Signs your well is running dry

When the taps sputter or the water stops mid-shower, the first fear is that your well is running dry. Sometimes it has. But a failing pump, a bad pressure switch or a clogged well can look exactly the same, and those fixes cost far less than a new well. This page lists the warning signs, the likely causes, and the steps to take before deciding anything.

What are the signs your well is running dry?

• Sputtering faucets or air in the lines
• Water that runs out during heavy use, then comes back after a rest
• Lower pressure than usual
• Cloudy water or more sediment than normal
• The pump running longer or cycling more often
• A neighbor's well having trouble at the same time, especially in a dry season

None of these proves the well is dry. They tell you something in the system has changed.

How can you tell a dry well from a failing pump?

Penn State Extension says the most frequent cause of losing water is a malfunctioning or worn-out submersible pump. Electrical faults such as a bad switch at the pressure tank, and aging pressure tanks, can also cut off water, and iron bacteria or sediment can clog the well. Under persistent dry weather, though, the water level can drop below the pump, and heavy use such as showers or laundry can temporarily pull the level below it. Penn State Extension: Managing Your Well During Drought [PSU-DROUGHT source note]

Yield can also fall for reasons inside the well: plugged screen slots and encrustation, iron and manganese bacteria, silt and clay, or a regional drop in the water table. NGWA (Wellowner.org): Restoring Flow through Water Well Rehabilitation [NGWA-RESTORE source note]

What should you do if your well is running dry?

1. Conserve. Penn State Extension advises well owners to begin conserving as soon as drought conditions develop: shorter showers, full loads only, no outdoor watering.
2. Get a diagnosis. A well driller or competent plumber should determine the exact cause. Penn State Extension: Managing Your Well During Drought
3. Follow local rules. Drought declarations can apply to private wells too.
4. Watch the water. If it turns cloudy or changes taste, color or smell, test it. CDC: Guidelines for Testing Well Water

Can you check the water level yourself?

Measuring the water level is the most useful single piece of evidence, but it usually needs a professional with the right tools, because the well is sealed and the pump wiring runs down the casing. Don't open a well or reach into it yourself. What you can do is keep a simple log: dates and times when the water runs short, how long it takes to come back, the weather, and what was running at the time. That pattern helps the contractor tell a supply problem from a pump or pressure-tank problem. Penn State Extension notes that heavy use such as showers or laundry can temporarily pull the water level below the pump in dry weather. Penn State Extension: Managing Your Well During Drought [PSU-DROUGHT source note]

Running dry during a drought

During a drought, many wells in an area may decline at once. Conserve, follow local restrictions, and keep testing the water, since lower levels can change water quality. California's guide for private well owners notes that shallow wells are usually affected first and that a pump set too high is especially vulnerable. California State Water Board: A Guide for Private Domestic Well Owners (2025) If the problem persists into wet seasons, plan a longer-term fix with low-yield well options. [CA-SWRCB-GUIDE source note]

How do you fix a well that is running dry?

• Lower the pump. It may be possible to lower the pump within the existing well, but in most cases this is only a short-term solution. Penn State Extension: Managing Your Well During Drought
• Rehabilitate the well if clogging is the cause; see low-yield well options.
• Add storage if the well still yields steadily but can't keep up with peaks.
• Deepen or replace the well. More permanent solutions require deepening the existing well or drilling a new one; deepening may not increase yield and can change water quality. California's state guide for well owners lists the same remedies: lowering the pump, deepening the well, or in some cases drilling a new well. California State Water Board: A Guide for Private Domestic Well Owners (2025)

Compare those options in deepen an existing well or drill a replacement, and see how long water wells last for end-of-life signs.