Last updated: June 13, 2026
If the water may be unsafe, stop and protect your household
If the water smells like fuel, chemicals, sewage, strong chlorine, or rotten eggs, do not guess. If floodwater covered the well, well cap, pump, pressure tank, or wiring, do not use the water for drinking or cooking until you get local advice and a safe test result.
- Use bottled water or another safe source for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, baby formula, and pets.
- Keep people away from flooded pumps, wires, and wet electrical parts.
- Call your county health department and ask for private well instructions.
- Use a state-certified drinking water lab, not a sales demonstration.
- Do not buy a filter until you know the contaminant and the level found.
The EPA private wells page says private well owners are generally responsible for their own water safety. The CDC testing guide recommends testing at least once a year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH, plus local contaminants your health department recommends.
After a flood or other emergency, the CDC flood guidance says bottled water is safest until you know the well is safe. It also warns that water with fuel or toxic chemical odors may not be made safe by boiling or disinfection.
What this page covers
This page is for homeowners who use a private well, spring, cistern, domestic well, or small shared water source. It can also help if your home is on public water but the problem is inside the home, such as a bad pressure tank, failed treatment unit, old plumbing, or unsafe water after a disaster.
Well and water repair help is local. A federal program may fund a state, county, tribe, nonprofit, or local housing office, but the homeowner usually applies through the local office. This article is in the Population-Specific Pathways hub because rural location, income, age, disability, tribal status, disaster damage, and local contamination can all change the best path.
Fastest realistic starting points
Use this table to decide who to call first. In many cases, you should call two or three places the same day.
| Problem | First call | Ask for this |
|---|---|---|
| No water, failed pump, bad pressure tank, or low pressure | Licensed well or pump contractor | Written diagnosis, permit needs, and line-item estimate |
| Bad water test, odor, color, bacteria, nitrate, arsenic, PFAS, lead, or uranium | County health department or state well office | Certified lab list, retest instructions, and safe water steps |
| Flood, fire, storm, or declared disaster damaged the well | FEMA, insurance, and SBA | Inspection, repair, replacement, and reimbursement rules |
| Very-low-income rural homeowner needs repair help | USDA Rural Development | Section 504 screening and rural water options |
| Older adult, disabled homeowner, or overwhelmed household | 211 or Area Agency on Aging | Local repair, bottled water, case management, and nonprofit referrals |
| Tribal household or home on tribal land | Tribal housing office or IHS area office | Water, sanitation, housing repair, and emergency options |
Programs and agencies to check
County health departments and state private well programs
Your health department may not pay for the repair, but it can be the best first guide. Ask what to test for, which labs are certified, whether your area has known contamination, and whether the county has emergency bottled water, low-cost testing, disinfection guidance, or repair referrals.
EPA keeps a state well directory for private well contacts. State help varies. Some states only provide education and lab lists. Others have targeted programs for drought, PFAS, nitrate, arsenic, uranium, or local contamination events.
For example, California lists domestic well help for disadvantaged households with water quality issues. Washington’s alternative water program says funding is available through June 30, 2027, for local health jurisdictions or community organizations serving private and Group B well users affected by contamination. These are examples, not national rules.
USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants
The USDA repair program, also called Section 504, is one of the main official repair paths for very-low-income rural homeowners. It may be relevant when a well problem affects safe, decent housing, such as no running water, unsafe drinking water, a failed pump, or a health department notice.
As of May 17, 2026, USDA lists a maximum loan of $40,000 and a maximum grant of $10,000. In a presidentially declared disaster area, USDA lists a maximum grant of $15,000. Loans are fixed at 1 percent for up to 20 years. Grants are for homeowners age 62 or older and must be used to remove health and safety hazards. Grants may have to be repaid if the property is sold in less than three years.
Do not start work before asking USDA. Approval depends on your address, income, ownership, repair type, contractor information, and funding available in your area.
USDA rural decentralized water funds
The rural water program is different from Section 504. USDA gives funds to qualified nonprofits and tribally owned nonprofits to create revolving loans or subgrants for eligible rural households.
USDA says homeowner-level loans under this program can have a 1 percent fixed interest rate, a maximum 20-year term, and a $15,000 maximum loan per household. Funds may be used to construct, refurbish, or service individually owned household water well systems and decentralized wastewater systems in eligible rural areas, tribal lands in rural areas, and colonias.
State revolving funds and community water projects
EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund money is usually not a direct homeowner grant. It is more often used by water systems, states, or communities. Still, it can matter when many homes have contaminated individual wells and the long-term fix is a new public system, a shared system, or a replacement source.
EPA’s DWSRF eligibilities include rehabilitation of wells, replacing contaminated sources, and creating new systems to serve homes with contaminated individual wells. If several homes near you have the same issue, ask the county or state drinking water office whether a community-level project is planned.
