A good part of well maintenance happens around the well and in the water, not inside the pump. EPA publishes a short list of what owners should do to protect a private well. Here it is as a routine, with the yearly test and the upkeep of any treatment equipment.
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Around the wellhead
The top of the well is the way in for surface water and anything in it. EPA asks owners to:
- Inspect the exposed parts of the well from time to time for cracked, corroded or damaged casing, a broken or missing cap, and surface seals that have settled or cracked
- Install a well cap or sanitary seal to prevent unauthorized use of, or entry into, the well
- Slope the ground around the well so surface runoff drains away from it
- Never cut the well casing off below the land surface
- Keep contaminants away from the well and from any sinkholes
What you store and spray nearby
EPA asks owners to avoid mixing or using pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, degreasers, fuels and other pollutants near the well, and to check above ground and underground storage tanks for heating oil, diesel or gasoline. Florida’s Department of Health names fertilizer and livestock areas among the ways bacteria and nitrate reach wells. Mixing chemicals on the driveway beside the wellhead is the kind of habit to change.
The septic system
If a home with a well also has a septic system, the two need to be kept apart. EPA asks owners to keep hazardous chemicals out of septic systems, never to pour solvents, petroleum products or pesticides into a septic system or dry well, and to have the septic system pumped and inspected as often as the local health department recommends. Florida’s Department of Health lists poorly maintained septic systems as one way bacteria and nitrate reach a well.
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Test the water every year
EPA and CDC both advise testing a private well at least once a year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH, at a certified laboratory. Test sooner after a flood, after land disturbance or construction near the well, after any repair, or if the water’s odor, color or taste changes. The well water testing page explains the rest.
Treatment equipment
Filters, softeners and disinfection units need their own upkeep. TCEQ advises following the maker’s recommendations for cleaning and maintenance, which may include changing filters, disinfecting, backwashing or cleaning out scale. Without it, TCEQ warns, a unit may lose its effectiveness over time and in some cases make water quality worse. Test the water after a new unit goes in to make sure it works. See well water treatment.
The equipment inside
Watch the system as you use it. Note what the pressure gauge reads when the pump starts and stops, so you notice when it changes. Listen for a pump that clicks on and off over and over, a sign of a pressure tank problem covered on the pressure tank page. A yearly well inspection by a pro can cover the pump, tank, switch and wiring.
Keep records
EPA asks owners to keep accurate records of well maintenance, such as disinfection or sediment removal. Keep a folder with the well’s construction details if you have them, lab reports, repairs, parts replaced and service on treatment units, each with a date.
Old wells and new ones
Do not dispose of wastes in abandoned wells, EPA says, and hire a certified well driller for any new well construction, modification, or abandonment and closure of an old well.
Send your ZIP code and what the well needs. An independent local well pro can contact you.
Questions people ask
What maintenance does a private well need?
EPA’s list covers the wellhead (casing, cap, seals, drainage), what is stored and used nearby, the septic system, records, and a yearly water test.
How often should a well be serviced?
EPA and CDC advise testing the water at least once a year. A yearly look at the wellhead and the equipment alongside that test is a sensible routine.
What should I do with an old unused well?
EPA advises hiring a certified well driller for the abandonment and closure of a well, and never using it to dispose of waste.
What is your well doing?