The short answer: an old water well on your property should either go back into service after a licensed contractor checks it and a lab test comes back clean, or be permanently sealed or plugged. In the states with rules that we read, an unused well has to be sealed or plugged, or kept under a specific status such as Minnesota's maintenance permit, and who may do the sealing depends on the state.
An unsealed old well is a straight path to the aquifer your working well draws from, so test the working well too. The old well is a hardware problem, but the way you find out whether it has already done harm is a water test from a certified lab.
What counts as an old, unused or abandoned well
The words differ by state, and each triggers different duties.
- Minnesota recognizes only three statuses on a property's well disclosure: "in use," "not in use," or "sealed." The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says a "not in use" well "is not functional, cannot readily pump water, or has not been operated on a daily, regular or seasonal basis," and that a well disclosed as "capped," "plugged," "filled," or "abandoned" "is not the same as a well that is 'sealed.'"
- Kansas (K.A.R. 28-30-2) counts a well as abandoned if, among other conditions, its use "has been permanently discontinued" or its pumping equipment "has been permanently removed."
- Texas: the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) says wells are "abandoned" when they are not in use, and "deteriorated" when they are "causing or likely to cause pollution of any water in the state, including groundwater."
- Wisconsin calls a well permanently abandoned only once it "has been completely filled and sealed."
So "abandoned" can mean the problem (Kansas, Texas) or the fix (Wisconsin). When you call your county, describe the well instead: in use or not, cap on or off, depth, width.
Why an unsealed old well is a risk, including to your working well
A drain straight into the aquifer
MDH's sealing guide: "An unused well can act like a drain, allowing surface water runoff, contaminated water, or improperly disposed waste a direct pathway into drinking water sources." It adds that when this happens, "the quality of everyone's water is threatened – city water wells, neighbor's wells, even your current well."
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) explains the mechanism: water that gets into an unused well "bypasses the purifying action that normally takes place in the upper layers of the soil," and "contamination that enters old wells can move to nearby drinking water wells." University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) Extension names the targets: "a new well on the property or a neighbor's well."
Wisconsin's well filling and sealing Q&A (2020) gives a case that should worry anyone with two wells: a buried well with "only a stone set on the top of the open casing" caused severe contamination of water pumped from another well on the same property. The old well sat near an animal yard and a sewage absorption field. Never use an old well as a dump: MDH says that in Minnesota "it is illegal to dispose of wastes in an unused well."
A hole people and animals fall into
"Children and small animals can easily fall into an unprotected, open well," MDH warns, and equipment can be driven over "a crumbling well or well pit." Wisconsin's DNR singles out "old dug wells." TDLR says people and animals "can be severely injured or killed" in a fall. UNL Extension tells of a landowner who found a 36-inch-wide, 50-foot-deep dug well "when the front wheel of his tractor dropped into it," on the farm he grew up on.
Old well pits add another danger: MDH says one "may contain insufficient oxygen levels or toxic gases that can cause asphyxiation and death," so only trained professionals with safety equipment should enter.
Never climb into an old well or well pit, and keep children and pets away from any opening until it is covered or sealed by a professional. If an open well is a danger right now, call your county health department.
There is a legal side too. MDH calls an unsealed unused well "a potential legal risk to the homeowner," for example if it "is proved to be a conduit for contaminants that reach a drinking water source for neighbors or your city."
How to find an old well on your property
MDH says that if your house was built before public water was available, "the property may have one or more wells," inside or outside a building. Clues from MDH and UNL Extension (TDLR adds "a hole in the ground with no apparent bottom"):
| Where | What to look for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Basement | A pipe sticking up out of the floor, or a concrete patch where a well was; a small room, often under exterior concrete steps; glass block or a concrete patch in an exterior step | MDH |
| Yard | A low or sunken spot; a metal, wood or concrete cover or manhole; ground that stays wet ("can be caused by an unsealed flowing well"); pipes 1 to 8 inches wide at or near the surface | MDH |
| Old farmsteads | A windmill, well house or old pump; concrete pads where windmill legs stood; an old stock tank; a small fenced-off area with pipes | MDH, UNL Extension |
| Dug wells | A ring "1 foot or several feet in diameter, made of concrete, tile, bricks, or rocks"; flat stones, a slab or boards covering a shaft | MDH, UNL Extension |
Paper helps too. MDH points to well databases, old photos, former owners, area well drillers and "old fire insurance drawings at your local historical society." Our guide to finding well and septic records lists official well-log databases by state.
