Hand Pump and Well: Depth, Fit and Drinking-Water Checks

Choose a well hand pump by the distance to the water surface during pumping—not just the well’s total depth. A shallow-well suction pump typically has a lift limit around 25 ft (7.6 m); deeper water requires a pump with its working cylinder down in the well. The exact model, casing clearance and intended delivery pressure determine whether it will work. Boshart’s hand-pump guide explains the two mechanisms.

A hand pump provides access to water without an electric well pump. It does not make that water safe to drink. Treat pump selection and water treatment as separate decisions.

Which type fits your well?

Well condition or intended use	Pump type to investigate	Main check before buying
Water surface remains within the model’s suction-lift limit	Shallow-well pitcher or suction hand pump	Vertical lift, elevation, pipe losses and priming requirements
Water surface is beyond suction-lift range	Deep-well hand pump with a submerged cylinder	Cylinder setting, lowest expected water level and model-specific lift limit
Existing electric submersible must remain in place	A hand pump designed for a shared casing	Clearance around pipe, couplings, wiring and pitless adapter
Water must enter household plumbing or a pressure tank	A pressure-capable hand-pump system	Combined lifting and pressure load, fittings and safety components

The shallow/deep distinction describes how the pump moves water, not a universal borehole-depth cutoff. A deep-well pump places its pumping mechanism below the water surface rather than relying on suction from the surface. Boshart rates its shallow-well arrangement for water levels up to 25 ft and notes that elevation and horizontal piping reduce available lift.

Static level is only the starting point

Static water level is the depth to water when the well is not being pumped. Drawdown is how far that level falls during pumping. Those are different from the depth to the bottom of the well. Oregon State University Extension defines both measurements.

For example, a 100-ft-deep well with water standing 15 ft below the pump might be a candidate for a suction pump. But if pumping lowers that surface beyond the pump’s rated lift, the resting measurement alone is misleading.

Obtain the well log and have a well professional confirm current water levels. Ask the pump supplier to account for drawdown and seasonal low-water conditions when specifying the intake or cylinder depth.

Check the existing well before ordering

Give the installer or supplier these details:

• Casing diameter and condition, including actual usable internal clearance.
• Static water level, pumping level and total well depth, with the measurement reference point identified.
• Existing submersible pump setting, drop-pipe size and coupling dimensions.
• Pitless adapter arrangement—the underground fitting that carries water through the casing to the house.
• Required delivery: open-spout collection or pressurized plumbing.
• Freeze exposure and the proposed drain-back or winterization arrangement.

Do not assume that a nominal casing size guarantees a fit. As a model-specific example, Simple Pump’s compatibility guide, checked in October 2026, lists a 2-in nominal minimum for its pump alone and a 4-in minimum alongside a submersible, but requires careful clearance checks in tight installations. Those dimensions are not universal hand-pump standards.

Keep the wellhead protected during the retrofit. EPA recommends a well cap or sanitary seal and a certified well driller for well modifications. An improvised opening through an old cap is not a substitute for a properly sealed installation.

Open-spout water is not the same as household pressure

If you only need to fill containers, an open-spout arrangement avoids the additional load of a pressurized plumbing system. If you want water at indoor taps, choose equipment expressly designed for that job.

Pressure adds to the lifting load: 1 psi equals about 2.31 ft of water head. A 50-psi system therefore adds roughly 116 ft of equivalent head, before other losses. Simple Pump’s pressure-tank guidance explains this trade-off and specifies a check valve, pressure gauge and pressure-relief valve for its system.

For a treatment-connected installation, have the supplier check the filter’s operating pressure and flow requirements too. Do not assume that a pump capable of filling a bucket can run an under-sink RO unit or a whole-house treatment system. Use our well-water system sizing guide to organize the treatment-side checks.

Test before choosing drinking-water treatment

For U.S. private wells, CDC recommends annual laboratory testing for total coliform bacteria, nitrate, total dissolved solids and pH. Use a state-certified laboratory and ask the local health department about additional local contaminants. Test again after replacing or repairing well-system components.

Keep three goals distinct:

• Sediment removal: capturing particles does not establish microbiological safety.
• Taste adjustment: ordinary carbon pitcher and refrigerator filters generally are not designed to remove germs.
• Contaminant treatment: select the exact system for the germs or chemicals identified by testing, with documented reduction claims and suitable operating conditions.

CDC’s filter-selection guidance emphasizes that taste, smell and appearance cannot establish safety, and that germ-removal and chemical-removal capabilities differ.

Plan for treatment during an outage

A manual pump may still supply water when electrically powered treatment cannot operate. If you rely on UV disinfection, do not count water passing through an unpowered unit as disinfected. VIQUA’s Arros dry-contact guidance describes an optional shutoff arrangement that stops flow during a power outage or critical UV alarm. Confirm your own system’s backup-power and shutoff provisions.

If testing finds harmful germs or chemicals, use another safe drinking-water source while the health department helps determine the corrective action. A functioning pump is not clearance to drink contaminated well water.

Keep the pump ready to use

Follow the exact pump manual for priming, seal maintenance and winterization. For Boshart’s leather-cup suction pump, the manufacturer calls for priming before operation and checking suction-side leaks if it will not prime; retaining water with a foot valve also changes freeze precautions. Its operating instructions should not be applied indiscriminately to a different pump design.

Periodically operate the backup pump, inspect the cap and seals, and confirm that the planned drinking-water treatment remains available—not merely that water comes out of the spout.