Last checked: October 22, 2026

If your property already has a well

Maybe you just moved in, or you've lived with a well for years without thinking about it. Either way, the well is now yours to look after. Here's a step-by-step way to get to know it: find the paperwork, look at the wellhead, get a baseline water test, learn what equipment you have and how old it is, check for old wells, and set up simple yearly upkeep. Still shopping for a house? Start with buying a home with a well instead.

1. Find the well and its records

• Find the wellhead. On a drilled well it's usually a pipe (the casing) sticking up out of the ground with a cap on top. In older homes, Minnesota's health department says wells are sometimes in a small basement room, often under exterior concrete steps, or in a pit.¹
• Find the well log. A well log (well construction report) records the depth, casing, geology, water level and often the yield measured when the well was drilled. NGWA says contractors must file well logs with the state when a new well is finished, and owners should keep a copy.⁴
• Search your state's database. Many states have one. For example, the Minnesota Well Index, Wisconsin DNR well records, Ohio DNR water well logs and Indiana DNR water well records.⁶⁷⁸⁹ Your state page links others where we've found them.
• Older wells may have no record. Minnesota didn't require state well records before 1974,¹ and Virginia's health department says private well records weren't required there before 1990.¹⁰ Look for information written on the pressure tank, control box or well-room wall, old bills, and permits on file with your county or town.¹
• Ask the previous owner for the well log, sealing records, water test reports, and repair and maintenance records.³

2. Look at the cap, casing and location

NGWA suggests these checks you can do yourself:⁵

• The casing sticks up at least 12 inches above the ground and looks sound.
• The cap is secure, its seals are intact, and it keeps out insects and rodents.
• The ground slopes away from the casing so runoff doesn't pond around it.
• No paint, fertilizer, pesticides or motor oil are stored nearby, and kennels or livestock areas are at least 50 feet away.

Septic distance. On a rural lot, the septic system is usually the nearest contamination source, and required distances are set by the state or county. Two published examples: Georgia's well standards and FHA's minimum for new construction both call for 50 feet from a septic tank and 100 feet from the drain field.¹¹¹² Ask your local health department what applies to you. More in the buying guide's setback section.

What kind of well is it? A dug well (often a wide ring of concrete, tile, brick or stone) is shallow and not continuously cased, which EPA says makes it more prone to contamination than a drilled well.¹³¹ See how a private well works.

3. Get a baseline water test

A first full test gives you a record to compare against later.

• Every year: CDC recommends testing for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH.¹⁴
• At least once, then every few years: add what's common in your area. For example, Maine CDC recommends testing every 3–5 years for arsenic, hardness, iron, lead, manganese, radon, uranium and more.¹⁵ Your county page lists local recommendations where we cover it.
• If there's treatment, test the treated water too, to see whether the equipment is working; Minnesota's health department says to test after installing treatment.¹⁶ Testing the raw water before treatment shows what the system has to handle (see the buying guide).

Use a state-certified lab, then check your numbers with the free Well Test Results Checker. More: how often to test and the best way to test.

4. Know your equipment and its age

Write down what you have and, where you can find it, when it was installed: the pump (submersible or jet), the pressure tank, the pressure switch, and any treatment (sediment filter, softener, iron filter, UV, reverse osmosis). Labels, receipts and the well log help. For published lifespans:

• Well: NGWA says most residential wells are designed to last 20 or more years;⁵ Minnesota's health department says 25 to 50 years is more common.¹
• Pressure tank: about 10 years, though some last 30, according to University of Nebraska Extension.¹⁷
• Pump: our sources don't give a typical lifespan; NGWA notes pumps typically wear out before the well does.⁵

Each part, its warning signs and its upkeep are explained in your well system explained.

5. Look for old, unused wells

Older and farm properties often have more than one well.¹ Minnesota's health department says an unused well that isn't properly sealed can act like a drain, giving runoff and contaminated water a direct path into groundwater, and that people and animals can fall into open wells.²

What to look for (from Minnesota's list):²¹

• A pipe sticking out of the basement floor, a concrete patch in the floor, or glass block or a patch in an exterior step
• A low or sunken spot in the yard, a metal, wood or concrete cover, or an area that stays wet
• A windmill, old well house or old pump
• A ring of concrete, tile, brick or stone (often a dug well)

What to do. Rules vary by state. In Minnesota, an unused well generally must be sealed, and only a licensed well contractor may seal it; the contractor files a sealing record and you get a copy.² Ask your state well program or health department about your state's rules, and get several estimates; Minnesota notes sealing can cost less if a contractor is already on site.²

6. Set up routine upkeep

• Test every year with a certified lab.¹⁴
• Look at the cap, casing and ground around the well at least once a year.¹⁸
• Have a licensed professional inspect the system every year, as NGWA recommends.⁵
• Keep the well log, test results, repair records and filter change dates together.⁵
• Know where the pump breaker and the main shutoff valve are.¹⁷

Red flags: call a professional

NGWA says not to wait for an annual check if you notice any of these:⁵

• Changes in the water's taste, smell, color or clarity
• Less water than before, pressure that drops and surges, or a pump that cycles on and off often
• A positive bacteria test (also contact your local health department)
• A cracked or loose cap, damaged casing, or signs of flooding at the wellhead
• Any time the well has been opened

Who to call

• Well, casing, cap, sealing old wells: a licensed well contractor or driller.
• Pump, pressure tank, switch: a licensed pump installer or well contractor.
• Water testing: a state-certified lab.
• Treatment equipment: the dealer that installed it or a water treatment professional.

Find licensed well drillers, pump installers and certified labs in our directory.

Related guides

• Selling a home with a well: a guide for real estate agents
• Your well system explained
• Buying a home with a well
• Getting a new well drilled
• How often to test a private well
• Shock chlorinating a well