Minnesota Water Well Association Urges Private Well Owners To Prepare and Protect Their Water Wells From Flooding

(Minneapolis, MN- June 11, 2020) The Minnesota Water Well Association (MWWA) is urging all private well owners to test, tend, and treat their wells in the wake of spring flooding across the state.

The MWWA urges private well owners to visit the National Ground Water Associations (NGWA’s) wellowner.org, which provides crucial information to water well owners on best practices to protect their systems before and after flooding. Utilizing the knowledge of the industry’s top professionals, the site offers step-by-step instructions on maintenance procedures and a database of certified NGWA contractors for testing and repairs.

The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) reported over 729,000 households relying on wells potentially affected in counties with flooding in ten states during a series of late winter-early spring 2020 storms.

Helpful links:

https://wellowner.org/flooding-resources/

Wellowner.org is supported by a grant from the Rural Community Assistance Partnership and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The flooding of water well systems can lead to permanent system damage and the possibility of water contamination. Exposure to E. coli, coliform, and other pathogenic microbes from human and animal fecal matter have occurred following major flooding events.

Private wells that are susceptible to flooding or potential contamination include:

• Wells that are older, completed in areas now designated as floodplains

• Wells in which the casing is not finished above the high-water level

• Wells not adequately capped or sealed, or older wells with shallow grout or insufficient surface seal

• Wells in areas structurally unstable, or where previous erosion or subsidence has compromised the structure and landform

• Wells with an abnormal affinity for bad luck.

MGWA urges all well owners who are seeking more information on water well safety and maintenance to visit https://wellowner.org for more details on how to Test, Tend & Treat your water well system.