In Pennsylvania, a rusty pipe in a field may not be a water well at all. Penn State Extension says an estimated 760,000 oil and gas wells have been drilled in the state, and that most abandoned ones being found "look like a hole in the ground or a random metal pipe sticking out." Unplugged ones "release a flammable gas called methane." Report a suspected gas well (Extension helps landowners report to the state DEP) instead of treating it as a water well.
State rules for unused wells: seal, plug or permit
These are state rules; cities may add their own (Wisconsin's DNR notes municipal ordinances). EPA tells well owners to "hire a certified well driller for any new well construction, modification, or abandonment and closure." What each state source we opened says, as of November 3, 2026:
| State | The rule for an unused well | Who may seal or plug it | Paperwork |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | "A well or boring that is not in use must be sealed unless the property owner has a maintenance permit for the well" (Minn. Stat. 103I.301) | A licensed person; MDH: "you cannot do it yourself" | Notification before sealing ($125 fee); contractor files a Well and Boring Sealing Record with MDH and you get a copy |
| Wisconsin | "Wells must be properly filled when they are removed from service" (DNR) | "As of June 1, 2008, only licensed well drillers and pump installers can fill and seal wells" | Well Filling and Sealing Report, submitted electronically |
| Iowa | Abandoned wells "must be properly plugged within 90 days of the date of abandonment" (IAC 567-39.3) | An Iowa certified well contractor, or the homeowner "under the supervision of the county health specialist" (grant guidance) | Owner submits the plugging form within 30 days, confirmed by the county's agent or a certified contractor |
| Ohio | Systems not used for drinking water must be "sealed or decommissioned" or kept in strict compliance; after a replacement well or public water hookup, the old system must be sealed within 30 days unless the owner satisfies the board of health (OAC 3701-28-17) | A registered private water systems contractor; an owner may register (OAC 3701-28-18) to seal the well on their own property. The owner is responsible for the sealing. | Well sealing report filed with the board of health and the state Division of Geological Survey; copies to the owner and the contractor |
| Kansas | Wells abandoned on or after July 1, 1979, and older ones that threaten groundwater, "shall be plugged or caused to be plugged by the landowner" (K.A.R. 28-30-7) | The landowner, following the regulation; a licensed contractor is optional | A water well record form to KDHE within 30 days: filed by the contractor (copy to you) or, for a farm or home well you plug yourself, by you (K.A.R. 28-30-4) |
| Texas | Within 180 days of learning that a well on their land is abandoned (not in use) or deteriorated, the landowner must have it plugged or capped to state standards (Tex. Occ. Code 1901.255); a capped well that is not deteriorated counts as "in use" | The landowner, per TDLR's specifications, or a TDLR-licensed driller or pump installer | Owners who plug it themselves file a State of Texas Plugging Report within 30 days (and to your groundwater conservation district, if you are in one) |
| Nebraska | Unused wells in disrepair are "illegal wells" that state law requires to be decommissioned (UNL Extension) | A Nebraska licensee, except "for certain types of driven sandpoint wells" (UNL, 2008) | Reporting is part of the process (UNL) |
| Pennsylvania | Penn State Extension: "there are no state regulations that require private well owners to maintain their well or test their drinking water." We found no statewide water-well sealing rule. | Ask your county or municipality | None statewide found |
Some states let you keep an unused well under conditions. Minnesota's maintenance permit costs $225 a year (Minn. Stat. 103I.208) and needs a well that "is structurally sound, and is in a safe, sanitary location"; MDH's handbook says that in most cases, unless you plan to use the well again, sealing "will save you money in the long run." Kansas recognizes "inactive status" for a well "maintained so that the water well can be put back in operation with minimum effort." Ohio lets the owner keep one if, among other conditions, the board of health is satisfied it won't contaminate groundwater or pose a hazard.
