If your family draws water from a private well, you are probably concerned about maintaining the well correctly to prevent it from becoming contaminated with pollutants. Regular maintenance goes a long way to ensuring your family continues to drink clean, fresh water into the future. Here are some tips gathered from state environmental agencies on proper private well maintenance:

• Check regularly to make sure there are no cracks or deformities in the casing or seal of your well. Replace any old or worn out seals immediately. Make sure there is no debris accumulated on the wellhead.
• Disinfect the well thoroughly right after drilling it, then again any time a repair is completed or a bad sample is detected — essentially, anytime outside objects or water are introduced inside the well. Disinfecting can be done with ordinary bleach, but avoid scented bleach, as the scent is a contaminant. For a more detailed guide to disinfecting a well, refer to this fact sheet from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
• Grade the ground surface around the well so that surface water is kept away.
• Make sure to store any hazardous chemicals, such as paint, motor oil, pesticides and weed killer, at least 50 feet away from the well. 
• Test water regularly for any signs of contamination.
• Use backflow prevention devices on hoses and other outdoor water sources to keep polluted surface water from back-siphoning into the system.

Finally, once you have determined that your well is clean and functioning, make sure to conserve this precious resource for the future by being conscious and conservative in your water use. To have your well checked for safety by accredited inspectors, or to schedule a home inspection, call Alban Inspections at 800-822-7200.