Flooded wells Recommendations for wells inundated by flooding If you live in an area that was recently or is currently flooded, your private well may be in danger of contamination from pollutants carried in floodwaters. Information for people who choose to perform their own well and plumbing system disinfection Bacterial, viral, parasitic or chemical contamination can enter the top of your well, or seep down along your well's casing and make your drinking water unsafe. Even if flood water have not risen over the top of your well casing, your neighbor's well may have been inundated , allowing contamination to migrate, underground, to your well. Also, if your well is not deeply cased, it may be more susceptible to contamination.
Contaminated water can enter shallow porous aquifers if nearby areas become flooded.
If you suspect your drinking water is contaminated, you should obtain water from a known safe source for drinking, cooking and food preparation. You can get water from a neighbor's well you know is safe, from a community water supply or you can purchase bottled water. If you can't find a convenient source of safe water you can boil your well water for 5 minutes before use. Before you resume using your well you should collect a water sample and have it tested for bacteria by a certified laboratory . Laboratories can be found in the Yellow Pages or on this website.