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Well Pump Repair in Kansas
149,282 people in Kansas get their water from a private well rather than a public supply — 5.1% of the state, against 13.1% nationally. Every one of them is their own water utility.
The short of it
Private wells serve 149,282 people in Kansas, 5.1% of the state and against 13.1% across the country. Nobody tests that water or maintains that pump except the household it belongs to.
Source: US Geological Survey, Estimated Use of Water in the United States, 2015.
What that means here
Kansas ranks 32 of 38 among the states we cover for the share of its population on self-supplied water. That is below the national figure, so a household on a well here is less usual — which often means fewer contractors nearby who work on them regularly.
| People | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| On a private well | 149,282 | 5.1% |
| On a public supply | 2,762,359 | 94.9% |
Source: US Geological Survey, Domestic Water Use, and the county-level data release for 2015.
Where the wells are, inside Kansas
A state average hides a great deal. These are the Kansas counties with the highest share of people on self-supplied water, and the spread between them and the state figure is the point — well work is a rural trade even in states that are not.
| County | On a private well | Share of population |
|---|---|---|
| Kingman County | 3,049 | 40% |
| Hodgeman County | 737 | 39% |
| Rawlins County | 940 | 38% |
| Decatur County | 1,073 | 37% |
| Wallace County | 554 | 36% |
| Wichita County | 780 | 36% |
| Gove County | 954 | 36% |
| Stafford County | 1,520 | 36% |
What goes wrong, and in what order to check it
The fault list on a private well is short, and most of it is above ground where you can see it. Nothing at the tap is usually power or the pressure switch before it is ever the pump. Rapid on-off cycling is almost always the pressure tank. A pump that will not stop is a leak, a worn pump, or a well that cannot keep up — and it is the one to act on quickly, because all three destroy the pump while they continue.
Whether the pump is in the well or in your basement changes what any of that costs in labor, which is why a contractor rules out the easy-to-reach parts first.
Nobody is testing this water but you
A public supply is sampled constantly and reports to its customers once a year. A private well reports to nobody. Penn State Extension recommends testing annually for total coliform and E. coli, adding pH and total dissolved solids every three years, and having the well professionally inspected every ten.
The same guidance treats a fall of 25% or more in yield as the point at which rehabilitation is in order rather than replacement.
Source: Penn State Extension, Water Well Maintenance and Rehabilitation.
Checking a plumber in Kansas
Kansas sets no statewide plumbing license; cities and counties set their own requirements. Start here. Ask the contractor which municipality licenses them and confirm it with that office before work begins.
On a well, nobody else is going to notice it failing.If the pressure has gone or the pump is cycling, that is worth a call today rather than next week. We route to contractors who work on wells specifically and cover your area, matched on the ZIP code you give, and you are never charged. Nor does it have to be the well; any plumbing work is routed the same way.
Call (888) 493-0912