Hurricane season brings with it many dangers. For homeowners who are not connected to the city’s sewer system, one of those dangers is the possibility of floodwaters contaminating private water wells. Hurricanes can cause structural damage to wells that may necessitate emergency plumbing repair services, as well as introduce contaminants to your drinking water that can be dangerous to you and your family.
Before The Hurricane
The first step to take when preparing for a hurricane is to stock up on water. In addition to bottled water, you can fill bathtubs, sinks, buckets, and pots and pans to make sure you have plenty of clean water for the days to come for drinking, cooking, bathing, flushing toilets, brushing teeth, and cleaning cuts and scrapes
Before the storm hits, cover your wellhead and pump to protect the equipment from flying debris. If your well is located in a flood-prone area, it should be fitted with a flood-proof well cap. These caps are watertight to prevent floodwaters from contaminating your well.
Because hurricanes often cause power outages, turn off your pump at the circuit breaker just before the storm hits. Power outages can cause spikes and surges through the electrical lines, and this can damage the electrical components of your pump. Don’t turn the power back on until the floodwaters recede.
If you do not have a surge suppressor on your pump, consider adding one. Even if you don’t lose power to your property, power surges can still occur as areas nearby lose and regain power. If you require assistance in prepping your well prior to a hurricane, contact our Ocala plumbers.
After The Hurricane
If you did not experience any flooding, inspect the equipment before turning the pump back on. If you see any damage, call a professional Ocala plumbing repair service before you attempt to operate your pump.
If your property did experience flooding during the storm, check for signs that your well has been contaminated. Look for cracks in the well casing or well cap that would indicate the well has been compromised. If there are signs of erosion in the ground around the well, it could mean that floodwaters have leaked into the well. Check to ensure there are no electrical wires that are still submerged, as these create a risk of electrocution once you turn the power to your pump back on.
If you are not sure whether your well has been contaminated, it’s best to play it safe and have a licensed plumbing professional such as Sunshine Plumbing and Gas check your well for contamination.
Disinfect Your Well
Even if your well shows no sign of structural damage, err on the side of caution and perform a disinfection of the well. You can hire a professional to do this, or follow these instructions to disinfect your well yourself.
- Pour a bleach solution consisting of two quarts of liquid chlorine laundry bleach and 10 gallons of water down the well.
- Open all taps in the house and run the water until it smells like chlorine.
- Connect a hose to an outdoor tap and recirculate the water back into the well.
- Do not use your taps for at least 24 hours.
- Run water through a garden hose until the chlorine is flushed from the system.
This process is only effective if the pH balance of your water is between six and seven. If you aren’t sure of the pH of your water, it’s safest to hire a plumber in Ocala, FL, to conduct the disinfection.
If Your Well Is Flooded
The most important thing to remember if your well is flooded is not to turn on the power. This could cause an electrical shock that could harm you or damage the pump.You will need to hire a professional Ocala plumber to perform an electrical inspection to make sure the equipment is safe.
To prevent future contamination, remove any mud or other debris from around the well casing and regrade the ground around it to divert any surface water that might flow towards the well.
Test Your Water
After you’ve disinfected your well, you’ll need to make sure your water is safe for consumption. Either contact your local health department to have your well water sampled and tested, or contact us at Sunshine Plumbing and Gas for your well water testing and plumbing repair needs.