Drought Monitoring Program

A well is said to have gone dry when water levels drop below a pump intake. This does not mean that a dry well will never have water in it again, as the water level may come back through time. The water level in a well depends on a number of things, such as the depth of the well, the type (confined or unconfined) of aquifer the well taps, the amount of pumping that occurs in this aquifer, and the amount of recharge occurring.

Loss of pressure and/or water service, along with sputtering faucets (air in water), cloudy or gritty water, while using your well water can be indicators that the well may be going dry. This can occur when the water level in the well is pumped down to the well pump inlet — resulting in the loss of water pressure and/or water service. If water use is stopped and the well is allowed to rest, it may refill and water service is restored. Owners should be careful not to run the pump while the water level is low as this could damage the pump. 

Yes. An electrical problem with a switch, circuit breaker, supply wiring, or a failure of a submersible pump can cause loss of pressure and/or water service. The owner should contact a licensed water well system provider to determine the cause.

When the water level in the well is low, the operator might notice a reduced pumping rate and lower well pump discharge pressure, even if there are no symptoms of sputtering faucets or gritty water. An operator could measure the static water level and pumping water level (at the end of a pumping campaign) and compare current levels with historic levels, and the pump intake level. When the pumping water level approaches the pump intake level, the well may be in danger of going dry.  

The operator can reduce the pumping rate to match the pumping rate to the flowrate of water into the well. For some waterworks, the operator can shorten the duration of the pumping period by adjusting the well controls.

Generally, groundwater is recharged during the late fall, winter and spring. During the growing season there is not enough precipitation to recharge the groundwater. Owners that depend on groundwater likely will not see significant improvement in groundwater levels until winter precipitation arrives.

During declared drought emergencies, local governments are the primary entities responsible for enforcing mandatory water restrictions. Please contact your local government representative regarding any enforcement-related concerns.

Monitoring well levels can be a challenge, particularly for smaller systems. One way is to use a water level sensor tape, which requires measuring both the static and pumping (at end of pumping campaign) water levels. The well pump intake level must also be known. Another method for monitoring water levels in wells is through the use of a sonic water level meter. A pressure transducer/datalogger can also be used to record the height of the water column over the top of the transducer.

 An Emergency Operations Plan template can be found here. Waterworks are encouraged to share water levels and emergency response plans with ODW field offices and our Source Water Protection team at SourceWater@vdh.virginia.gov. See 22VAC40-73-950. Emergency preparedness and response plan for more information.  

It can be beneficial to waterworks to explore leak detection and other pathways to reduce water loss within the distribution system. The Department of Energy has resources on reducing distribution leaks here.