Have unused wells
properly sealed by a
licensed well driller to
protect your drinking
water.
Groundwater:
Everyone’s Resource,
Everyone’s Responsibility
An Unused Well
can be a
Monster of a
Problem!
For additional information
contact:
Michigan Water
Stewardship Program
Michigan Department of
Agriculture
P.O. Box 30017
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 335-6529
Or contact your local MSU
Extension or Conservation
District office for information
about local programs.
A properly plugged well
will prevent contaminants
from reaching the
groundwater.
Do you have an old well
lurking in your yard?
Groundwater: Everyone’s Resource,
Everyone’s Responsibility
Unused wells can be a
safety hazard:
You may have an unused
well if you have:
 Fertilizer, pesticides, bacteria,
 A 1- to 5-inch pipe sticking
sediment and other substances
can enter the well through a
deteriorated well cap or casing
pipe. Once in the well, they can
quickly move down, directly
contaminating groundwater.
 Unused wells can pose a safety
threat to animals or children,
who could fall into them.
 An unused well with a
deteriorated casing pipe may
allow groundwater to travel from
a contaminated aquifer into an
uncontaminated aquifer that
supplies drinking water.
 You may be held liable for
groundwater contamination from
your unused well. Properly
plugging a well reduces your
liability.
 Older wells made with steel
pipes are likely to fail, crack, or
leak due to rust and corrosion.
above the ground in your yard.
 A pipe coming into your
basement floor or wall from
outside.
 A concrete slab or manhole
cover may hide a well pit.
 A 1- to 3-foot ring of rocks,
bricks or concrete.
 A shallow depression in the yard.
 Windmills or hand pumps.
 City water that was installed
after the house was built.
To locate a hidden or buried
well:
 Check for well records with the
county health department or the
well driller.
 Ask neighbors or previous
property owners, who may
remember where a well was
located.
 Use a metal detector to find
driven or drilled wells with metal
casing pipes.
 Check old photographs and look
for windmills, sheds or well
casing pipes.
Properly plugging wells
 Wells are properly plugged using
specialized products like
bentonite or neat cement, which
prevents water movement
through the casing.
 If you have an unused well, have
it safely and legally plugged by a
licensed well driller.
 If you have a new well drilled, it
is easiest to have older unused
wells properly plugged at this
time.
 For more information on well
abandonment, contact your local
Michigan Groundwater
Stewardship Program or your
county health department.
Well water testing:
 Test your well water annually for
bacteria and nitrates.
 Other available tests include
arsenic, lead, volatile organic
compounds, and pesticides.
 Well water tests are available
from the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality.
 Contact your county health
department for testing
recommendations.