak efficiency.”

Before deciding to drill a well, make sure you carefully consider your everyday water needs. There are various reasons for drilling a well on a residential property—some people build homes in rural areas and need independent water supplies, while others simply wish to adhere to more environmentally-friendly lifestyles. Whatever your motivation for drilling a well, it’s important to first determine your specific water needs and plan your water supply before any work begins.

When drilling a well, you’re essentially exploring underground to determine the quantity and quality of available water. Totally dry holes are uncommon, but low-yielding wells are more common than you might think. Some causes of low yield include a low natural or seasonal water table, interference with other wells (in a subdivision, for example) and various geological conditions. The type of material beneath the ground surface can tell you how successful you may be in obtaining a suitable water supply. Contact a professional drilling contractor who has experience in the area and can tell you what to expect. Also, neighbors should be able to tell you about quantity and quality.

Make sure the available water supply can sufficiently meet the following needs:

Everyday use: Drinking, cooking and water for plumbing (toilets, bathtubs, showers, automatic washers, dishwashers and many other water-using automatic appliances)

Seasonal use: Lawn and garden watering, car washing and swimming pools

Other special uses: Animal watering, crop irrigation and water treatment devices that require backwashing

Fire protection: Your local fire department usually has access to large quantities of water from non-drinkable ponds or other surface sources.

A day’s use of water may be concentrated into a period of one to two hours, often in different areas of the house at the same time (laundry, bathroom, lawn). Your water supply system must be able to meet this type of peak demand. A conservative estimate is that an average home requires about 150 to 300 gallons per day to meet the needs of two to four people. To determine how much water is enough, consider the following factors:

Flow rate: The continuous rate of yield for the well.

Size: The diameter and depth of the well.

Static level: The level at which water stands in the well when no water is being pumped.

The actual location of your well will often be determined by factors other than geology, such as land surface features (steep slopes) and poorly drained areas. Whenever possible, wells should be located at higher elevations than their surrounding areas to decrease the potential for contamination. Also, your well should be located and maintained so it’s accessible for cleaning, treatment, repair, testing, inspection and other activities which may be necessary over time.

Maintain the following distances from the wellhead, unless other state or local codes and regulations prescribe more stringent standards:

• Cesspool (receiving raw sewage): 200 feet
• Pit, privy, filter bed: 50 feet
• Septic tank, tile sewer, foundation drain: 50 feet
• Iron sewer with approved mechanical joints: 10 feet
• Pumphouse floor drain: 2 feet
• Property boundary: 5 feet
• Outer boundary of any road: 20 feet
• Landfill, garbage dump: 200 feet

Q: Do you provide emergency services?

A: Yes. We have a technician on call 24/7, with a backup on hand in case the technician gets busy.

Q: How long will it take to get my system back up and running?

A: We can almost always repair residential systems the same day, usually in one visit. For commercial and agricultural systems, we can usually get a temporary fix in place that same day, but we often have to order parts for those systems, so the permanent fix may take several days.

Q: What types of water pumps do you install?

A: We install only the highest quality pumps manufactured by companies that have been in business for more than 100 years. We have most leading brands in-stock, including Goulds, Grundfos, Hydromatic, Jacuzzi and Myers. We also maintain one of the largest inventories of water system parts, which saves our customers time and money.

Q: Are your technicians qualified to perform all types of well and water treatment work?

A: Absolutely. Our pump technicians take great pride in their work and will provide you with the highest quality service. They’re kept abreast of the latest products and technology by attending ongoing training seminars and trade shows.

Q: Do you provide any warranties?

A: We provide a one-year warranty on all our workmanship. Warranties on materials vary with the manufacturers, but they usually run between one and five years.