Well owner's guide

How your well system works

A private water system has a handful of parts, and a problem with any one of them shows up at your tap.

• The well is a drilled hole lined with casing, sealed at the top to keep surface water out.
• The pump (a submersible down in the well, or a jet pump above ground) lifts the water.
• The pressure switch turns the pump on when pressure drops and off when it's reached.
• The pressure tank holds a reserve of water under air pressure, so the pump can rest between uses.
• Treatment equipment such as a softener, filter or aeration system conditions the water if your test shows it's needed.

When the tank loses its air charge, the pump starts and stops every few seconds. That rapid cycling is one of the most common, and most preventable, causes of pump failure.

Testing your well water: what and when

Clear water isn't necessarily safe water. Bacteria, nitrate and many other contaminants have no color, taste or smell.

The Florida Department of Health strongly recommends that private well owners test for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year, and says most homeowners should test for lead every three years. Your county health department may suggest other tests depending on nearby land use.

Test in addition to that schedule:

• When buying or selling a home with a well
• After a new well is drilled or an existing one is repaired
• After flooding
• Any time the taste, smell or color changes

We offer free water quality consultations and can help you sample and interpret results.

Storm checklist for well owners

Here on the Gulf Coast, storms are part of owning a well. A little preparation helps you get water back quickly afterward.

Before the storm

• Know which breaker runs your well pump, and label it.
• Store drinking water. Without power, a well pump can't run.
• If you'll use a generator, have it sized and connected safely by a licensed electrician. Well pumps draw a lot of power when they start.
• Make sure the well cap is secure and undamaged.

After the storm

• If floodwater covered the wellhead, don't drink the water until the well has been disinfected and tested. Contact your county health department for guidance.
• Look for damage to the casing, cap, wiring and pressure tank before turning the pump back on.
• If the pump won't run, or runs but won't build pressure, call us at (850) 763-6057.

That rotten-egg smell: sulfur water

If your water smells like rotten eggs, the usual cause is hydrogen sulfide gas dissolved in the groundwater. It's common in Florida wells. It can also tarnish silverware and leave dark stains.

Sometimes the smell only comes from the hot water, which can point to the water heater rather than the well. A water test helps sort that out.

Common fixes include aeration (letting the gas escape), chlorination followed by filtration, and specialty filters. We can recommend the right one after testing.

Old and abandoned wells

Many older Bay County properties have a well that isn't used anymore: maybe the house went on city water, or a new well replaced it. According to the Northwest Florida Water Management District, all abandoned wells must be properly plugged. Plugging requires a District permit and must be done by a Florida licensed water well contractor.

An unplugged well is a direct pipeline for surface contamination into the aquifer the whole community drinks from. If you have one, call us and we'll handle the permit and the plugging.

Permits: who does what

In Northwest Florida, a well construction permit is required to build, repair or plug a well, and only a Florida licensed water well contractor can apply for one. Homeowners can't pull their own well permit.

The District doesn't consider pumps, piping, electrical service and water tanks part of the well, so it doesn't require a permit for that work. Local building departments may still require plumbing or electrical permits.

When you hire Pollock Well Drilling to drill, repair or plug a well, we take care of the permit and give you a copy for your records.