Follow the basic steps from the National Ground Water Association to help you properly maintain your water well system. Routine maintenance can help eliminate water quality problems and prolong the life of your water well system.

Step #1: Is your water well system clean?
- A qualified water well system contractor can determine if your water well system needs cleaning by conducting tests that can indicate an accumulation of debris in the well. Make sure the water well system is clean before testing well water. Indicators of a dirty well may include cloudy water, low water flow, or taste and odor problems.

Step #2: Cleaning your water well system.
- If any tests indicate there is accumulation of debris in the well or if you are experiencing cloudy water, low water flow, or taste and odor problems, the National Ground Water Association recommends you have your well cleaned by a qualified professional water well system contractor. Attempting to clean the well with chlorine will not remove the debris from the well bottom; this is why a qualified professional water well system contractor should be used. A contractor can remove the debris from the bottom of the well and brush and clean to well casing to remove any solid material as well as lean and flush the gravel pack around the well and the natural formulation surrounding the well.

Step #3: Testing your well water.
- NGWA recommends well owners test their water annually for bacteria, nitrates/nitrites, and any contaminants of local concern, more frequently than once a year if there is a change in taste, odor or appearance of the well water, if family members have recurrent incidents of gastrointestinal illness, if an infant is living in the home, or if you wish to monitor the efficiency and performance of home water treatment equipment.

Step #4: Water well system treatment
- After proper cleaning and disinfection, if any contaminants are above levels of health concern, it does not mean you cannot use your ground water. A qualified professional water well system contractor can advise you on how to proceed; a water treatment device may resolve any water quality issues.

Contact NGWA for more information: www.wellowner.org or www.ngwa.org
OR download the NGWA's Eight Tips for Maintaining Your Well

Other sites of interest: www.iwwa.org (The Iowa Water Well Association’s purpose is to maintain an organization to assist, promote, encourage and support the interests and welfare of the water well industries in the State of Iowa.)