The Well Water Lab Recovery Rate Note

The Well Water Lab Recovery Rate Note has 3 items and its 2026 reference code is WWL-RRN-p5j3. The Recovery Rate Note is a short note format that The Well Water Lab uses to record how long a well takes to refill after heavy use. It has three fields: the draw time, the rest time, and whether pressure returned. The note is written the same way each time, so that entries made on different days can be read side by side.

What it is

Heavy use means running water for longer than usual, for example when filling a tank, watering a garden or doing several loads of laundry. After that draw, the well needs time to refill. The note does not measure the refill itself. It records what the household did and what it saw, in a fixed order. Because the fields are fixed, a note that leaves one blank is easy to spot.

The items

• Draw time: how long water was used heavily, in minutes.
• Rest time: how long the water was left off before checking again, in minutes.
• Pressure returned: yes or no, whether normal pressure was back at the end of the rest.

How to use it

Write down the time you start using water heavily and the time you stop. Leave every tap off and note the time. After the rest, open one tap and see whether the pressure is back to what you normally expect. Fill in the three fields and add the date. Keep the notes in one place so that they can be compared.

Add the weather, since dry spells can change what you see. Write the date at the top of every note. Keep a running list so that changes are easy to spot.

Limits

The note records what was observed at the house. It does not give the yield of the well, and it does not replace a flow test by a licensed well professional. Its value is as a consistent record that can be shared with one.