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’s water conservation website for ideas on how to conserve water on your property.

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.

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 “running dry” or is actually an electrical or mechanical issue with the well pump itself.

Well drillers and pump installers are licensed by the Department to install and repair wells and well pumping equipment.  These individuals must pass competency exams and maintain continuing education within their field to maintain licensure.  The Department maintains lists of licensed individuals and drilling companies, both of which can be obtained by selecting the “Online Reports” link when visiting the Department’s Well Permits and Information webpage.

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 or WellOwner.org.

It is possible that the pumping water level is being drawn down to the intake level of the submersible pump within your well.  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.

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.  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.  If your well was drilled into bedrock, it is possible that it could be deepened.

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.

Well owners are responsible for ensuring their well water is safe to drink.  Consider having your well’s water quality tested annually in accordance with the U.S. Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention recommendations.  Additional information, including NJ certified laboratories is available on the Department’s General Information on Residential Well webpage.  The NJ Private Well Testing Act (PWTA) website also contains further details on NJ-specific parameters, including mercury and uranium, based on the county in which the well is located.

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, or the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency’s Potable Water Program.

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.

Most wells contain caps and seals on the wellheads, which are designed to maintain the sanitary integrity of the well and water supply.  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.  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 “buried” and not accessible without excavation.

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.  This would pose serious problems to future removal of the pumping equipment for repairs or replacement

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.

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 “as-built” 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.

To search for well documents online you may select the “Online Reports” link on the Well Permits and Information webpage and select the WS WELL PERMITS reports. If you are unable to locate information utilizing this online tool, you may submit an Individual Well Search Questionnaire to the Bureau at Wellpermitting@njdepwptest.net for a more detailed search.  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.  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.