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Bad well test or septic close to a well.

A licensed well contractor and the local health department should handle testing and contamination, with an engineer reading groundwater.

Customers put it like this

  • nitrates in our well
  • bacteria in the well test
  • how far should the septic be from the well?
  • old well on the property
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Stop first if

  • A well test shows bacteria or nitrate, or the water changes taste or odor.Do not drink the water until the health department advises. Call the health department.
  • Anyone plans to climb into a dug well.Nobody enters. Call a trained confined space crew.
  • Seepage or running water shows at or below the field after storms.Keep people away. Call the installer or health department.
  • An old unsealed well or boring is found.Keep it covered and guarded. Call the health department or a licensed well contractor.
01

Ask on the call

6

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. What did the test show, and when was the sample taken?
  2. Is the well drilled or dug, and how deep is it?
  3. Is the problem worse after heavy rain?
  4. Are there old wells or borings on the property?
  5. Where is the well compared with the field?
  6. Is there a nearby well that could serve as a comparison?
02

Bring

4
  • Lab sample bottles and instructions
  • Tape measure
  • Site map
  • Phone for photos
03

Check on site

6
  1. Map the field, tanks, lines, every well and nearby surface water.
  2. Establish groundwater flow direction, not just surface slope.
  3. Walk downslope of the field after a storm for seepage.
  4. Have the well sampled by the lab's instructions, with an upslope comparison well if possible.
  5. Search records and the site for old wells and borings.
  6. Only then compare measured distance with the local setback.
04

Keep on the record

4
  • Lab results with sample dates
  • Site map with measured distances
  • Well depth and construction notes
  • Old wells or borings found

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.