Water Potability

As of this time, there is no water alert issued for the City of Palm Bay.

Private Water Well Safety

Water from a well that has been flooded should be assumed to be contaminated. Do not use the well water for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, or even bathing until you are satisfied that the water is not contaminated.

Floodwater can be contaminated by substances from upstream, such as sewage from flooded septic systems or wastewater treatment plants, manure, pesticides or fertilizer applied to cropland that was flooded. A septic system in the vicinity of a well also can cause contamination when the soil is flooded. Wells that are inside pits may be flooded even if the surface is not covered with water.

In order to ensure that the water is safe, the well should be disinfected, then the water should be tested to make sure pathogens have been completely eliminated. This is not a concern if you are on the City’s Utilities System, which provides safe and reliable drinking water.

The procedure for decontaminating a private drinking well is as follows:

1. Turn off electric power to the pump and remove the well cap.
2. Prepare a bleach and water solution and pour the solution into the top of the well; the amount of bleach depends on the depth of water in the well and the diameter of the well casing.
3. Recirculate the water by connecting a hose to a faucet and spraying the water back into the well for at least 10 minutes.
4. Open every faucet in the system and let the water run until the smell of chlorine can be detected, then close all the faucets and seal the top of the well.
5. Allow the chlorinated water to stand in the system for a minimum of 12 hours, preferably 24 hours.
6. The following day, operate the pump by turning on all faucets, beginning with those outside, and flushing until there is no chlorine odor.

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