HomeWell servicesWell Abandonment
Plugged, grouted, reported
Well abandonment done to the rule, not with a lid
Unused wells are a path from the surface into the aquifer. They are plugged from the bottom up under permit, and you get the report that proves it.
At a glance
- Rule
- Chapter 62-532, Florida Administrative Code
- Method
- Grout from the bottom up, casing cut below grade
- Output
- The filed abandonment report
An unused well is a hole into the drinking water
When a property connects to utility water, or a new well replaces an old one, the old bore does not stop mattering. Left open or loosely capped, it is a direct path from the surface into the aquifer that every other well nearby drinks from. That is why Florida treats abandonment as permitted construction work rather than a matter of putting a lid on it.
Under Chapter 62-532, Florida Administrative Code, an abandoned well is plugged from the bottom up with neat cement grout or bentonite so no void is left, the casing is cut off below grade, and an abandonment report is filed with the same office that permits construction.
Call Flamingo files the permit, plugs the well, and gives you the completed report, which is the document a buyer, a lender or the county will ask for later.
How a well is properly abandoned
The permit is filed
With the county health department, or the City of Jacksonville in Duval.
Pump, pipe and wire come out
Nothing is left in the bore that would prevent grout from filling it completely.
Depth and construction are confirmed
The bore is sounded so the volume of grout is known and any obstruction is found first.
Grout goes in from the bottom up
Pumped through a tremie pipe so it displaces the water rather than bridging over it.
The casing is cut below grade and the report is filed
The site is restored and the abandonment report goes to the permitting office.
The septic tank on the same lot
Connecting to utilities often means connecting to sewer at the same time, which leaves a septic tank to deal with as well. That is its own permitted procedure, and the two are done on one visit: the tank is pumped, crushed and filled while the well is plugged.
Straight answers
Questions this job raises
Can an old well just be capped?
No. A cap keeps debris out but leaves the bore open to the aquifer. The rule requires the well to be filled with grout and the casing cut below grade, under permit.
Does abandonment need a permit?
Yes, from the same office that permits new construction in that county. The completed abandonment report is what proves it was done.
What if nobody knows how deep the old well is?
It is sounded before grouting so the volume is known. Old dug wells and driven points are handled under the same rule with a method suited to their construction.
Next door to this job
Work that usually comes up in the same visit
Well Replacement
A new well sited to do better than the old one, with the old bore plugged under its own permit.
Septic Tank Abandonment
Tanks pumped, crushed and filled to rule when a property connects to sewer.
Well Inspection and Water Testing
Flow, pressure, equipment and lab-tested water for closings, loans and peace of mind.
Free estimate, then the work
Call Flamingo quotes well work at no charge and schedules seven days a week across the Jacksonville area.