Buying a Maine camp - drill a well or use lake water?

[mommax3plus2]

Originally Posted by namder1

One dis advantage of sucking water from a lake is it will wear out your pump faster because of the sand and grit. But replacing a pump every 4 or 5 years is way cheaper than a drilled well.

when we had our camp on a lake we found this to be true, however, my dad fixed that problem by using panty hose. every spring when he turned on the water, he would pull up the end of the water pipe (i do think after swimming for it the first few times he tied a mooring or buoy to it to make it easier to pull up the end) and clamp a new pair of panty hose around the opening. still couldnt drink it, but kept the sand out and didnt need to repair the pump again.

[SportFury59]

What about driving a point? Of course soil conditions have to be right, not to rocky, etc. and water table not too deep.
Namber1 mentioned a hand dug well so maybe soil conditions would permit driving a point. Very inexpensive.

[t Mortons]

Not a big fan of drinking water that people swim in and fish go to the bathroom in and whatever else falls in but I'm probably a little bias because I'm a well driller

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Most seasonal camps use water from the lake. I run it through a filter. We use it for cooking. I drink it, but we also have spring water for those who don't like the idea of drinking lake water. When I disconnect the pump before the lake freezes I tie a gallon jug to the rope that anchors the dock. the ice has not ripped the jug loose yet in 15 years.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Most seasonal camps use water from the lake. I run it through a filter. We use it for cooking. I drink it, but we also have spring water for those who don't like the idea of drinking lake water. When I disconnect the pump before the lake freezes I tie a gallon jug to the rope that anchors the dock. the ice has not ripped the jug loose yet in 15 years.

What lake are you on? We get pretty good wind driven ice on our lake.

Both Boydens Lake and Penamaquan froze over again the other day.