01 — Why your well stops working the moment the power does
A well without power is a hole in the ground with water you cannot reach
Most private wells use an electric submersible pump to bring water to the surface. When the power goes out, the pump stops immediately, and no water flows into your home's pipes until power returns or a backup source takes over.
The pressure tank holds a short-term reserve, typically accessible through a faucet or spigot near the bottom of the tank, but this runs out quickly and is not a substitute for a real backup plan.
Toilets can still be flushed during an outage by pouring a bucket of water directly into the bowl, or into the tank if you prefer to use the handle, according to guidance from Virginia's Department of Health on power outages and private wells.
02 — The water you already have when the power goes out
Two sources exist in most homes before you touch the well at all
The CDC recommends storing at least one gallon of water per person per day for three days, with a two-week supply as the better target, kept in food-grade containers and rotated every six months. This stored water, not the well itself, is the first line of defense during any outage.
A water heater tank is a second built-in source most households overlook. The CDC notes this tank, the one connected to your home's faucets and showerheads rather than a radiator heating tank, holds water that can be drawn out and used during an emergency when the tap runs dry.
Both of these sources buy time. Neither replaces the actual decision a well-owning household eventually has to make: some form of backup power for the pump, or a hand pump as a zero-power fallback.
03 — Backup power for the pump: what "backup" actually requires
Most well pumps run on 240 volts, which most portable generators do not supply
Many well pumps operate on a 240-volt circuit, the same heavier circuit used by an electric dryer or oven, not the standard 120-volt outlets a small portable generator typically provides. Connecting a generator to a well pump safely requires a transfer switch and, per Virginia's Department of Health guidance, should be installed by a licensed electrician.
Sizing a generator or battery backup for a well pump means accounting for starting wattage, not just running wattage. A pump can draw two to three times its normal running power for the first few seconds after it switches on, and a backup power source that cannot deliver that initial surge will not start the pump at all, even if its rated running wattage looks sufficient on paper.
Water and electricity are a dangerous combination, and an improperly connected generator risks backfeeding electricity into utility lines, a hazard to utility workers as well as your own household. This is not a project to improvise during an active outage.
04 — Hand pumps and what to do if the well was flooded
A hand pump bypasses electricity entirely, but only works on shallower wells
A manual hand pump can be installed alongside an existing electric pump and used during an outage without any power source at all. Lift pumps work on wells less than about 25 feet deep, while piston-style hand pumps can reach much deeper wells, in some cases several hundred feet, at the cost of more physical effort to operate.
If floodwater reached the wellhead, do not turn the pump back on until the electrical system is confirmed dry. Virginia's Department of Health guidance treats any well that may have been submerged as contaminated by default, and recommends disinfecting the well and system before use.
After disinfection, safe use depends on two clean bacteriological tests taken from samples at least 24 hours apart, not on the water simply looking or tasting normal again. A single clear result is not sufficient confirmation after a flood.
Quick reference
- A well pump stops immediately when the power goes out; the pressure tank holds only a short-term reserve
- Store at least one gallon of water per person per day, and remember your water heater tank as a backup source
- Most well pumps need 240 volts and a properly installed transfer switch, not a simple generator plug-in
- Size backup power for the pump's starting surge, not just its running wattage
- A hand pump provides zero-power backup but is limited by well depth
- After any flooding at the wellhead, treat the well as contaminated until two clean tests, 24 hours apart, confirm otherwise
Caution
Connecting a generator to a well pump involves 240-volt circuits and carries a real risk of injury or of backfeeding electricity into utility lines. Have this connection installed by a licensed electrician before an outage, not improvised during one.
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