Flooded private well: 7 mistakes to avoid before drinking

Key takeaways: errors to avoid after a well floods

• a flooded or suspected-flooded well should be viewed as unsafe for potable use until it has been evaluated and tested, according to Wellowner. Until that evaluation is complete, label the tap as not for drinking.
• a non-submersible pump or any flooded part of the well electrical system raises an electrical shock concern, according to Wellowner. Write down whether the pump and controls were under floodwater before anyone works near the equipment.
• bottled water or boiled water is the interim step the source names while electrical safety is uncertain, according to Wellowner. Keep that interim step in place until a qualified contractor has checked the system.
• bacterial contamination is common following a flood, according to Wellowner, which is why the source ties disinfection and wellhead repair to safe drinking water.
• a qualified water well system contractor is the person the source names to check the well system, according to Wellowner, so make that call early.

Mistakes before you use the water

The first mistake is using flooded water before it has been evaluated. The rule quoted above makes evaluation and testing the basis for drinking the water, and it does not name appearance as that basis. Clear water can look reassuring, but the rule asks for a test before potable use, not a visual check. As an editorial recommendation, do not fill a glass from the tap to judge the water by eye, and keep the tap off limits for drinking until the evaluation is complete.

The second mistake is overlooking contamination. According to Wellowner, "An obvious concern is that flood water loaded with bacteria, chemicals or other pollutants may have gotten into the well." The quoted concern names three kinds of contaminant, so treat each one as an open question until a qualified evaluation and test answers it. As an editorial recommendation, write down those three categories and ask the person doing the testing which ones were checked.

The Wellowner flooding page also poses a question for owners. According to Wellowner, the page asks, "How can I tell if my well could be impacted by flooding?" This article does not reproduce an answer to that question, so put it to the contractor who evaluates the well.

Once test results arrive, you can also check Read a private well nitrate result in 5 steps on this site. For questions about well water standards, see Well water standards: 5 FAQs on private and public supply. Keep each test report in the same folder as your flood notes, so the contractor and anyone reading the results can see the dates side by side.

Mistakes around pumps and electrical parts

The third mistake is missing the electrical shock risk. According to Wellowner, "A less obvious concern is electrical shock if a non-submersible pump or any part of the well electrical system is flooded." Because the source calls this a less obvious concern, the pump and controls deserve their own question, separate from the water question. As a recommendation, write down whether the pump and the controls were under floodwater, and keep that note with your other records.

If electrical safety is uncertain, the source gives an interim step. According to Wellowner, "If your well has been flooded, and you are uncertain of the electrical safety of the well, use bottled water or boil your water until a qualified water well system contractor can check out your well system." Keep bottled water or boiled water in use as that interim step until the contractor's check is finished.

The fourth mistake is pumping out the well without checking the system first. According to Wellowner, "If the electrical system and controls were not flooded and operational, do what you can to pump out the well until clear." The condition is written into that sentence, so confirm that the electrical system and controls were not flooded and were operational before any pumping. In this rule, pumping ends at "clear," which is a different stage from the evaluation and testing rule for drinking. Keep those two stages separate in your notes.

If you cannot confirm that condition, do not start pumping. As an editorial recommendation, put the pump and control questions to the contractor first, and let the answer decide whether any pumping happens at all. The source's pumping instruction applies only if the electrical system and controls were not flooded, so if the pump or controls sat under floodwater, do not pump until a contractor has checked the system.

Do not treat checks of the pump or wiring as a home task. The electrical guidance above points to a qualified water well system contractor, not to the owner.

Mistakes with disinfection, repair and local guidance

The fifth mistake is doing disinfection and repair yourself. According to Wellowner, "Water wells are specialized systems that require knowledge and expertise to repair and disinfect." The same source explains why this matters, according to Wellowner: "Bacterial contamination is common following a flood, so disinfection and wellhead repair is important to ensure safe drinking water." Because the quote ties the two tasks together, ask the contractor to address disinfection and wellhead repair in the same visit. As an editorial recommendation, keep both with a qualified contractor, and ask that contractor to explain each step in writing.

