Emergency Well Treatment

Emergency Treatment for Used Wells

If your well has been contaminated or you suspect that it may be contaminated, DON’T drink the water. Contact your local, state, or tribal health department for specific advice. You need to properly disinfect or treat the water and have it tested before drinking/using the water!

If your well has been contaminated (or you think it may have been contaminated), drink bottled water or clean water from another source. If none of these options are available, follow Boil Water Advisory (BWA) guidelines to minimize the risk of contracting a waterborne illness.

Please remember that boiling water that has been chemically contaminated will not provide any health benefits. During a chemical contamination, you should not use the water for any use, including drinking and bathing. Contact your local, state, or tribal health department for specific advice.

Disinfecting Wells Following an Emergency (CDC)
What to Do After the Flood (Environmental Protection Agency)
Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water (Environmental Protection Agency)
Emergency Well Disinfection after Mass Flooding (Ground Water Science)

Related Links

Here at CDC

Disinfecting Wells Following an Emergency

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Around the Web (Non-governmental)

Emergency Well Disinfection after Mass Flooding (Ground Water Science)

This icon indicates a link leading outside of this CDC Web site. While this external link provides additional information that is consistent with the intended purpose of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), not all external links will lead to federal websites. CDC cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal site, and linking to a non-federal site does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the site. You will be subject to the destination site’s privacy policy when you follow any link so indicated.

Please note: Some of these publications are available for download only as *.pdf files. These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be viewed. Please review the information on downloading and using Acrobat Reader software.