Well Decommissioning

Wells that are no longer used, needed, or have reached the end of their life, are considered abandoned wells. They are required, by Washington State Law, to be decommissioned by a licensed drilling contract.

Importance of Decommissioning Your Water Well

Well decommissioning requirements apply to all types of wells including water wells, hand dug wells, wells drilled for geotechnical purposes, and wells drilled for environmental testing, monitoring, etc. Promptly and properly decommissioning wells protect people, animals, aquifers and the environment.

Abandoned wells can pose safety and environmental problems as children and pets can fall into them, and if not decommissioned properly, these wells can create groundwater contamination. The most dangerous type of abandoned well is the hand dug type. Properly closing these and any other wells are called decommissioning. Abandoned wells are required to be decommissioned as soon as possible.

Other reasons you may need to decommission an abandoned well is, well failure (no water being pumped). When there is an addition of a municipal water system to a building, which had previously served as a private well; we recommend decommissioning. This procedure is also crucial when there is abandonment or demolition the building that was using a water well system.

Get Help From A Professional

Today, more and more homeowners and business owners are looking for ways they can properly decommission water wells that are old and unused on their property. Due to the complexity that goes into decommissioning a water well we generally recommend that you hire a professional to get the job done. Our professionals know what fully decommissioning a well entails so that is done right the first time.

To learn more about our well-decommissioning process, contact our experts today!

Quick Resources

We have provided resources here for you that are frequently asked questions. If you do not see something here please reach out to us.

How do I take care of my well?

You should contact your local Health Department about regulations, approval and permitting cost. Upon approval contact a licensed well driller to decommission the well. For additional information check the Dept. of Ecology website.

Well Decommissioning PDF Downloads

You should contact your local Health Department about regulations, approval and permitting cost. Upon approval contact a licensed well driller to decommission the well. For additional information check the Dept. of Ecology website.

Well Decommissioning Requirements

You should contact your local Health Department about regulations, approval and permitting cost. Upon approval contact a licensed well driller to decommission the well. For additional information check the Dept. of Ecology website.

What Should I do when I decide to close down a well?

You should contact your local Health Department about regulations, approval and permitting cost. Upon approval contact a licensed well driller to decommission the well. For additional information check the Dept. of Ecology website.