The owner's part is narrower than the contractor's. Your job is to supply the flood date, the pump and control notes, and any test reports you already hold, so the contractor starts from facts rather than guesses. A written list of what was done, and in what order, is a practical record to keep for whoever services the well later.

The sixth mistake is ignoring local guidance. According to Water Quality Association, "People in impacted areas should always follow local governmental guidance on whether water is safe to drink or use during or after wildfires." That statement concerns wildfires, not floods. Apply the same habit to a flood by asking your local government whether your water is safe, rather than assuming a wildfire page answers a flood question. If local instruction and the flood rule above seem to point different ways, keep the tap off limits for drinking until both the local guidance and a qualified contractor's evaluation allow its use, and report the conflict to the contractor.

For a household with a septic system, according to Psu, the page describes its content as "Learn how to protect your home, business, and septic system from flooding and stormwater damage." Read the septic guidance as a separate question from the well water question, because the same flood can reach both systems.

Sources quoted in this guide

The table lists one quoted point from each publisher used in this guide.

The Water Quality Association row concerns wildfires, so it supports the habit of checking local guidance and does not establish a flood rule.

Records to keep and where to find repair funding

The seventh mistake is missing repair funding. Before you call anyone about repairs, keep a short written record of the flood date and of whether the pump and controls were flooded. These two facts shape the steps described above, and they give the contractor a starting point. The worksheet below is one way to set them out.

For repair funding, the Wellowner financing page describes loan terms. According to Wellowner, "Loans are arranged for up to 20 years at 1 percent interest." The same page describes grants. According to Wellowner, "Grants may be arranged for recipients who are 62 years of age or older and can be used only to pay for repairs and improvements to remove health and safety hazards." It also defines an income term. According to Wellowner, "Very low-income for this program is defined as below 50 percent of the area median income."

Do not assume these terms apply to your household or your state. Confirm eligibility with the program before planning around any loan or grant. As an editorial recommendation, have your income information ready before you call, since the very low-income definition is stated as a share of area median income. Save a copy of the financing page you relied on and note the date you read it, so the terms you plan around match what the page states.

Ask the contractor to list each repair item on a written estimate, then compare that list with the grant wording about repairs and improvements to remove health and safety hazards. The comparison shows which items may fall under that wording and which may not, and it gives you a document to take to the funding program.

If you need to reach the source directly, according to Wellowner, "To contact our well owner hotline, call us at 855-420-9355."

Illustrative example: one household's flood log

Illustrative only: a household records the flood date and marks the pump as flooded. It uses bottled water for drinking until a contractor checks the system, and it does not start pumping. It keeps 3 items in one folder: the flood note, the contractor's written estimate and any test report. Before the contractor visit, it lists which repairs might fall under the grant wording on health and safety hazards, and it writes those answers beside the estimate.

Next step: write down the flood date and whether the pump and controls were flooded, then ring a qualified well contractor.

FAQ: flooded private wells

Which mistakes should I avoid after my well floods?

Avoid drinking the water before the well has been evaluated and tested. Avoid treating the electrical, disinfection and repair work as home tasks. According to Wellowner, water wells require knowledge and expertise to repair and disinfect.

Does the grant age rule apply to my own household?

The Wellowner financing page says grants may be arranged for recipients who are 62 years of age or older. According to Wellowner, those grants can be used only to pay for repairs and improvements to remove health and safety hazards. Whether the rule fits your household is not settled here, so ask the program before you plan around it.

Can I use flooded well water for drinking if it looks clear?

No. According to Wellowner, a flooded well should be viewed as unsafe for potable use until it has been evaluated and tested. The rule names evaluation and testing, not appearance, as the basis for drinking the water.

Is electrical shock a risk after a flood?

It can be, if a non-submersible pump or any part of the well electrical system was flooded. According to Wellowner, "A less obvious concern is electrical shock if a non-submersible pump or any part of the well electrical system is flooded." If your well has been flooded and you are uncertain of its electrical safety, use bottled water or boil your water until a qualified water well system contractor checks the system.

Who should disinfect and repair a flooded well?

According to Wellowner, a qualified water well system contractor should check the well system. Disinfection and wellhead repair belong to that contractor, because the source describes water wells as specialized systems that require knowledge and expertise to repair and disinfect.