Local housing repair and CDBG programs
Some cities, counties, and states run home repair, emergency repair, owner-occupied rehab, CDBG rehab, deferred loan, or forgivable loan programs. They may use federal, state, or local funds. The intake office may be a housing department, community action agency, nonprofit, or county contractor.
HUD’s CDBG program gives funds to states, cities, and counties for local needs, mainly for low- and moderate-income people. HUD usually does not take direct homeowner CDBG repair applications. Your local program sets the income limits, repair rules, lien rules, application dates, and waitlist.
Disaster help for damaged wells
If a declared disaster damaged your well, apply through FEMA and keep photos, receipts, insurance letters, and contractor estimates. FEMA’s damaged wells guidance says FEMA may reimburse a professional technician’s estimate and may also pay eligible repair or replacement costs for a disaster-damaged private well when insurance does not cover the loss.
If FEMA refers you to the Small Business Administration, do not ignore it because you do not own a business. SBA’s physical damage loans page says homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to repair or replace a disaster-damaged primary residence. It is a loan, not a grant, so compare the terms before accepting.
Tribal, Alaska Native, and IHS paths
If you are a member of a federally recognized Tribe, live in an approved service area, or live on tribal land, contact your tribal housing office. The BIA Housing Program provides grant funding to federally recognized Tribes for eligible housing repairs, renovations, replacement, and related needs.
The Indian Health Service sanitation program provides technical and financial assistance to American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages for safe water, wastewater, and solid waste facilities. HUD’s Indian CDBG program can support housing rehabilitation and water or sewer infrastructure through eligible tribal grantees.
Nonprofits, 211, and aging programs
Call 211 or use United Way 211 to ask for local home repair, emergency water, nonprofit, utility, and government referrals. 211 is helpful when you do not know who serves your county.
Some Habitat for Humanity affiliates offer home preservation or critical repair programs. Some Rebuilding Together affiliates offer repair help through a local affiliate. They may not drill wells, but they may help with related plumbing or refer you to local funding.
If the homeowner is older, call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or use the Eldercare Locator to find the Area Agency on Aging. Ask for home repair, safe housing, emergency repair, and case management referrals.
Water bill help is different
Well repair help is not the same as help paying a water bill. The temporary federal LIHWAP program helped with water and wastewater bills, but the ACF LIHWAP page says funding is no longer available and households cannot receive LIHWAP benefits at this time. Some local utilities have hardship funds, but those usually help utility customers, not private well owners.
Documents and proof to gather
Most programs need proof before they can approve a repair. Put copies in one folder before you apply.
| Proof | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Photo ID and contact details | Confirms who is applying |
| Proof of ownership and occupancy | Most programs require you to own and live in the home |
| Income proof | Needed for USDA, local repair, nonprofit, and many state programs |
| Certified water test | Shows the contaminant and level found |
| Contractor diagnosis and estimate | Shows repair scope, cost, urgency, and permit needs |
| Photos and timeline | Shows when the water stopped, changed, flooded, or tested unsafe |
| Insurance letter | Shows what insurance will or will not cover |
| Tax bill, mortgage statement, or title | Helps with property and ownership review |
Repairs that may be covered
Programs are more likely to consider work tied to safe water, sanitation, habitability, or disaster recovery. Possible covered work may include:
- Well pump repair or replacement
- Pressure tank, controls, wiring, or needed plumbing
- Well cap, casing, sealing, or sanitary repair
- Disinfection, flushing, and retesting after flooding or bacteria
- Certified lab testing when tied to a program
- Treatment equipment for a documented contaminant
- New well or replacement source when the old source cannot be made safe
- Connection to a public or community water system when approved as the long-term fix
- Emergency bottled water, hauled water, or temporary treatment in some programs
Costs that are often not covered
- Work started before written approval
- Luxury upgrades, landscaping, irrigation wells, pools, or water features
- Second homes, vacation homes, rentals, or homes you do not occupy
- Unlicensed work when a licensed contractor is required
- Filters sold without a certified lab result showing the actual problem
- Repairs that belong to a utility, landlord, seller, or shared system association
- Old contractor debt unless the program allows reimbursement
A practical application plan
- Make the water safe today. Use bottled water if contamination, flooding, chemical odor, or sewage is possible.
- Call the health department. Ask what to test for and which labs are certified.
- Get a written diagnosis. Ask the contractor to separate urgent health and safety work from optional upgrades.
- Do not sign yet. Many programs cannot pay after work starts.
- Screen for programs. Try USDA, your city or county housing office, 211, nonprofits, and tribal offices if relevant.
- Keep notes. Write down each call date, person, number, and next step.
- If denied, ask why. A missing document, wrong estimate, or wrong office may be fixable.
Phone scripts
County health department
Hello, I use a private well for drinking water. I am worried the water may be unsafe because [odor, color, test result, flood, illness, or no water]. What tests do I need, which labs are certified, and is there any help for testing, bottled water, treatment, or well repair?
