FY19 WRRI Matt Waters Lake Tristan Orndorff

ALABAMA PRIVATE WELL PROGRAM

The Alabama Private Well Program increases access to private well resources to empower, engage, and equip well users with the resources needed to protect their water systems.

core values

Delivering meaningful information to homeowners with private wells.

Educating well owners on the importance of proper well stewardship.

Serving as a resource for well owners and Extension personnel to obtain answers and information.

WELL WATER IN ALABAMA

Thousands of Alabama residents rely on private water systems for water used for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and bathing. In fact, The Alabama Office of Water Resources reported that 11 percent of the population in Alabama relied on private wells in 2015.  

With well ownership comes a specific set of responsibilities, as private well owners are responsible for the maintenance, testing, and treatment of their own water system. Wells can become contaminated through improper construction practices, failed maintenance, or poor stewardship practices around the well. Carefully monitoring and keeping a detailed record of the well can help in preventing future problems from occurring, while continuous testing can help assure safe drinking water quality for household utilizing the private well.  

Read more about private wells and the aquifers you can find in Alabama here:  

HOW TO TEST YOUR WELL WATER

Water should be tested regularly for contamination. Even if a well appears clean and has no irregular smells, invisible microorganisms can be present and pose major health risks to those using the water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that well owners check for mechanical issues each spring and perform a water quality test at least once a year. In addition to ensuring that the water is safe for drinking, a regular testing schedule helps establish a water quality record for the well.  

Do you need to get your well water tested? 

We have a few different options in Alabama.

If you’d like to do a general screening of water quality aspects the AU Soil, Forage, and Water Testing laboratory can do an educational screening of metals & pH of water quality (hardness, pH, nitrate, total dissolved solids, iron, cadmium, aluminum, etc.). Note that this lab is not a certified drinking water lab and is only to be used as an initial screen of the water quality. Prices range from $30-$15 depending on your testing needs. This laboratory also does not offer bacteria testing. Click here for a link to the form that covers the different types of testing, as well as sampling and shipping instructions.
  • The W401 is the most basic test ($15) and includes elemental analysis of the water for the following metals:  Arsenic, barium, cadmium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, boron, aluminum, nickel, sodium, and chromium. This does not include nitrate testing.
  • The W301 ($25) covers all of the above, plus pH, nitrate, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids.
  • The W201 ($30) is the same as the W301, plus testing for sulfate. 
If you’re interested in this laboratory and need information about collecting and shipping a sample, the contact information is:
AU Soil, Forage, and Water Lab 
961 S. Donahue Drive, Auburn University, AL 36849-5411 
(334) 844-3958 
 
If you need a test for the presence of bacteria in the water, the Alabama Department of Public Health can provide this service. Your County Health Department should have sampling containers at their office, but it is best to call beforehand to confirm. Visit our interactive map to find an ADPH location near you, and see below for a video about how to collect a sample. 
We have a certified chemical laboratory in AL. This means they have gone through certification with the AL Department of Environmental Management and may offer extended testing options such as organic chemicals, here is an in-state lab that offers mail-in samples:
Guardian Systems
(205) 699-6647

TESTING WITH THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

CONTACT US

Find more resources at aub.ie/wellwater

Questions? Contact Jessie Curl, ACES Water Program Project Coordinator 

Email: jcurl@auburn.edu 

Phone: 334.844.3809

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why does my well water have a bad smell?

Does your water smell like rotten eggs?  That is the most common complaint we hear about bad smelling well water.  If so, the odor is due to hydrogen sulfide and is naturally occurring.  There are some actions that can reduce the odor once you identify the source.  If you notice the odor from your hot water tap (but not from the cold water) the source is your hot water heater.  The hot water heater allows the bacteria that generates the gas to survive, but also the anode (which is usually made of magnesium) generates the energy to form the sulfide gas.  If the odor is in the hot water you may want to contact a plumber to replace the anode in your hot water heater.  If the odor is throughout your water system, it may be due to residual bacteria in your well or storage tank – if so, contact a licensed pump installer or well driller to shock-chlorinate your well.  Know that this is not a permanent solution because the bacteria and the source of sulfide are naturally occurring, and the odor will return.  You may also install a water treatment system to eliminate the odor.  An activated carbon filter will remove low concentrations of the hydrogen sulfide gas.  Higher concentrations of odor-causing gas can be treated with manganese greensand filters or oxidation filtration systems for hydrogen sulfide gas. 

Where can I find information about a private water well?

Because private well water systems are not federally regulated, it is crucial for private well owners to stay informed about the status of their well and the quality of the water from the well. In some states, records of water wells are available for public viewing. In Alabama, some well construction information can be found on the Geological Survey of Alabama’s (GSA) website. However, these may not be the most up-to-date records for private well owners. Records of private wells are combined with both industrial and irrigation well records.

The GSA has accrued an estimated 100,000+ hardcopy well records since being designated a repository for well data. Information in the records is derived from the ADEM Form 060 submitted by well drillers/owners, historic records from the US Geological Survey, and other official sources. In 2014, the GSA partnered with the Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) to create a database for this information at www.gsa.state.al.us/gsa/groundwater/wellrecords.

To search for well records in your area, click on the county of interest. This will generate a new map with a series of green dots each corresponding to a well location. View some of the records on file in your county to get a general understanding of typical well depths and diameters in your area.

I've lived on this property my whole life and have never tested the well water. Should I?

The short answer is YES!

The average American consumes 1 to 2 liters of drinking water per day, making water quality a top priority for human health and safety. Although a well may not appear to have any issues, well water quality can change over time because of natural or human-induced contaminants. Private well water quality is not federally or state regulated, so it is crucial for private well owners to test their water regularly to ensure that their drinking water is safe.

Well water testing is not a regulated public service offered by municipalities in the same sense as public water systems. If people want their water tested, it is their responsibility to reach out to the health department or private testing lab to obtain a sampling kit. Private well owners should check their water quality regularly for bacterial contamination. Even if a well appears clean and has no irregular smells, invisible microorganisms can still be present and pose major health risks to those using the water. In addition to ensuring that the water is safe for drinking, a regular testing schedule helps establish a water quality record for a well. 

Where should I drill a well?

The Water Well Standards Act of 1988 outlines the following location recommendations for water well placement on properties:

  • 2 feet from projections or roofs of adjacent building
  • 10 feet from secondary electrical services
  • 75 feet from primary electrical services
  • 100 feet from septic tank or field lines
  • 150 feet from cesspool or storage lagoon
  • 150 feet from livestock/pet shelters, feed storage facilities, or pesticide and fertilizer storage areas