When severe rainstorms sweep a country, floods too often follow. Sometimes the floods hit the Mississippi River valley when that river overflows its banks. Other times, it’s the Gulf Coast that takes a beating. Wherever it occurs, well owners should know that flood waters are extremely likely to contaminate private water wells. Prompt testing is necessary to eliminate the possibility of illness from using that water source.
2024 Has Been a Year of Unusually Severe Storms
Before the first half of 2024 was done, massive floods hit many states. Some states were accustomed to an occasional flood but the others were unprepared. Some areas set new records for flooding. Floods created property loss and damage in:
- South Dakota
- Iowa
- Minnesota
- California
- Texas
- Vermont
- New York (including New York City)
- Connecticut
- Kentucky
- Florida
Parts of New York City and Connecticut were flooded after as much as 12 inches of rain fell overnight. The diversity of these regions proves that any area can be devastated by floods if a storm stalls overhead.
What Contaminants Enter Drinking Water Wells During a Flood?
A flood distributes massive quantities of contaminants that have no place in a private water well. Here are just some of the unwelcome contaminants that a flood can add to a private water well:
- Raw human sewage
- Animal wastes
- Oil or gasoline
- Solvents
- Industrial chemicals
- Agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Pesticides
- Saltwater (if near a coast)
How to Deal with a Well That Has Been Inundated in a Flood
The first thing to do is to assume that your well has been contaminated. Immediately stop using the well water. Don’t drink it, cook with it or prepare baby formula with it. Obtain purified or bottled water until the well is back in service.
State health departments recommend taking steps like these to restore your well.
- Turn off the power to the well.
- Look for any damaged electrical components or wiring. Check if water entered the electrical components. If there is any damage, call a professional for repair.
- Check the casing of your well. If it is damaged or cracked, surface water can more easily make its way into your well. Contact a professional for repairs as needed.
- Check the well cap and seal to determine if they still make a tight seal. Even if your well is tightly sealed, flood waters may still seep through the soil and contaminate your well, especially if the casing is short.
- IMPORTANT: If the casing or well cap is damaged, debris or sediments have probably entered your well. Your pump may be damaged if you start to run it before the well has been cleaned out. Call for professional help.
- Once your well checks out as functional, get a sample of your water so it can be tested. If there is sediment in your well water, flush it thoroughly first. When the water runs clear, take your sample.
- Send it to a professional water testing lab with fast service.
- Most people in a flood zone will need to disinfect their well. Do not use household bleach for this task as it is heavier than water and can collect in pockets and corners of your plumbing system and be very hard to eliminate. Use an FDA-approved disinfectant like the one available from ETR Laboratories. Follow the directions in your disinfectant kit to thoroughly rid your well of microorganisms.
- After the disinfection process is done, get another fast test done to ensure that all bacteria have been eliminated.
- When your well is verified to be free from flood contamination, start using your well water again!
Professional Water Testing Is The Only Guarantee of Safety
Home improvement stores offer test kits for well water, but these kits only test for the most basic problems such as the total quantity of coliform bacteria or minerals that could clog appliances. Before trusting your well water after a flood, a professional water testing company should be consulted. ETR Laboratories will immediately send out a test kit to a well owner to help them get their well back in service. Because there is no middleman—we perform all tests in our own labs—we can quickly provide accurate results.
We also provide many well owners with disinfection kits that use an FDA-approved agent that won’t get trapped in your plumbing system.
To get the help you need after a flood, visit our website.