USDA Rural Development
Hello, I own and live in a rural home with a private well problem. The issue is [failed pump, unsafe test result, damaged well, or no water]. Can you screen my address, income, and repair type for Section 504 or rural water help before I start work?
211 or nonprofit
Hello, I need help finding local resources for a private well or unsafe drinking water problem. Please search for home repair, emergency water, health department, USDA, and nonprofit programs that serve homeowners in my county.
Well contractor
Hello, I need a written diagnosis and estimate for a private well problem. Are you licensed for well or pump work in this state, do you handle permits, and can your estimate separate urgent repairs from optional work?
Be careful with filters, treatment systems, and financing
A water treatment system should match the contaminant. A filter that improves taste may not remove nitrate. A softener may not make bacteria safe. A pitcher may not solve arsenic or PFAS unless it is certified for that exact claim. Treatment systems vary by purpose and need maintenance.
Before buying, get a certified lab test and ask the health department what result needs treatment. Check whether the product is certified for that contaminant. NSF’s drinking water guide can help explain certification.
Be careful with contractor financing. HUD’s home improvement page warns homeowners to use approved lenders for HUD-insured repair loans and avoid deceptive contractors. FHA 203(k) and Title I loans can be legitimate, but they are loans, not grants.
Common mistakes
- Starting work before written approval
- Using a sales test instead of a certified drinking water lab
- Testing for bacteria only when the risk may be nitrate, arsenic, lead, PFAS, or another contaminant
- Buying treatment equipment before knowing the contaminant
- Not proving ownership, occupancy, income, or disaster damage
- Assuming HUD, EPA, or USDA will always pay homeowners directly
- Missing FEMA, SBA, county, or state deadlines
Scam warnings
Be cautious if someone knocks on the door, claims your water is unsafe without a certified lab test, pressures you to sign today, asks for full payment up front, demands cash or wire transfer, or says a government program will cover everything after you sign.
The FTC’s contractor scam guide says to check licensing and insurance, get multiple written estimates, read the contract, and avoid paying the full amount before work is done. For well work, also ask who gets permits, who performs post-repair testing, and what happens if the repair fails.
If you are denied, delayed, or waitlisted
Ask for the reason in writing. If your income is too high for a grant, ask about loans. If your address is not eligible, ask who serves your county. If the repair is not covered, ask whether a health department letter or lab result would change the decision.
If you are waitlisted, ask whether emergency priority is possible for no water, unsafe water, infants, pregnancy, disability, medical vulnerability, older adults, or disaster damage. Also ask about temporary bottled water, hauled water, or a smaller urgent repair while you wait.
Safer backup options
If grants are not available, compare safer options before accepting contractor financing. Ask a credit union, local CDFI, city housing department, USDA office, or HUD-approved housing counselor about alternatives. If a lien, deferred loan, or high-payment contract is involved, get advice before signing.
FAQs
Is there a federal grant just for private well repair?
There is not one simple national well repair grant for every homeowner. Some federal money reaches homeowners through USDA, states, counties, tribes, disaster programs, or nonprofits. The right path depends on location, income, ownership, rural status, contamination, and disaster damage.
Can USDA Section 504 pay for well repair?
It may, if the homeowner, property, income, rural location, and repair meet program rules. A failed pump, no water, unsafe drinking water, or a health and safety hazard is a stronger case than an optional upgrade. Contact USDA before starting work.
Should I test before I ask for help?
Usually yes, unless the problem is clearly mechanical, such as a failed pump. Use a state-certified drinking water lab and ask the health department which contaminants to test for. Keep the report.
Will boiling make well water safe?
Boiling can help with some germs, but it does not fix every problem. It will not make water safe if the issue is fuel, many chemicals, metals, nitrate, PFAS, or some other contaminants.
Can FEMA help with a private well?
FEMA may consider help for a disaster-damaged private well in a declared disaster when the loss is not covered by insurance. You may need a licensed technician’s estimate, proof of disaster damage, photos, and insurance information.
What if my state does not have a private well grant?
Ask about county home repair, USDA Section 504, USDA rural water grantees, CDBG rehab, tribal programs, nonprofit repair groups, 211 referrals, and safer repair loans. Also ask the health department about contamination-specific or emergency water programs.
About This Guide
HomeRepairGrants.org created this guide to help homeowners find realistic well and water quality repair paths. This guide uses official federal, state, local, and high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article, including USDA, EPA, CDC, FEMA, SBA, HUD, ACF, BIA, IHS, 211, Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together, and Area Agency on Aging resources.
HomeRepairGrants.org is not a government agency, does not guarantee eligibility, and is not legal, financial, tax, medical, insurance, disability-rights, or government-agency advice. Programs change, funding runs out, and local rules vary. Always confirm details with the agency, tribe, nonprofit, lender, counselor, health department, or contractor before you sign or start work.
Corrections: Email info@homerepairgrants.org with corrections.