Well pumps and pressure tanks after a flood

18.1 Why does a flooded well pump have to stay off?

Because the first thing it can do is hurt you. The EPA's flood guidance for private well owners puts it in capital letters: do not turn on the pump, because a flooded pump and its wiring carry a danger of electric shock and of further damage to the well. The same document notes that rubber boots and gloves are not enough protection against shock.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension says the same thing in its guide to flooded wells: if the pump or its electrical system was under water, leave the pump off and have a qualified electrician check the wiring once it is dry. On a rice-country lot near Louise or Glen Flora, plan on the pump staying off until both checks are done, even if the house power comes back sooner.

18.2 Which parts of the well system does a flood damage?

Almost all of them, in different ways. Fast water and silt are the problems most people do not expect. AgriLife notes that moving floodwater can dislodge well construction materials or distort the casing, and that coarse sediment can wear down pump parts. The EPA adds that silt and sand left in valves and gears can make a pump burn out if it is not cleaned.

Corrosion keeps working after the water leaves. FEMA's 2017 guide to utility systems says contact with floodwater can damage equipment after the water recedes, so a pump that hums for a day is not proof it is sound. Table 18.1 lists the parts and who looks at each.

Part	What floodwater can do	Who checks it
Submersible or jet pump and motor	Silt in moving parts, burned-out motor	Licensed pump installer
Wiring to the pump	Wet splices and insulation, shock risk	Licensed electrician
Control box and pressure switch	Wet contacts and circuit boards	Electrician or pump installer
Pressure tank	Silt, corrosion, a shifted or damaged tank	Licensed pump installer
Wellhead, cap and casing	Water entering the well, a bent casing	Licensed water well driller
Breaker that feeds the well	Wet breaker that may not trip	Licensed electrician

18.3 Who is allowed to work on a well pump in Texas?

A licensed pump installer, with an electrician for the wiring. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation says that a license is required to drill a water well in Texas and to install a pump for one. TDLR keeps a public license search for drillers and pump installers, and it is worth checking the name before work starts.

The EPA tells owners to get help from a well or pump contractor to turn the pump on, and not to run any well equipment until a qualified electrician, well contractor or pump contractor has checked the wiring. CDC's well disinfection page, dated May 29, 2025, agrees: before power goes back to the well, a qualified person checks the equipment wiring.

18.4 What can you do while the pump is off?

Plan around a dry tap for a while. Use bottled water for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth, and store some for flushing. If you need water from a city or neighbor, carry it in clean containers; Storing water before a hurricane covers containers and amounts.

1. Keep away from the well house and any wet electrical gear until the water is fully gone.
2. Take photos of the pump, tank, control box and high-water line for your insurer.
3. Write down the pump make, size and well depth if you have the well log.
4. Call a licensed pump installer and an electrician, and ask whether they will come together.
5. Leave the well cap closed. Opening the well is the driller's or installer's job.

If you run a generator, it stays outdoors, and it feeds the well only through a transfer switch a licensed electrician has installed. Never plug a generator into a house outlet; Generators, well pumps and the transfer switch explains why.

18.5 What does low pressure after a restart tell you?

It may mean the well itself is damaged. AgriLife's shock chlorination guide says a drop in water pressure once the system is turned on can be a sign of damage, and that the owner should contact a certified contractor. The same guide says its do-it-yourself disinfection method only works on a properly working submersible pump.

So pressure comes before chlorine. Once the installer is satisfied the pump, switch and tank are sound, the next step is disinfecting the well, covered in Disinfecting a flooded well, and then a lab test, covered in Testing well water after a flood. Do not drink the water until that test is clear.

18.6 Does a flooded pressure tank need replacing?

Your pump installer decides that after looking at it. We found no Texas agency text that says when a pressure tank that sat in floodwater must be swapped out, so this book does not give a rule. What the agencies do say is that silt, corrosion and wet controls are the usual damage, and a tank that floated or shifted may have strained its pipe connections.

