Protect your well from storm water runoff

There is a concrete pipe that drains storm water runoff next to our back yard. When we get a lot of rain, I’m amazed at the gunk that comes out of that pipe. As storm water flows over the land, it picks up all kinds of contaminants. Research shows that drinking water wells inundated with storm water runoff are likely to be contaminated with bacteria and other pollutants. 

Sharon Skipton is retired water quality educator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She says the best way to tell if your well is at risk is to pay attention when it rains.

"What we recommend is for a person to go out into their yard during a heavy rain event – not when it’s lightening of course, because that would be dangerous – and just watch the flow," says Skipton. "Watch to see how much rain water flows across the property, what direction it flows, does it flow toward the well. If it is flowing toward and over the well, that’s when we’re concerned."

A good rule of thumb is that the runoff shouldn’t come any closer than 10-feet of the well. If you find the storm water is too close, Skipton says there are a number of things you can do. Direct down spouts into a grassy area away from the well, or into a rain barrel to use later. You can also reduce the flow to minimize the runoff.

"Using gravel, or rock, or bricks, or woodchips for their walkways, their patios, instead of using solid paving, and then the moisture will soak in," she says. "They can landscape to slow the flow of runoff, they can provide areas where water can soak in, areas like rain gardens. They can grade the yard to direct the runoff away from the well."

Also be sure the well casing extends above the ground by at least a-foot, and the casing and cap are watertight.