{"id":1368,"date":"2024-11-29T15:21:57","date_gmt":"2024-11-29T15:21:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/drought\/?page_id=1368"},"modified":"2024-11-29T15:21:57","modified_gmt":"2024-11-29T15:21:57","slug":"private-well-owner-faq","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/drought\/private-well-owner-faq\/","title":{"rendered":"Private Well Owner FAQ"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\"Well[\/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html css=””]JTNDZGl2JTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJjYXJvdXNlbC1jYXB0aW9uJTIwZC1tZC1ibG9jayUyMGQtc20tYmxvY2slMjIlM0UlMEElMDklM0NoMSUzRVByaXZhdGUlMjBXZWxsJTIwT3duZXIlMjBGQVElM0MlMkZoMSUzRSUwQSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRQ==[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_accordion style=”modern” color=”white” c_icon=”chevron” c_position=”right” active_section=”-1″ collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”1. Is there anything I can do to protect my well from being impacted by drought?” tab_id=”Q1″][vc_column_text css=””]The simplest action well owners can do to protect their water supply is to conserve water. The less water you use today will help protect your supply for tomorrow. Visit the Department\u2019s water conservation website<\/a> for ideas on how to conserve water on your property.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”2. How can I tell if my well is being impacted by drought?” tab_id=”Q2″][vc_column_text css=””]Well owners should look for warning signs such as increasing cloudiness, discoloration or a change in taste of their water. Additionally, changes to the sound of their well pumping equipment , a pump that runs longer than usual after water use, or lower water pressure can all be indications of a problem.<\/p>\n

If a well is exhibiting symptoms of running dry, a NJ licensed well driller or pump installer may be able to perform diagnostic tests to ascertain whether or not the problem is related to the well \u201crunning dry\u201d or is actually an electrical or mechanical issue with the well pump itself.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”3. Who should I contact if I am experiencing problems with my private well or well pumping equipment? ” tab_id=”Q3″][vc_column_text css=””]Well drillers and pump installers are licensed by the Department to install and repair wells and well pumping equipment.\u00a0 These individuals must pass competency exams and maintain continuing education within their field to maintain licensure.\u00a0 The Department maintains lists of licensed individuals and drilling companies, both of which can be obtained by selecting the \u201cOnline Reports\u201d link when visiting the Department\u2019s Well Permits and Information webpage<\/a>. <\/u><\/p>\n

Please note that licensed plumbers and other contractors are not authorized to work on wells, well pumps or any associated well equipment between the well and the main shutoff valve entering a realty improvement. Some other resources to find licensed individuals to work on wells are: NJ Groundwater Association<\/a> or WellOwner.org<\/a>.<\/u>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”4. If my well pump has been determined to be \u201crunning out of water\u201d and no longer pumping water, what are my options?” tab_id=”Q4″][vc_column_text css=””]It is possible that the pumping water level is being drawn down to the intake level of the submersible pump within your well.\u00a0 Depending on the depth of the well, it may be possible for a New Jersey licensed well driller or pump installer to lower the well pump elevation such that it is submerged further into the column of water within your well.<\/p>\n

If the low water is due to the well yield (amount of water produced by the well) diminishing over time since the initial installation of the well, it is possible that the well could be re-developed.\u00a0 There are several methods that a licensed well driller could employ, depending on the well construction and type of geology in which the well was installed.\u00a0 If your well was drilled into bedrock, it is possible that it could be deepened.<\/p>\n

If none of these options are determined appropriate by a licensed professional, you may need to have a replacement well drilled or potentially connect to a nearby public water system.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”5. How do I know if my well water is safe to drink? ” tab_id=”Q5″][vc_column_text css=””]Well owners are responsible for ensuring their well water is safe to drink.\u00a0 Consider having your well\u2019s water quality tested annually in accordance with the U.S. Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention recommendations<\/a>.\u00a0 Additional information, including NJ certified laboratories is available on the Department\u2019s General Information on Residential Well webpage<\/a>.\u00a0 The NJ Private Well Testing Act (PWTA) website<\/a> also contains further details on NJ-specific parameters, including mercury and uranium, based on the county in which the well is located.<\/p>\n

Funding for the remediation of private wells showing contaminants in excess of certain drinking water standards may be available either through the NJ Spill Fund<\/a>, or the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency\u2019s Potable Water Program<\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”6. How does a private well owner determine the water level in their individual well? ” tab_id=”Q6″][vc_column_text css=””]If a private well owner wishes to determine the water level in their individual well they should contact a New Jersey-licensed well driller or pump installer.<\/p>\n

Most wells contain caps and seals on the wellheads, which are designed to maintain the sanitary integrity of the well and water supply.\u00a0 Opening the well and disturbing any seals or gaskets may potentially jeopardize the integrity of the well and introduce contamination to the well components and water supply.\u00a0 Therefore, disinfection of the well and water supply should be performed by trained and licensed personnel. It should also be noted that many wells, especially those drilled prior to 2001, may be \u201cburied\u201d and not accessible without excavation.<\/p>\n

Attempts to insert water level measuring devices within the well may result in adverse impacts to the pumping equipment, such as getting objects lodged between the pumping equipment and well casing or borehole wall.\u00a0 This would pose serious problems to future removal of the pumping equipment for repairs or replacement<\/p>\n

Measuring the static (non-pumping) water level within a well may not provide any useful information to the owner, as there are many other parameters to be considered within the well and pumping system, such as the well yield, well depth, pump setting and pumping level\/drawdown.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”7. How can I find out information on my private well?” tab_id=”Q7″][vc_column_text css=””]The Bureau of Water Allocation and Well Permitting maintains records of well construction, typically in the form of a well drilling permit that is obtained prior to drilling and the well record, which is an \u201cas-built\u201d document showing the well construction details, including depth, diameter, casing material and type. This information may be obtained from the Bureau if your well was drilled after 1946.<\/p>\n

To search for well documents online you may select the \u201cOnline Reports\u201d link on the Well Permits and Information webpage<\/a> and select the WS WELL PERMITS reports. <\/u>If you are unable to locate information utilizing this online tool, you may submit an Individual Well Search Questionnaire <\/a>to the Bureau at Wellpermitting@deptest.nj.gov<\/a> for a more detailed search.\u00a0 If the Bureau is unable to locate any information on your well, you may contact your local health department as they may have copies of permits or construction details provided to their office.\u00a0 Finally, if you know the name of the drilling company that originally drilled your well or serviced\/installed a well pump, they may have this information.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_accordion][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””][\/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html css=””]JTNDZGl2JTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJjYXJvdXNlbC1jYXB0aW9uJTIwZC1tZC1ibG9jayUyMGQtc20tYmxvY2slMjIlM0UlMEElMDklM0NoMSUzRVByaXZhdGUlMjBXZWxsJTIwT3duZXIlMjBGQVElM0MlMkZoMSUzRSUwQSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRQ==[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_accordion style=”modern” color=”white” c_icon=”chevron” c_position=”right” active_section=”-1″ collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”1. Is there anything I can do to protect my well from being impacted by drought?” tab_id=”Q1″][vc_column_text css=””]The simplest action well owners can do to protect their water supply is to conserve water. The less water you use today will help protect your supply for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":397,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"fullwidth.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1368","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/drought\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/drought\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/drought\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/drought\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/397"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/drought\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/drought\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1368\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/drought\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}