Step-by-Step Well Inspection Checklist

When it comes to something as vital as the flow of clean water to your home, you want to feel confident. A well inspection is an essential step to ensuring a steady supply of pure water from your property’s water source. Well inspections help protect you against water contamination and prevent you from being left in a tough spot by system failure down the line. In this well inspection checklist, we’ll explain the top things your inspector should be on the lookout for.

What Is a Well Inspection?

There are a few main things you can expect an inspector to have on their water well inspection checklist when they make their visit to your home. They check the rate of your well’s pump, its output volume, and the condition of all of the well’s parts to ensure it’s in good working order. They’re also responsible for water testing to make sure your water supply is free of harmful bacteria and other hazardous contaminants. Getting regular, thorough well inspections is a great way to help prevent bigger issues down the line. 

In the U.S., wells are fairly common in more rural areas, while urban and suburban properties are generally connected to a larger water system. If you have a well, it will be visible somewhere on your property, and it’s recommended to have it inspected at least once a year. You can expect to pay between $250 and $550 for your well inspection, with the price depending on the well type, depth, and the extent of the inspection (e.g., specialized water tests).

Well Components

There are four main components that need to be examined in most types of wells. This ensures they’re in good working order and don’t pose a risk to the system or the purity of the water. These components are:

1. Well Cover

The well cover is any kind of lid or covering that protects the top of the well, ensuring animals and other contaminants can’t enter it. It also helps keep children and pets safe from falling in.

2. Well Casing

The well casing is the metal outer edge of the well’s interior, stopping soil and earth from mixing in with clean well water. If you have a driven or dug well, your inspector will remove the well cover to inspect the casing, making sure it’s in good condition and free of rust, cracks, or holes. If you have a newer drilled well, the inspector will likely inspect the casing from the outside instead.

3. Annular Seal

The annular seal protects your well’s water from mixing with surface water run-off, helping to prevent contamination. The well inspector should check that the seal hasn’t shrunk, collapsed, or failed in any spots and will make note of any spaces that should be resealed with bentonite, a kind of absorbent clay.

4. Pump Electricals and Piping

Your inspector will also check any other electrical and piping parts that make up the well system. Depending on the type of well and pump being used, your inspector might check:

• Electrical switches

• Wires

• Capacitors

• Valves

• Pipe fittings 

This step of the process will help you determine well pump repair costs if you’re in need of an update to your water system.

Well Yield and Performance

Well inspections aren’t just about checking the condition of components. They also look at the performance of the well to make sure it’s up to standard. Well inspectors will conduct a well yield test to estimate the water pressure flow rate. This is done to ensure water is available, even in times of drought, and helps you determine whether you’ll need to factor a well pump replacement cost into this year’s budget.

A well yield test is done by turning on the water at a fixture (e.g., sink, bathtub, etc.) and measuring its flow as water is continuously run from the well. Your inspector will measure the amount of water drawn from the well and the water level in the well—this figure is known as the well’s drawdown. The goal of a well yield test is to achieve an equilibrium when the well’s drawdown is stable at a given rate of water flow. The standard is to have 25 feet of water above the pump—this helps the pump run efficiently and provides a buffer in case of water shortages.

Water Quality

Oil, paints, fertilizers, pesticides, and countless other contaminants can potentially enter your wellwater supply, posing a serious health risk. Regular water quality testing ensures your water is free of these hazards, as well as from harmful bacteria. Depending on the environment and location of the well, your inspector might run a number of tests, such as:

• Coliform bacteria test

• Nitrate test

• Excess metals test (e.g., iron, manganese)

• Water hardness test

• Water sulfides test

If you notice any change in the odor, taste, or appearance of the water from your well, you should get in touch with a local well inspection expert as soon as possible.

Inspecting Different Types of Wells

There are three main kinds of wells, and each has its own unique features, pros, and cons.

1. Dug Wells

Dug wells are probably what jumps to mind when you think of a water well. These are a traditional type of well that uses shallow groundwater as a source and stones or cement tiles as a casing. This type of well is easily contaminated and greatly affected by water shortages.

Dug wells are inspected by removing the lid, listening for water seepage, and visually assessing the inside of the well with the help of a flashlight. They’ll also check the water itself for purity and potability.  

2. Driven Wells

Similar to a dug well, driven wells rely on an existing reservoir of groundwater. Rather than digging out a pit, however, driven wells are built by pushing a steel pipe into the ground, which acts as the casing. They’re easily contaminated and might also have water supply issues due to compacted earth.

As with dug wells, driven wells are usually inspected visually to make sure the casing isn’t leaking or otherwise damaged. The inspector may also inspect the earth around the surface of the well to ensure material isn’t settling around it.

3. Drilled Wells

Drilled wells are the modern method of extracting water from the ground. High-powered drills break down bedrock to access deep groundwater reservoirs. These wells are built with modern protections, such as screening, sealant, and steel casing, as well as pumps and other modern components to work more efficiently. They are far less likely to become contaminated, and, overall, they’re the most reliable well type for water flow and yield. But they do require more maintenance.

Drilled wells have the most in-depth inspection process. In addition to checking the casing, lid, and other physical components, your inspector should also check to ensure the pump and related components are functioning properly.