Flood insurance treats these parts in a particular way. FEMA's Dwelling Form lists well water tanks and pumps among the items covered below an elevated floor, and lists underground structures, including wells, as property not insured; that is the form's wording on FEMA's site as of 11 Nov 2026. Flood insurance and plumbing damage explains what that means for a claim.

18.7 How can you get the well ready before the next storm?

AgriLife's flood preparation guide, dated September 2019, gives three steps before you leave: cover and secure exposed well parts, fill the pressure tank as full as you can, and switch off power to the well. Do that last step early, while the ground and the panel are dry.

The longer fix is height. The same guide says to case the wellhead above any earlier flood level, likely with a licensed well driller's help. AgriLife's 2015 floodplain guide quotes the state rule for flood-prone sites as a steel sleeve at least 36 inches above ground. The wellhead before a storm covers caps, seals and casing.

Questions readers ask

The pump runs but the water is cloudy. Is it safe to use for washing?

Treat it as unsafe until the well is disinfected and a lab test comes back clear. AgriLife advises against drinking, cooking, brushing teeth or bathing with water from a flooded well.

Is it all right to flip the well breaker just to test the pump?

No. EPA and CDC both say a qualified electrician or pump contractor checks the wiring before power goes back on. A wet breaker or control box can fail in a way you cannot see.

How can you check that a pump installer is licensed?

Use TDLR's license search for water well drillers and pump installers. Search by name or license number and confirm the license is current.

My pump is a jet pump in the well house. Does any of this change?

The same rules apply: it stays off until checked. AgriLife's do-it-yourself disinfection method is written for working submersible pumps only, so a jet pump system needs a contractor for that step too.

Will a whole-house generator restart my well pump by itself?

It can feed the pump only through a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician, and only after the pump and its wiring have been cleared. FEMA's utility guide lists the well pump among the loads usually placed on a standby panel.

What this chapter rests on

The advice here comes from the EPA's flooded-well guidance, AgriLife's flooded well, shock chlorination and flood preparation guides, CDC's well disinfection page, TDLR's licensing pages, FEMA's utility guide and FEMA's Dwelling Form, all checked on 11 Nov 2026. The 36-inch casing figure is as AgriLife quoted the TDLR well standards in 2015; ask a licensed driller whether the current rule reads the same. No source gave a pump wattage or a replacement rule for flooded pressure tanks.

Notes to chapter 18

1. US EPA — What to Do After the Flood (816-F-05-021) · do not turn on a flooded pump, rubber boots not enough, silt burns out pumps, contractor restarts · checked 11 Nov 2026
2. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — ER-011, Decontaminating Flooded Wells (2006) · pump off if flooded, casing and pump damage from fast water · checked 11 Nov 2026
3. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — ESC-059, How to Disinfect a Water Well Through Shock Chlorination (2019) · pressure drop as damage sign, method for submersible pumps only · checked 11 Nov 2026
4. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — ESC-058, How to Ready Your Well for the Next Flood (2019) · fill pressure tank, power off before leaving, case above flood level · checked 11 Nov 2026
5. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — ERM-014, Water Wells in Floodplains (2015) · 36-inch steel sleeve rule as quoted · checked 11 Nov 2026
6. CDC — How to Disinfect Wells After an Emergency · wiring checked before power returns · checked 11 Nov 2026
7. TDLR — Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers · license required to install a well pump · checked 11 Nov 2026
8. TDLR — License Search, water well drillers and pump installers · checking a license · checked 11 Nov 2026
9. TDLR — Technical Guidance on Well Drilling and Pump Installing Operations · one unlicensed assistant per licensee · checked 11 Nov 2026
10. FEMA — P-348, Protecting Building Utility Systems From Flood Damage (2017) · corrosion after water recedes, well pump on standby panel · checked 11 Nov 2026
11. FEMA — NFIP Dwelling Form F-122 (2021) · well tanks and pumps covered below elevated floors, wells not insured · checked 11 Nov 2026