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Notification to seal a well (once, per well) | 125 US dollars | |
| Maintenance permit to keep an unused well (each year) | 225 US dollars | |
| Notification to build a new water-supply well | 325 US dollars |
Fees paid by the property owner under Minn. Stat. 103I.208 (2026 statutes). Contractor charges for the work itself are extra and not set by law. Source: Minnesota Statutes 2026, section 103I.208 (Notification filing fees and permit fees), accessed 2026-11-03.
Who may seal a well
Minnesota and Wisconsin allow licensed professionals only; MDH notes that although you may build your own well, "you may not seal your own well." Iowa allows a homeowner under county supervision. Kansas and Texas let landowners plug their own wells to state specifications, with a report. Elsewhere, ask the agency that licenses well drillers before anything goes into the well: a bad fill can leave it partly open, and grants often pay only for licensed work.
What sealing involves, and why capping isn't enough
These are the steps agencies describe a contractor taking, listed so you can check a quote, not as instructions.
- Clear the well. MDH: the old pump, drop pipe and any debris "must be removed." If debris was thrown in, Wisconsin says a driller "may have to first drill it out."
- Fill it from the bottom up. Minnesota requires grout "pumped into the well from the bottom upward" through a tremie pipe, and says dumping grout from the surface "is not allowed except under special circumstances." Wisconsin lists cement grout, concrete grout, concrete, a clay/sand slurry or, in some cases, bentonite chips.
- Deal with the top. For dug wells, Wisconsin requires removing the top 5 feet of curbing, Ohio the top three feet of casing or wall, Kansas the lining "to at least five feet below ground surface."
- File the record. Keep your copy with the deed; MDH says it "documents the well is properly sealed."
Why not just cap it? A cap keeps people and animals out (TDLR recommends a locking cap "capable of withstanding 400 pounds of weight"), but MDH: "Simply capping or plugging the top of the well is not sealing." Wisconsin's DNR warns that a badly filled well "can be as much a threat to groundwater quality as an open well," because fill that gets diluted by the water in the well will not be impermeable, and fill that bridges partway down leaves the well only partly filled.
What sealing costs, and who helps pay
No agency we found publishes a typical price. MDH says the cost "can vary considerably" with access, geology, debris, depth and diameter, and recommends several estimates. It names two ways to pay less: seal the old well while a contractor "is already on the site drilling a new well," or join neighbors to seal several at once.
The only dollar figures we found are dated. A 2008 UNL Extension article reported 27 wells in Nebraska's Shell Creek watershed sealed from 2005 to 2007 "at an average cost of $388 per well," mostly small domestic and livestock wells. Treat that as history, not a quote.
Help that is on official pages now:
| Program | What it pays toward sealing | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin DNR Well Abandonment Grant | "75% of all eligible expenses" | Family income $65,000 or less (reduced between $45,000 and $65,000); DNR approval before work; taxable income |
| Iowa Private Well Grants (through counties) | Actual plugging cost up to $700; cistern plugging up to $400 | County contacted before work; certified contractor or county-supervised owner (guidance updated July 8, 2026) |
| Minnesota: county Soil and Water Conservation Districts, some counties, AgBMP loans, USDA NRCS EQIP | Part of the cost (SWCD); loans for sealing (AgBMP); "well decommissioning" in EQIP for agricultural producers | "Preapproval is required for all of these programs" (MDH) |
| Nebraska Natural Resources Districts | "typically" 60% to 75% of costs, per UNL (2008) | Rates vary by district |
The rule that runs through all of them: get approval first. Wisconsin: "Work completed before receiving the approval letter will not be reimbursed." For USDA repair loans and grants and other states' programs, see our guide to help paying for well repairs.
Restore or seal? Test first, then decide
MDH is blunt: "In many cases, placing an old well back into use is not practical." Ohio's rule gives a useful checklist: to keep a well that is no longer the drinking-water source, the owner must show "an ability to be tested, a water sample, the presence of an operational pumping system" and at least one of a well log, a downhole camera survey, a dye test, or an assessment by a registered contractor or the board of health.
A practical order for any old well you might reuse:
- Find the well log. Depth and casing decide most of what follows.
- Have a licensed contractor inspect casing, cap and seal. For a well in a pit, MDH recommends extending the casing above ground with a pitless adapter and filling the pit "with clean earth."
- Disinfect after any work (see our shock chlorination guide).
