Last Updated on October 22, 2024 3:39 pm
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced free well disinfection and well water collection kits are available for communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Local health departments in western North Carolina will distribute kits for households with private wells that were flooded or damaged by the storm.
Excessive rain and flooding can cause water in private wells to become contaminated, meaning the water can make people sick if it is consumed. After a flood, private wells must be assessed for damage, repaired, disinfected and tested before use to ensure the water is safe. It is critical people do not drink or use water from a private well that has been damaged or flooded until it has been properly disinfected and tested after the storm.
The NCDHHS Division of Public Health has assembled well disinfection and well water collection kits for distribution through select local health departments. Private well owners living in the communities served by the following local health departments who have flooded or damaged wells can pick up free kits beginning Tuesday, Oct. 22. Participating local health departments include:
- AppHealthCare – Alleghany location: 157 Health Services Road, Sparta, NC 28675
- AppHealthCare – Ashe Environmental Health Building: 626 Ashe Central School Road, Jefferson, NC 28640
- AppHealthCare – Watauga location: 126 Poplar Grove Connector, Boone, NC 28607
- Burke County Health Department: 700 E. Parker Road, Morganton, NC 28655
- Buncombe County Health Department – Environmental Health Building: 30 Valley St., Asheville, NC 28801
- Caldwell County Health Department: 2345 Morganton Blvd., Lenoir, NC, 28645
- Cherokee County Health Department: 228 Hilton St., Murphy, NC 28906
- Haywood County Environmental Health: 157 Paragon Parkway, Suite 200, Clyde, NC 28721
- Henderson County Health Department: 1200 Spartanburg Highway, Suite 100, Hendersonville NC 28792
- Madison – Environmental Health Building: 5707 US-25, Marshall, NC 28753
- Toe River Health District – Mitchell location: 130 Forest Service Drive, Bakersville, NC 28705
- Toe River Health District – Avery location: 545 Schultz Circle, Newland, NC 28657
- Yancey County Health Department: 202 Medical Campus Drive, Burnsville, NC 28714
Each well kit includes the necessary supplies to disinfect and collect a well water sample for testing, including step-by-step instructions. Flooded or damaged wells must be disinfected first before collecting a sample for testing. Private well owners should return the sample back to their local health department for testing. The local health department or testing lab will provide results back as quickly as possible. Private well owners who live in an impacted area not listed above should contact their local health department for well disinfection and testing assistance.
For help understanding test results, use the online Be Well Informed tool (select North Carolina) or contact the NCDHHS-DPH Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch at 919-707-5900 or oeeb@dhhs.nc.gov.
Well disinfection and well water collection kits can be picked up at the following dates and times:
- Oct. 22-24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Oct. 28-31, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Additional dates and times will be provided by the local health departments.
For information regarding Hurricane Helene including additional resources and flexibilities in place, please go to www.ncdps.gov/Helene and www.ncdhhs.gov/helene.
