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Well Pump Repair in South Carolina
1,182,721 people in South Carolina get their water from a private well rather than a public supply — 24.2% of the state, against 13.1% nationally. Every one of them is their own water utility.
The short of it
1,182,721 people in South Carolina take their water from a private well rather than a public supply, which is 24.2% of the state against 13.1% nationally. Every one of those households is its own water utility, with no supplier to call.
Source: US Geological Survey, Estimated Use of Water in the United States, 2015.
What that means here
South Carolina ranks 5 of 38 among the states we cover for the share of its population on self-supplied water. That is above the national figure, so private wells are a larger part of ordinary life here than in most of the country.
| People | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| On a private well | 1,182,721 | 24.2% |
| On a public supply | 3,713,425 | 75.8% |
Source: US Geological Survey, Domestic Water Use, and the county-level data release for 2015.
Where the wells are, inside South Carolina
A state average hides a great deal. These are the South Carolina 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jasper County | 19,494 | 70% |
| Saluda County | 13,355 | 67% |
| Calhoun County | 9,083 | 61% |
| Clarendon County | 19,940 | 59% |
| Chester County | 18,036 | 56% |
| Colleton County | 20,860 | 55% |
| Williamsburg County | 17,924 | 55% |
| Berkeley County | 98,112 | 48% |
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 South Carolina
South Carolina licenses are issued by the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, which publishes a public search you can use before work begins. South Carolina requires a residential plumber license for work over $500, according to the Commission.
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