Smith Center, also in north central Kansas, had 24 percent of normal rainfall in July and 73 percent for the year so far. Knapp noted, however, that rainfall in Kansas has been unusually spotty and that other parts of the state are well above normal for the year, including Ft. Scott, Great Bend, Larned and Pratt. Sediment may show up in the water or the water may be harder because of increased minerals. If a well owner detects a problem, the first thing to check is the pump, he said.
Pumps can burn out, and lightening can cause an electrical spike that destroys a pump.
If the pump isn t the problem, but the well has run dry or needs repairs, the owner has a few choices, Powell said. If the well has run dry, it s possible to drill deeper. But state law says that when making repairs or drilling deeper, any wells that do not meet current standards must be upgraded to those standards. So, to be practical, if the well pre-dates 1975, it will most likely be cheaper to drill a new one than it will be to deepen and upgrade the existing one to current standards. Another issue with drilling deeper is that in some parts of the state, the driller sometimes hits brackish water.