ALABAMA PRIVATE WELL PROGRAM
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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.
- 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.
TESTING WITH THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
MORE INFORMATION
Additional resources can be found on the Alabama Cooperative Extension System website. Visit aub.ie/wellwater for more information about well water maintenance, testing, and treatment recommendations.
Water Well Construction Standards
Interpreting Drinking Water Test Results
Common Contaminants Found in Well Water
Decommissioning Unused or Abandoned Wells
Where to Get Your Well Water Tested
Specific Treatment Options for Water Well Owners
General Treatment Options for Wells
Problems With Water Yield in Private Water Wells
Flooded Wells: Shock Chlorination
How to Take a Well Water Sample
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.
How can I reduce lead exposure in my drinking water?
If you have reason to believe lead is present in your water: Flush the cold water faucet by allowing the water to run until you can feel that the water has become cold. This will eliminate the use of water that has been standing in the piping and plumbing. Never cook with or consume water from the hot water tap. Hot water dissolves copper more quickly than cold water. If you are served by a community water system, contact responsible personnel and ask whether or not the water is corrosive. If it is corrosive, ask what steps the system is taking to deal with the problem of copper contamination. If you are served by a private water system, have it checked for corrosiveness. Purchase a home water treatment unit that is designed to reduce the corrosiveness of your water or one to remove lead and copper from drinking water. Use bottled water that is lead and copper-free for drinking and cooking until you have eliminated your problem.
I have bacteria present in my water - what should I do?
If water quality test results show bacterial contamination, the source of contamination should be determined and remediated as soon as possible. This eliminates the risk of continued contamination by this source. An immediate remedy for bacterial contamination of a well is to disinfect or shock-chlorinate the well with chlorine bleach. Shock chlorination is a temporary measure, and bacteria will likely return if the source of the contamination is not addressed.
Shock chlorination can be used to disinfect a well by introducing a high concentration of chlorine to water for at least 12 to 24 hours. Concentrated chlorine solutions can be dangerous, so wear personal protective equipment (gloves, goggles, and a protective apron) when handling them. The bleach solution is mixed based on the volume of water present in the water system, so check the depth, diameter, and water level of the well. To reduce the risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals and to protect the well components, a licensed well driller or pump installer should disinfect the well.
See the Alabama Department of Environmental Management website for a list of licensed well drillers in Alabama.
Well owners wishing to conduct shock chlorination may refer to either the Water Systems Council information sheets or instructions in the Alabama Extension publication “Flooded Wells: Shock Chlorination” (ANR- 2512). For recurring bacteria problems, identify the source and implement continuous disinfection.
Continuous chlorination systems can be attached after the well head pump. These will inject a chlorine solution or dry powder into the water ahead of the storage tank. Sediment filters are recommended with these systems.
The effectiveness of chlorination depends on many factors:
- Contact time is the amount of time water is in contact with chlorine.
- Water quality refers to how untreated water can affect chlorination, as some contaminants, such as iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and organic materials, or how other characteristics of the water, such as pH, can affect the chlorine and make it unavailable for the targeted contaminants. This can be addressed by pretreatment.
- Water temperature and pH can affect chlorination. Ideal conditions are considered high temperatures with low pH. Water may also contain some natural organic chemicals from the breakdown of plants and leaves, which can combine with chlorine to form chemicals called trihalomethanes (THMs). Activated carbon filters can be used to remove THMs.
Ultraviolet (UV) light is effective in treating bacterial contamination in well water systems. Unlike chlorination, UV radiation treatment can be fast without adding anything to the water or causing additional taste or odor. Water is exposed through UV radiation as it flows over a glass sleeve encasing a UV light bulb. Because the pathogens need to be exposed to UV light, suspended particles in the untreated water may interfere with treatment. Therefore, UV treatment is often paired with a filtration method and should be the last treatment used in a sequence. Water with high amounts of calcium and magnesium may also coat the glass sleeve with a scale, so the unit should be routinely cleaned. Manufacturers should provide information on cleaning the system and replacing bulbs.
Ozone is a highly reactive gas commonly used in water treatment to kill bacteria and some viruses. This method of treatment is relatively expensive and may be useful where multiple water quality problems must be addressed.
Boiling water for about 1 minute kills most bacteria. This method can be used during emergencies and can only treat small amounts of water at a time. It is not a long- term or continuous option for water supply disinfection.
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
How should I treat my water?
Before you decide to implement treatment, it is good practice to follow these steps:
1. Have the water tested
2. Review the lab results to determine if any problems exist
3. Contact the Alabama Private Well Program for help in understanding test results
4. Implement treatment if necessary
How can I tell if my water has iron bacteria?
Water containing iron bacteria will often have a reddish color and may have an objectionable odor. However, that is not always the case, so a good indicator is pink, reddish or orange-colored and stringy or slimy-looking growth near the water line in the holding tank for your toilet. If bleach is added to the tank, the bacteria will disintegrate and the iron will fall to the bottom of the tank. To treat for this type of problem, the bacteria must be killed. Chlorine bleach is frequently used to kill the bacteria. Disinfection of the entire water distribution system, including the well, may successfully treat this problem without reoccurrence. If the bacteria recolonize, continuous disinfection and physical filtration will be required to eliminate the problem.
Can you recommend a local treatment professional or a well driller?
For well drillers, it is strongly recommended to work with a certified well driller. For work on your well, look for someone with a National Ground Water Association certification. For water treatment specialists, look for those who have a Water Quality Association certification. The best way to find reputable local people is to talk to friends and neighbors about their personal experiences.