Well Pump and Water System Service
Intake pumps, storage and pressure for raw water.
About this serviceGreater Houston
Plumbers in Wallis, Texas
Canal water runs past a lot of properties out here for part of the year. It is a legitimate resource for irrigation and stock, and the one rule around it does not bend: it never touches the water the house drinks.
Scheduled and emergency service · Wallis · Austin County
- 24/7 dispatch, holidays included
- Same-day and emergency response
Two systems that must never meet
Canal water is untreated surface water carrying silt, agricultural runoff and whatever is upstream of you. Used on a field or a pasture that is entirely appropriate. Anywhere near the potable system it is a contamination route, and the separation has to be physical rather than procedural.
That means no shared pipework, no valve arrangement that could connect them, and no hose used for both. Where a household wants the option of topping up a tank from either source, it is done with an air gap: the supply discharges above the rim of the tank with a visible break, so nothing can travel backwards under any circumstance.
The common mistake is a convenient tee with a valve, installed by somebody who intended to be careful. A closed valve is not separation, because valves pass and people forget, and an inspector or a supplier finding one will treat it seriously.
Outside taps deserve the same attention. Every bib on the potable system needs a vacuum breaker, particularly on a property where hoses end up in troughs, tanks and canal water at different times of the year.
Using canal water properly
The intake is where the work goes. Screening keeps debris and fish out, position keeps it off the silt at the bottom, and a foot valve keeps the pump primed. A settling arrangement before any filtration extends the life of everything downstream, because canal water carries a lot of suspended material during a run.
Seasonality is the planning constraint. Canals run when the district runs them, which means storage is what converts an intermittent supply into a usable one, and anything you depend on should be filled while the water is available rather than when you need it.
Expect the equipment to suffer. Pumps handling silty water wear faster, filters block, and lines that sit empty between runs collect whatever dried in them. Flushing at the start of a run, before the system is put to work, is a small routine that saves a lot of pump repairs.
And label everything. On a property with two water systems, pipework colour and tags are what stop a future contractor, or a family member, making the connection that must never exist.
Flooded fields, septic systems and how we work
Water standing across a property affects the septic system more than anything else on the place. A saturated drainfield cannot accept effluent, and the household notices it as slow drains after the weather rather than as anything visible. Using less water while the ground is saturated is the only useful response until it drains.
Keep vehicles and equipment off a wet field entirely. Compaction over a drainfield during a soft spell does damage that takes years to appear and cannot be undone.
And check the wellhead if there is one. A head that has been under water needs the same treatment as after any flood: inspect, test, and do not assume it is fine because the water has gone.
We set up raw water intakes, pumps, storage and filtration, fit and test backflow protection on the potable side, and deal with septic and well problems after wet weather. Wallis, Sealy, Fulshear and East Bernard are all within our area.
FAQ
Canal water and household supply in Wallis
Not on the potable system. It is untreated surface water, and the separation between it and the house supply has to be physical rather than a valve somebody remembers to keep closed.
Do it with an air gap: the supply discharges above the rim with a visible break. That is the only arrangement that guarantees nothing can travel backwards, and it costs very little to build in.
Screening, positioning off the silt at the bottom, and a foot valve to hold the prime. A settling stage before any filter extends the life of everything after it, because canal water carries a lot of suspended material.
Store it. Storage is what turns an intermittent supply into a usable one, and anything you depend on should be filled while the water is running rather than when you need it.
A saturated drainfield cannot accept effluent, so the system backs up gently until the ground drains. Use less water while it is wet, and keep vehicles off the field entirely.
A vacuum breaker on each one. On a property where hoses end up in troughs, tanks and canal water at different times, that is the fitting that protects the drinking supply.
Nearby
Communities we also cover close to Wallis
Services
What we get called out for in Wallis
Outdoor Hose Bib and Spigot Repair
Vacuum breakers where hoses go everywhere.
About this serviceSeptic System Plumbing
Systems under a saturated field.
About this serviceWhole House Water Filtration
Treatment on the potable side, kept separate.
About this serviceMain Water Line Repair
Two systems on one property, properly apart.
About this serviceEmergency Plumbing
Austin County call outs at any hour.
About this serviceTalk to someone now
Canal water on the place?
Physical separation and an air gap. Everything else follows from those two.
Ask about a raw water setup