County Authorities: Water Advisories for Private Supplies

If you’re not on a public water supply—and there are parts of Phoenixville Borough as well as the surrounding townships that have wells—and your well was submerged in the flooding caused by Hurricane Irene, county authorities advise against drinking from the tap.

Chester County officials issued a press release that points to a “serious public health threat” from wells submerged by floodwaters.

“Wells that have been inundated by floodwater should not be used until they have been tested,” the press release, issued by the Chester County Health Department, warns. “Wells that have been submerged may be seriously contaminated with chemicals, bacteria, oils and other substances detrimental to your health.”

The Montgomery County Health Department offered up a similar warning for those with private water supplies submerged by Irene.

Chester County listed the following for those with private water supplies. Remember that this only applies if you have a well that was submerged by flooding from the hurricane.

• Do not drink the water from your well at this time. Use bottled water instead.
• If you must use water from the flooded well, boil the water for 2-5 minutes. Allow the water to cool sufficiently before use to avoid scalding.
• Do not use the well water for washing, bathing, oral hygiene, or ice-making.
• Once the floodwaters have receded, inspect your well to ensure that it has not been damaged. If there is damage, contact a well drilling contractor and continue to drink bottled water until the well is repaired.
• If the well is not damaged, run the water from an outside garden hose spigot until the water runs clear and free of mud and sediments.
• Contact a professional well driller or plumbing contractor and have your well disinfected by chlorination. The well must stand, unused for 8 to 24 hours once this has been done. After that time, run the water until the chlorine is out of the system.
• Wait several days after chlorination and have the water tested.

For a list of state Department of Environmental Protection-certified water testing labs in Chester County, see the list here. In Montgomery County, the health department’s laboratory will offer free testing for bacteria. See the full Montgomery County press release by visiting the website and clicking “Flooded Private Wells” under the news section.