After floodwater reaches a well, the pump stays off until someone checks wiring

Ocean County has seen this at scale. On October 29, 2012, Sandy came ashore near Brigantine with a storm tide of 3-5 ft above ground in Ocean County. Any flood that reaches the wellhead puts the same questions to an owner.

Why can't I just run the pump to see if it works?

Because a flooded pump and its wiring can shock you. EPA's sheet on flooded wells puts this warning in capitals: "DO NOT TURN ON THE PUMP." Running the pump is also how a house draws whatever got into the well into its plumbing, so wait even if the panel looks dry. Our brief on the pump and pressure tank shows where those parts sit.

Is my well likely to be contaminated?

It may well be, and some wells draw a specific warning. EPA says wells more than 10 years old or less than 50 feet deep "are likely to be contaminated, even if there is no apparent damage." Clear water tells you nothing here.

FEMA describes the way in: contamination can enter "if floodwater extends above the well head or seeps into the well casing when watertight well caps are not used."

What comes first, and who does it?

The order runs wiring, then disinfection, then testing. The people change at each step.

Who should disinfect the well?

A contractor, by EPA's account. It says a well is "best disinfected by a well or pump contractor." EPA's paper does describe household steps using non-scented bleach; read them there if a contractor truly cannot reach you, and we leave the amounts to EPA. New Jersey licenses well drillers and pump installers, so ask for the license when you call, and see our hiring page.

Then have the water tested. EPA's sheet sends you to the local health department, and its private well page names flooding among the events that call for a test right away.

When can I drink it?

After a test says so, and not before. EPA's flood page is flat about it: no drinking from the well until the water has been tested. Line up other water for the house in the meantime. A lab report from before the flood does not answer this question. The items worth asking for are in our report story and in the nitrate and coliform brief.

What about the septic system and the water heater?

Both have their own rules, and both can wait their turn. The sewage system waits, by EPA's account, until the absorption field's water sits lower than the water around the house, and our septic flood page has more. Have a licensed professional inspect any flooded water heater, gas appliance or electrical equipment before use. Do not relight or restart them yourself. Our page for raised houses has more on the restart.

How do I make the next flood less of a problem?

Start with the cap. State rules want a casing securely capped until it goes into service or gets properly decommissioned, and FEMA's line above shows why a watertight cap matters. Ask your licensed well contractor whether yours is watertight. Ask about casing height too. If a flood destroys the well or you abandon it, the owner must have it decommissioned under a well driller of the proper class.