How Do You Repair Your Well After A Severe Flood?

Heavy flooding can cause a large amount of damage to water wells. Floodwater is highly unsanitary since it can contain waste from leaking septic tanks and chemicals like pesticides from agricultural runoff. It can enter your well and contaminate it, making your well water dangerous to drink. If your well water is contaminated with chemicals like pesticides, boiling won't make it safe to drink — boiling will kill bacteria, but it won't remove harmful chemicals from the water.

Since a flood can contaminate your well water, you shouldn't use your well until you have the chance to test it. After the floodwaters recede, call a water well repair service to have your well inspected and repaired. To learn how a professional will repair your well after a heavy flood, read on.

Check the Electrical Wiring

One of the reasons that it's important to have a professional repair your well after a flood is that working on the well may be an electrocution hazard if the electrical wiring is damaged. The wiring between your home and the well pump runs underground, which normally keeps it protected from water. High levels of standing water due to flooding, however, can damage the wiring and cause it to short out.

The first step in repairing your well is to make sure that the wiring that powers the well pump is in good condition and is safe to use by checking its connectivity at the well pump using a multimeter. If there's no connectivity, the wiring is damaged, and it will need to be replaced before the pump can be turned on without risking electrocution.

Inspect the Well Pump

Floodwater can carry a large amount of soil with it when it enters your well, and this can damage your well pump. If a well pump becomes clogged with sediment, it will seize up when it tries to turn on. If your well pump isn't starting, the well repair service will pull it from the pump, clean it out and try to start it again. If it still doesn't work, its motor may have been damaged by a fault in the electrical wiring due to the flooding, and it will need to be replaced.

Test the Well Water for Contaminants

Once the electrical wiring and the well pump are in working condition, it's possible to test your well water. A sample of your well water will be sent to a laboratory to check for the presence of bacteria and harmful chemicals. If any are found, your well will need to be purged and disinfected.

To purge and disinfect your well, a water well repair service will add a large amount of chlorine to your well water. They'll turn on the faucets in your home to circulate the chlorine throughout your home's plumbing, and then they'll slowly drain the well somewhere away from your home. Draining the well will remove any harmful chemicals that have built up inside it.

Removing all of the bacteria and chemicals from your well water will make it safe for you to drink again, so you'll be able to continue using it.

If your property has undergone heavy flooding and you have a well, call a water well repair service and have it inspected. Until your well has been repaired and the water has been declared safe by testing it, don't use it for drinking or bathing, as it may contain bacteria that can harm your health. A water well repair service can get your well back up and running again, allowing you to use it without worry.

For more information on water well repair, contact a professional near you.

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