- Test before anyone drinks the water. MDH's handbook: "Whenever a well is opened up, test the water afterward for coliform bacteria." EPA says to test "immediately" when you "replace or repair any part of your well system."
Match what you found to a first step and the tests to order. Our which tests to order tool builds the full list for your area.
| What you found | First step | Tests to order |
|---|---|---|
| A. Open or loosely covered hole, dug-well ring or pit, not in use | Make it safe now; call a licensed contractor or the county about sealing | Your working well: total coliform and nitrate |
| B. Capped pipe, not in use, no sealing record | Treat it as unsealed. In Minnesota: seal it or get a maintenance permit | Your working well: coliform and nitrate; repeat after the old well is sealed |
| C. Old well you want to put back in service | Records, contractor inspection, repairs, disinfection | Coliform and nitrate before use, plus a one-time baseline: arsenic, lead and manganese (MDH), and local contaminants |
| D. Old, dug or shallow well that is your daily supply | Inspect it regularly (MDH); ask a contractor about upgrading or replacing | Coliform every year and after any work or change; nitrate every year; lead at least once |
| E. Property you are buying | Disclosure, sealing records, inspection that searches for unused wells | Coliform and nitrate on the working well before closing; lead too if the well or pump is old (row D) |
Worked example. You're buying a 1950s farmhouse in Minnesota. The disclosure lists a drilled well "in use" and a pipe in the basement floor marked "capped." The pipe is row B: capped is not sealed, so Minnesota law requires sealing unless someone holds a maintenance permit. Ask MDH whether a sealing record is on file. If not, the sealing ($125 notification fee plus the contractor's price) is a cost to negotiate before closing. The working well is row E: coliform and nitrate, plus lead because it may be old enough for a lead packer (next section).
Old wells still in use: dug wells, shallow wells and older casing
The risks of an old well in daily use depend on how it was built. MDH's handbook says "dug wells, bored wells, and drive-point wells are often less than 50 feet deep, and are more likely to be contaminated by surface water, sewage from septic systems, or chemical spills." Our explainer on how a private well works compares the types.
MDH lists wells at higher risk of harmful microorganisms: wells built before 1974, "when the Minnesota Well Code was developed"; "dug wells with leaking walls and rotten boards for covers"; "wells at the bottom of old frost pits"; "wells with holes corroded through the casing"; and wells too close to sewers, septic systems or feedlots. If yours fits, MDH says to ask a licensed well contractor about your best option.
| Old-well feature | Why it matters | What to test and how often |
|---|---|---|
| Dug, bored or drive-point; under about 50 feet | More likely to take in surface water, septic sewage or spills (MDH) | Coliform bacteria test every year and after any work; nitrate every year (MDH, 2026); MDH's 2014 handbook adds that "more frequent testing of old wells or wells less than 50 feet deep is recommended" |
| Well in a pit | Contaminated flood water and runoff "can easily flow into a well pit and get into the well itself" (MDH) | Coliform and nitrate after flooding, which EPA lists as a reason to test right away; MDH recommends upgrading the installation |
| Drilled before 1993 | Lead "packers" above the screen "were commonly used in wells drilled before 1980" and sometimes until 1993, when they were prohibited (MDH) | Lead at least once (MDH) |
| Submersible pump made before 1995 | Some "may contain leaded-brass components" (MDH) | Lead at least once (first-draw and flushed samples, per MDH) |
| Any well | Water quality changes; most contaminants can't be seen, smelled or tasted (MDH) | EPA: test "annually for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH"; MDH: arsenic and manganese at least once |
MDH's nitrate advice has tightened: its 2014 handbook said "every two or three years" at a minimum; its current pages (updated October 19, 2026) say "nitrate every year." MDH says bottle-fed infants under six months "are at the highest risk" from nitrate above 10 mg/L; if a baby or pregnant person drinks the water, ask your doctor or health department what to do about any result. Schedules by state are in our guide to how often to test well water; collecting a sample explains first-draw lead sampling.
Septic system close by? Our septic system and well water guide covers results that point to septic influence.
