Hurricane season along the Atlantic runs from June through November, and Hampton Roads sees its share of storms, outages and tidal flooding. A private well depends on electricity for the pump and a sealed wellhead for clean water, so storms test both. Wellborne put together this checklist for well owners in Suffolk and the surrounding area.
Before the season
- Know where the pump breaker is and label it.
- Check the wellhead. The cap should be tight and sealed, and the casing should stand above the ground with soil sloping away from it.
- Check the pressure tank’s air charge, so the system holds a useful amount of water when the power goes out.
- Consider a lightning arrester at the control box or panel. Thunderstorms and surges are a frequent cause of control box and switch failures.
- Size any generator for the pump. Well pumps draw several times their running current to start, and a generator too small for that will not run them. Connect through a proper transfer switch.
- Find your well records, including depth and pump size, in case you need help after the storm.
When a storm is coming
- Store water. Fill containers for drinking and cooking, and a bathtub or buckets for flushing.
- Use water sparingly once the power is out, so the pressure tank and pipes do not drain to the point where the switch’s low-pressure cutoff trips.
- Consider switching off the pump breaker during the worst of the storm to reduce surge exposure, then switching it back on afterward.
After the storm: no flooding
- Check the breaker. Reset it once if it tripped. If it trips again, leave it off.
- Check the pressure switch. If it has a low-pressure cutoff lever, hold it up while the pressure builds.
- If there is still no water, a surge may have damaged the control box, switch or motor. Those need testing, not repeated resets. The power outage guide walks through it.
After the storm: if water reached the well
If floodwater covered or reached the wellhead, well house or electrics:
- Keep the power off to the pump and stay clear of wet electrics.
- Drink bottled water. Treat the well water as unsafe.
- Check the cap and casing once the water recedes.
- Have the pump, control box and switch tested before power is restored.
- Pump out, disinfect, flush and test. Virginia’s private well rules require a well to be disinfected before it is placed in service. A bacteria test after the chlorine has been flushed out confirms the water is safe.
The flooded well guide has the details.
Shallow and older wells
Older bored and dug wells, common on some rural Suffolk lots, have wide openings and draw from shallow water, which makes them the most vulnerable to flooding. In the Virginia Cooperative Extension clinic of 204 Suffolk households, 17% of wells were under 50 feet deep. If yours is one of them, check the cover and seal before the season and test the water after any flood.
Irrigation wells
Irrigation wells usually do not need drinking-water testing after a storm, but their electrics need the same care before power is restored, and a flooded pump house should be dried and checked.
For help before or after a storm, call (757) 919-1972.