How To Prepare Your Private Well For Hurricane Season

With the start of summer comes the dangers and risks of hurricane season. While preparing for a large storm, homeowners typically shutter their windows and put any loose items away, but preparation is also needed for well pump owners. Hurricanes can cause structural damage to wells that may require some emergency plumbing repair services. The experts at North Florida Water System Inc, outline what you can add to your hurricane preparedness checklist to protect your well and the surrounding area. 

For professional testing and well water treatment, contact well pump repair professionals to schedule an appointment today for efficient water treatment services.

Before The Storm

Before a hurricane, it is important to clean up the area surrounding your well system. This will help cut down on the amount of debris that a storm can possibly send flying and damage your well. Moving flood water and high winds can also carry debris that can loosen a well’s hardware, dislodge well construction materials, or damage the well casing. 

Filling up tubs with water and stockpiling bottled water before the storm are also recommended. During a hurricane, it is common for flooding to occur in your well, so the bottled water will be good for drinking, cooking, and bathing. After sitting in the open for a couple of days, the water in your tubs and sinks is not safe to drink, but it can be used to flush toilets and to rinse off. 

Power outages are a common occurrence during a hurricane, and these can cause spikes and surges through electrical lines and can damage the electrical components of your pump. Right before the storm, make sure that you turn off the pump at the circuit breaker.

A common occurrence during hurricanes or tropical storms is power outages, which can cause spikes and surges through electrical lines and damage the electrical components of your pump. Ensure that you turn off the pump at the circuit breaker as close to the beginning of the hurricane as possible, and don’t turn it back on until after the floodwaters have receded.

After The Storm

Once the wind and rain have died down, and the hurricane has passed, your next steps depend on whether you experienced any flooding. If your system was flooded, you need to stay away from the pump because it can shock you. If there is damage or flooding, we recommend calling in one of your expert North Florida Plumbers.

Contaminants can sneak into your well when flooding occurs. This is normally indicated by cracks in the well casing or well cap, and any signs of erosion nearby the well may also mean that floodwaters have leaked into the well. If any electrical wires are still submerged in the well system, be careful because there is a risk of electrocution once your pump is turned back on.

If your well has no signs of flooding, take a look at the equipment to make sure there is no damage to your system. If you see any damage, we recommend calling in a professional before turning on or trying to operate the pump.

Disinfect Your Well

If you think that your well has been contaminated, avoid drinking the well water as it could contain different bacteria, pesticides, and other questionable elements. After power has been restored to your home, you will need to disinfect your well. While it is best to have a professional come in and disinfect your well, sometimes this isn’t a possibility after a hurricane. You can follow these steps to disinfect your well:

• Pour a bleach solution of two quarts of liquid chlorine laundry bleach and 10 gallons of water down into the well
• Open all the taps in your house and run the water until it begins to smell like chlorine
• Use a hose connected to an outdoor tap to put the water back into the well
• Avoid use of your taps for at least 24 hours after
• Run water through a garden hose until the chlorine is flushed from the system

This method will only work if the pH balance of your water is between six and seven. If you are unsure about the pH level of your well, it is safest to hire a plumber in North Florida to conduct the disinfection.