Well Water Testing

In response to the flooding associated with Hurricane Helene, the Henderson County Department of Public Health will provide well water sampling at no charge to residents of Henderson County impacted by the storm.

Henderson County Environmental Health is working to ensure flooded wells or wells that were damaged during the storm provide safe water for use at home. A flooded well is one where water has risen over the top of the well at any point during the storm. Additionally, wells may sustain structural damage. Any well that was flooded or damaged will need to be disinfected. 

Well water testing will be provided at no charge for wells that were flooded or damaged. This testing is solely for determining the presence of coliform bacteria and E. coli in existing private drinking water wells following disinfection. Free testing will be available through December 31, 2024. 

Post-flood well water samples can only be collected by this department following performance of the recovery steps described in the How to Keep Wells Safe After Flood guidance.

Request a Well Water Sample

Before requesting a well water sample, please ensure the following steps are complete:

• Power has been restored
• Well has been disinfected
• Property and wellhead are accessible

To request well water collection by the Henderson County Department of Public Health, please fill out the Storm Response Well Water Testing Request Form or call our office at (828) 694-6060.

The completed form can be emailed to HCDPH_EnvHealth@hendersoncountync.gov or brought to our office at 1200 Spartanburg Hwy, Hendersonville, NC.

Update 11/1/24: Private well owners living in Henderson County who have flooded or damaged wells can pick up free well disinfection kits while supplies last.

Applying for a Well Repair Permit

Please complete a well repair application by visiting our office at 1200 Spartanburg Hwy, Hendersonville. If you have internet access, the application can also be completed through the Citizen Portal. Please call us at (828) 694-6060 with any questions. 

After a flood, the following steps can help ensure that your well is safe for use:

1. If extensive flooding to the well has occurred, do not drink the water. Use your water reserves and bottled water until your well water has been tested.
2. Contact a driller if you think your well needs to be serviced.
3. If you live near animal feeding operations, agricultural fields where pesticides are applied or industrial chemical factories, you should contact the health department for additional testing, especially if you smell fuel or chemicals in your water.

If there is bacterial contamination, do not use contaminated water for drinking, cooking, making ice, bathing in any form or washing clothes or dishes. Use an alternative water source until bacteria is no longer detected in your water. Alternative sources include bottled water, a source you know isn't contaminated or boiling your water for five minutes before use.

If you have a well that has been flooded the water should be tested and disinfected after flood waters recede. It is strongly recommended to call a licensed well driller to shock chlorinate the well if it has been flooded. A water well driller will have access to more effective products and will have equipment and experience that a typical well owner will not have.

How do I shock chlorinate my well?

For more information about well water and health, visit https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/oee/programs/wellwater.html.

Hurricane Helene Response Water Testing is only available for residents of Henderson County with existing private drinking water wells. If you are on the City of Hendersonville Water and Sewer System, please visit Hendersonville Water and Sewer Water Alerts. Refer to the Current Water System Alert Status Map to check if your property is still under a System Pressure Advisory or if it has been cleared.