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1. Is there any financial assistance available for well sealing?

The Blue Earth County Property & Environmental Resources Department is once again administering a well sealing cost-share program in 2021. This marks the 31st consecutive year that we have administered a well sealing program. This program assists property owners with the costs to have old, unused wells properly sealed by a licensed contractor. All private, unsealed wells which have been replaced prior to 1989 are eligible for this program. Some years there are other sources of well sealing funding available from other agencies like the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Blue Earth County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD). To find out more about the County eligibility requirements, the amount of County funding available, how to obtain a County cost-share application, or to find out about other possible sources of funding, please contact Tim Grant at 507-304-4251.

2. When is a Well Disclosure required?

When property changes ownership, the seller of the property is required to disclose to the buyer, the presence and status of ALL (in-use, not-in-use, or properly sealed) water wells located on the property. This document is required by State Law to be submitted to the Property & Environmental Resources Department -  Customer Services & Records Division at the time of recording. If wells are not properly disclosed, the buyer has up to six (6) years to initiate civil action to recover the costs (including attorney’s fees) for properly sealing unused wells not properly identified on the disclosure. If the well status has not changed since the last well disclosure was filed, a new disclosure is not required.

3. Who can seal wells?

State Law requires that all well sealing work be completed by a licensed well contractor. Don't try to do it yourself. A licensed well contractor has the necessary equipment and expertise to seal your well properly and can also handle all of the required paperwork. To find a contractor, look in the Yellow Pages under "Well Drilling and Service” or visit the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Well Management Section, Licensed/Registered Well Contractor Directory website. Blue Earth County maintains a current well contractor list of the local contractors in our area.

When the well has been properly sealed by a licensed well contractor, the contractor will submit a well and boring sealing record to the MDH. The property owner will also get a copy of the well and boring sealing record from the licensed well contractor. Keep this important document in a safe place as it provides proof that the well has been properly sealed and no longer poses a hazard, and can be useful when selling your property.

4. How can I find out if I have a well on my property that is not in use and not sealed?

Whether the property is located in the country or in town, it could have one or more wells on it which are not in use and not properly sealed. If the property is in town, there may be one or more wells that were used before City water became available. To locate old wells, it may be helpful to:

• Find out when your home was built and when public water was first available in your area. If the house was built before public water was available, then there was likely a well or wells on your property.
• Find out when your home was built and when your in-use well was drilled. If your house was built before your in-use well was drilled then there was likely another well or two on your property.
• Look for any physical evidence of a well on your property. You can often see the casing of an unused well sticking up out of the ground. Look for a metal pipe - typically from 1¼ inches to 6 inches in diameter. Wells that were dug, rather than drilled, may appear as a ring - made of concrete, tile, bricks, or rocks - in the ground or in a well pit. The ring could be anywhere from 12 inches to 36 inches in diameter, or even larger. A windmill, an old shed that was used as a well house, or an old pump may mark the location of a well. A metal or concrete cover or manhole may mark the location of a well pit. A depression in the ground may indicate a buried well or well pit, and a constant wet area may be caused by a flowing well that hasn't been sealed. If you had a well inside your home, it may consist of a pipe sticking up out of the floor. This pipe may possibly be stuffed with rags or “capped” with a cement plug and could be a well casing. Wells were often housed in a "basement offset", which is a small room attached to the basement often located under concrete steps. A glass block or steel plate fitted into a step, or a concrete patch in a step, could be the access hole for the well.
• Consult with former owners of your property, or people who have lived in the area for a long time. They may remember the locations of old wells.
• Ask well drillers about old wells that they may have constructed or repaired on the property.
• Look at old photos of your property which may show an old windmill, houses, barns, or outbuildings where a well may have been located.
• Consult City and County records of building and land use permits which may reveal well locations.
• Consult City and County historical documents which may also provide information about development and land use.
• Look at the old fire insurance drawings (i.e. Sanborn Maps, etc.) often available at local historical societies. These documents often record the location of wells.

5. How much does it cost to seal a well?

The cost of sealing a well can vary considerably depending on the depth and diameter of the well, access to the well, special geological conditions, & whether the well has multiple casings and or debris within the well (well is obstructed). Also, if a contractor is already on site drilling a new well, the cost of sealing an old well will often be less because a special trip to the site is avoided. It‘s always a good idea to get a couple of estimates on well sealing costs from the local well contractors.