Virginia Department of Health urges private well owners to test for contamination post-hurricane

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – During hurricane season, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is urging residents with a private well to check it out for signs of water contamination.

According to the VDH, a well should be considered contaminated if it was submerged, or if it is believed that the well became submerged at any point during the hurricane.

People with a submerged well are urged to not turn on the pump until the electrical system is completely dried out. Steps on disinfecting a contaminated well once the electrical system is safe can be found here .

Water from a contaminated well should not be consumed until two separate bacteriological testing 24-hours apart indicates the water is no longer contaminated. Certified labs to test drinking water can be found here .

VDH states if you are unsure if your well was flooded during a hurricane, to assume it has been contaminated and to use another source of water until the well has been disinfected.

More information about contaminated wells can be found on VDH’s website here .

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