Managing a shared well in Arizona comes with significant responsibilities. Ensuring a safe and sustainable water supply requires regular testing, proper maintenance, and an understanding of local groundwater conditions. Arizona’s groundwater resources are under strain, as water withdrawals often exceed the natural rate of recharge. As a result, domestic well managers must be proactive in monitoring their well’s vulnerability, maintaining water quality, and implementing proper upkeep to secure their drinking water supply for the long term.
WELL MAINTENANCE: BEST PRACTICES FOR ARIZONA WELL MANAGERS
If you are among the hundreds of thousands of Arizonans who rely on a private well system, establishing a routine maintenance schedule and a method for record-keeping is essential. Regular inspections and testing will help identify potential issues early, ensuring safe water quality and efficient system operation. Your maintenance schedule should include:
- Annual water quality testing for bacteria, nitrates, pH levels, and total dissolved solids (TDS).
- Regular inspections of the wellhead, water treatment systems, and septic systems.
- Keeping detailed records of well performance, test results, and any repairs or modifications.
Unlike public water systems, domestic wells—whether private or shared—are not regulated by state, county, or local agencies in Arizona. This means that well owners and well managers bear full responsibility for:
- Maintaining well registration with the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR).
- Water Demands: Ensuring the well operates efficiently and meets the household’s water demands.
- Monitoring Water Quality: Arizona residential well managers must monitory water quality to detect and address potential contamination.
By staying proactive with well maintenance and water quality testing, well managers can protect their health, preserve their water source, and ensure compliance with Arizona’s groundwater regulations.
CREATING A WELL MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
Regular maintenance is essential to ensure the safety, efficiency, and longevity of your private well system. By establishing a well-organized inspection and testing routine, you can protect your water supply from contamination and costly repairs. As a private well manager, you are responsible for the upkeep of your well and the quality of water it produces. While a loan provider or real estate company may require a water quality test, in Arizona, there are no federal or state laws that require testing for non-exempt wells. This means that while public water systems must meet certain water quality standards in order to provide safe, notable drinking water for their customers, well owners are solely responsible for testing their water, in order to protect the health of anyone who drinks it. Follow these essential steps to maintain your well properly:
Routine Testing & Inspection
- Annual Water Resting: Test your well water at least once a year for bacteria, nitrates, and other contaminants.
- Additional Testing: Conduct water tests immediately if you notice changes in taste, odor, or appearance, or if someone in your household is ill or pregnant. Plus, if you have purchased a property with a well then you should have the water tested.
- Frequent Visual Inspections: Check the well covering, casing, and well cap several times a year to ensure they are in good condition, with no cracks or openings that could allow debris or pollutants inside. The most visible portion of your drinking water system is the wellhead, the structure built over the well to protect its various parts. The wellhead is your first line of defense to prevent pollutants from entering your drinking water system. The wellhead protects the well casing, which is the lining of the well, and the well cap, which provides a tight-fitting seal at the top of the well. By protecting your wellhead, you will help ensure the quality of your water supply.
- Professional Inspections: Have your pump, storage tank, pipes, and valves inspected by a licensed well contractor at least every five years. If you don’t know the well’s age or have no prior inspection record, schedule a professional assessment immediately.
Protecting Your Well from Contaminants
- Hazardous Chemicals: Keep hazardous chemicals away from your well. This includes store fertilizers, pesticides, motor oil, and other chemicals far from your well to prevent contamination. A.R.S. 45-596(f)(2) requires that septic tanks are located more than 100 feet from water wells.
- Maintain a Clear Zone Around the Well: Avoid planting trees or shrubs near the well, as deep roots can damage the well casing.
- Keep the area free of debris. Do not pile snow, leaves, or other materials around the well, as this can lead to contamination or structural issues. Debris can attract many different critters and insects that you do not want near your well head.
- Schedule Septic System Maintenance. Well managers should also set a maintenance schedule to inspect and test relevant septic system(s). To avoid well contamination, septic tanks should be pumped every three to five years based on use and family size. Inspect septic tank each year for capacity and leaks. Repair the tank or drain field system as needed to prevent leaks of bacteria and nutrients into groundwater. Faulty septic system poses a serious threat to the quality of your drinking water and can require expensive repairs.
Record Keeping & Maintenance Logs
- Maintain a Detailed Well Log. Well managers should keep track of water quality tests, repairs, and inspections to monitor trends and identify potential issues early.
- What Well Records should Be Kept? Well managers must maintain detailed records of all well-related activities, including maintenance, repairs, and water quality test results. Plus, keeping copies of the well share agreement, electricity usage records, and financial statements, including bank account balances for shared expenses.
- How Should the Well Records be Kept? Ideally, the records will be kept online, where they can easily be updated and accessed by all parties to the well share agreement. In addition to keeping copies of all the well record forms submitted to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, well owners should keep a summary of their well construction and maintenance activities. An ADWR online pump completion report must be submitted each time a pump is exchanged or replaced.
- Start Now If You Don’t Have a Record. Even if you’re a well manager who has never tracked well data before, it’s never too late to begin documenting water quality and system performance. These records will even help contractors with future repairs.
If you are a well manager and have questions for our water rights attorneys then contact the Dunaway Law Group at 480-702-1608 or message us HERE.
* The information provided is informational only, does not constitute legal advice, and will not create an attorney-client or attorney-prospective client relationship. Additionally, the Dunaway Law Group, PLC limits its practice to the states of Arizona and New York.