Buying a property with an old well
Minnesota requires disclosure. Under Minn. Stat. 103I.235, "before signing an agreement to sell or transfer real property, the seller must disclose in writing to the buyer information about the status and location of all known wells," with a map, and state for each well whether it is "in use, not in use, or sealed." A seller who fails to disclose a well they knew or had reason to know about "is liable to the buyer for costs relating to sealing of the well and reasonable attorney fees" if the buyer sues within six years of closing, unless buyer and seller agree otherwise in writing before closing. If a known well can't be found, MDH says to check for a sealing record first, then search the property and records, ask former owners and neighbors, and finally hire a licensed contractor or a geophysical company that locates wells.
Elsewhere, ask. Our home-sale testing laws study covers which states require a water test at sale. Ask the seller in writing: how many wells are on the property, used or not, and is there a sealing record for any? Wisconsin's DNR notes that unused wells "often get forgotten after a property transfer."
Get the right inspection. A water test and a well inspection are different things; ask the contractor to include a search for unused wells. Our well inspection guide covers unused wells at inspection. Then test the working well through a certified lab before you close.
After closing, MDH's line holds: "The property owner is responsible for the testing, maintenance, repair, and sealing of any well(s) on the property." Our well water maintenance checklist covers the yearly upkeep.
Next step
Whatever you decide about the old well, test the one you drink from. Find a state-certified lab near you, order total coliform and nitrate at a minimum, and add lead if the well or pump is old. Then look up your state's sealing rules and contacts before you call a contractor.
Questions people ask
Is it illegal to have an old unused well on your property?
Can I seal an old well myself?
How much does it cost to seal an old water well?
Can I drink water from an old well I found?
Is a capped well the same as a sealed well?
Do I have to disclose an old well when selling my house?
Can an old abandoned well contaminate my new well?
- Minnesota Department of Health, Sealing Unused Wells (updated October 18, 2024) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Minnesota Statutes 2026, section 103I.301 (Well sealing requirements) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Minnesota Statutes 2026, section 103I.208 (Notification filing fees and permit fees) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Minnesota Statutes 2026, section 103I.235 (Real property sale; disclosure of location of wells) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Minnesota Department of Health, What You Should Know About Wells at Property Transfer (updated September 30, 2025) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Minnesota Department of Health, Well Owner's Handbook (updated January 2014) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Minnesota Department of Health, Financial Assistance for Home Water Treatment and Well Construction, Repair, and Sealing (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Minnesota Department of Health, Lead in Well Water Systems (updated October 19, 2026) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Minnesota Department of Health, Bacterial Safety of Well Water (updated October 19, 2026) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Wisconsin DNR, Well filling and sealing (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Wisconsin DNR, Answers to Your Questions on Well Filling and Sealing (PUB-DG-016, 2020) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Wisconsin DNR, Well Abandonment Grants (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Iowa DNR, Private Well Grants Program: Guidance on Qualifying Expenses (updated July 8, 2026) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Iowa Administrative Code 567, Chapter 39, Requirements for Properly Plugging Abandoned Wells (IAC 5/14/25) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Ohio Admin. Code 3701-28-17, Sealing and decommissioning (effective January 1, 2020), via Cornell LII (codes.ohio.gov refused our connection) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Kan. Admin. Regs. 28-30-7, Plugging of abandoned wells, cased and uncased test holes, via Cornell LII (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Kan. Admin. Regs. 28-30-2, Definitions, via Cornell LII (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, press release: Keep an Eye Out for Abandoned or Deteriorated Water Wells (August 25, 2025) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln Water, Decommissioning (accessed 2026-11-03)
- UNL CropWatch, Decommissioning Old Wells Protects Water Quality (December 1, 2008) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Penn State Extension, Best Management Practices for Private Water Wells (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Penn State Extension, Rusty Relic or Disaster Waiting to Happen: Legacy Wells (updated May 23, 2025) (accessed 2026-11-03)
- U.S. EPA, Protect Your Home's Water (accessed 2026-11-03)
- Texas Occupations Code, section 1901.255 (Plugging water well) (accessed 2026-11-04)
- Kan. Admin. Regs. 28-30-4, General operating requirements, via Cornell LII (kdhe.ks.gov blocked our connection) (accessed 2026-11-04)
- Ohio Admin. Code 3701-28-18, Registration of private water systems contractors (incl. property owners working on their own system), via Cornell LII (accessed 2026-11-04)