> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://parkercountywellnotes.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # What to Do With Your Private Well After a Flood - URL: https://parkercountywellnotes.ghost.io/private-well-after-a-flood/ - Published: 2026-09-16T10:37:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-02T04:58:43.000Z - Description: If floodwater reached your wellhead, don't drink the water or switch the pump back on yet. Here are the steps in order, from the breaker to the lab test. - Author: Karin Malone - Tags: Water quality, Storms and outages If floodwater covered or reached your wellhead, assume the water is unsafe. Stay away from the pump and its wiring while water is standing, and switch to bottled or boiled water. Have a licensed well contractor inspect, disinfect and flush the well. Then drink from it again only after a lab test for bacteria comes back clear. A well is a straight path down to your drinking water. Floodwater carries whatever it picked up on the way, including septic waste, manure, fuel and soil, and a cracked casing, loose cap or bad seal lets it in. Here is the order to work in. ## Signs floodwater may have reached your well - Water stood over or around the wellhead or the well house. - Mud, silt or debris is caked around the casing, or soil has washed away from its base. - The cap is loose, cracked or missing. - Your water comes out cloudy or muddy, or it tastes or smells different. If you aren't sure whether the water reached the well, treat it as if it did. ## Step 1: Stay clear of the electrical system The EPA's first instruction is to "stay away from the well pump while flooded to avoid electric shock." If you can reach the breaker safely from a dry spot, turn off the circuit that runs the well. Don't switch the pump back on if it or its controls were underwater. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension advises that, once things dry out, you "have a qualified electrician, well driller or pump installer check the wiring system and other well components" first. That includes the pressure switch, the control box (if you have one) and any wiring in the well house. ## Step 2: Use another water source Until a test says otherwise, AgriLife Extension says not to use the well "for drinking, cooking, making ice or brushing your teeth." Use bottled water, or bring tap water to a rolling boil for at least one minute. Boiling kills germs, but it doesn't remove chemicals such as fuel or farm chemicals. If you suspect those reached the well, stick to bottled water until you've talked to a lab about testing for them. ## Step 3: Have the well inspected and disinfected The EPA's advice is to "get assistance from a well or pump contractor to clean and disinfect your well before turning on the pump." In Texas, that means a driller or pump installer licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. You can check a license on TDLR's website, and our guide to who regulates your well in Parker County explains who does what. Disinfection usually means shock chlorination. A strong chlorine solution is put down the well and run through the household plumbing, then left to stand. Oregon State University's well water program describes holding it in the pipes for 6 to 12 hours without using the water. The contractor should also check for the way the floodwater got in, such as a damaged cap, a cracked casing or soil washed out around the seal. Fix that first, or you'll be disinfecting again after the next storm. ## Step 4: Flush the well Once the pump is safe to run, the EPA says to "pump the well until the water runs clear to rid the well of flood water." After shock chlorination, keep flushing until you can no longer smell chlorine. Run the water through a hose outdoors, not down the drains. Oregon State University's guidance is that "less water down the drain is better for the septic tank," and that you shouldn't use chlorinated flush water on plants. If the water won't clear, the EPA suggests asking the county or state health department or the extension service for advice. ## Step 5: Test before you drink Collect a sample only after the chlorine is gone. Leftover chlorine can kill bacteria in the bottle and give you a falsely clean result. Oregon State's guidance is to test about three days after shock chlorination. Your lab or contractor may suggest a longer wait. - **What to test for:** total coliform bacteria and *E. coli* at a minimum. AgriLife Extension notes that *E. coli* points to contamination from human or animal waste. Many owners add nitrate, since floodwater can carry fertilizer and manure. - **Where:** a laboratory accredited by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. AgriLife Extension points well owners to TCEQ's list. Follow the lab's bottle and delivery instructions exactly, because bacteria samples have a short holding time. - **If it comes back positive:** disinfect and test again. A well that keeps failing usually has a way in that hasn't been found yet. If you'd rather not handle the sampling yourself, Water Well Drilling Weatherford takes well water samples in the Parker County area for bacteria, nitrate and other tests. ## Step 6: Check the septic system too If your home has a septic system, the flood affected it too. A drain field won't work properly while the soil is saturated. Use as little water as you can until the ground dries, and have a septic professional look at the system if the tank or field flooded. A septic system that isn't working can affect your well water later. ## Before the next storm - **Label the well breaker** so anyone in the house can find it in the dark. - **Keep the cap tight and in good condition,** and keep soil from mounding up around the casing. The casing should stand above the ground, not be buried. - **Store drinking water** before forecast storms. A flood often comes with a power outage, and the pump won't run without power. See how to run your well pump on a generator. - **Keep your well's records handy.** Your State Well Report shows how the well was cased and sealed, which helps a contractor judge how floodwater could get in. Here's how to find it. ## Quick answers **Can I boil flooded well water to make it safe?** Boiling at a rolling boil for at least one minute kills bacteria and other germs, but it doesn't remove chemicals such as fuel or pesticides. Use bottled water until the well has been disinfected and a lab test comes back clear. **How soon after a flood can I test my well?** Test after the well has been disinfected and flushed and the chlorine smell is gone. Oregon State University suggests about three days after shock chlorination. Testing too early can give a falsely clean result. **Do I need to test if the floodwater didn't touch the wellhead?** If water came close, the cap or casing is damaged, or the water looks, tastes or smells different, test it. When in doubt, test before you drink. --- ### Sources - [EPA – Protect Your Home's Water](https://www.epa.gov/privatewells/protect-your-homes-water) - [Texas A&M AgriLife Today – Water wells should be tested after a flood](https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/08/25/water-wells-should-be-tested-after-a-flood/) - [Oregon State University Well Water Program – Shock Chlorination](https://wellwater.oregonstate.edu/well-water/bacteria/shock-chlorination) - [TCEQ – Environmental Laboratory Accreditation](https://www.tceq.texas.gov/agency/qa/env%5Flab%5Faccreditation.html) - [TDLR – Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers](https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/wwd/wwd.htm)