Well Sealing & Abandonment
Sealing or Abandoning an Old Well in New Jersey
An unused well is a direct path into the groundwater. New Jersey requires a licensed well driller to seal one — which isn't us. Here's what to know and who to call.
Why an abandoned well matters
A well that is no longer in use is an open shaft connecting the surface to the aquifer that supplies the drinking water around it, including possibly your own. Sealing it properly is what closes that path.
What New Jersey requires
- •Under N.J.S.A. 58:4A-4.1, property owners are responsible for the wells located on their property and for decommissioning them at the end of their life.
- •That decommissioning must be done by a New Jersey licensed well driller of the proper class.
- •The driller files a well decommissioning report with NJDEP afterwards.
- •Decommissioning means the permanent closure or sealing of a well, and the procedure is set out in N.J.A.C. 7:9D.
We don't do this work
A New Jersey pump installer licence does not authorise sealing a well. That's a well driller's licence and a different class of work. We're a pump and water treatment company. If your old well needs sealing, you need a licensed well driller, and we would rather tell you that than take the job. See our page on the NJ pump installer licence.
How to find a licensed well driller
- •Ask for the well driller licence and the class, not just the word "licensed".
- •Ask NJDEP's Technical Assistance and Licensing Unit at wdpilicensing@dep.nj.gov to confirm a licence.
- •Ask for the decommissioning report afterwards and keep it with the deed, because the next buyer's attorney will ask for it.
We do not name or recommend a specific drilling company.
When this comes up
- •A property that switched to public water and left the old well in the ground.
- •A new well drilled and the old one abandoned in place.
- •A well found during a sale that nobody knew about.
- •A well that collapsed or was damaged.
- •A buried well nobody can locate.
The buried well problem
NJDEP has a process for wells that genuinely cannot be found. Current rules require a driller to record a well's location with GPS after construction, which makes newer wells findable, but older location records were often vague. NJDEP may accept that a well is lost or destroyed if it cannot be decommissioned by a licensed well driller, and it publishes guidance for that situation — but the well is not considered lost or destroyed until NJDEP issues a letter agreeing with the findings. People assume the paperwork is a formality; it isn't. See NJDEP's well permits program page.
What we can help with
We can look at a well that's still in service and tell you whether it is. We can help you find out whether NJDEP holds a record for a well on your property. And we do the pump, tank and treatment side once a working well is the one you're keeping.
Questions we get on this one
Can I fill an old well in myself?→
No. Decommissioning a well must be done by a New Jersey licensed well driller of the proper class, and the procedure is set out in N.J.A.C. 7:9D. Sealing a well is not a DIY job, and doing it wrong can leave a path into the groundwater that looks closed but isn't.
What happens if I just leave it?→
An unused well is an open shaft connecting the surface to the aquifer that supplies drinking water around it, including possibly your own. Under N.J.S.A. 58:4A-4.1, property owners are responsible for the wells on their property and for decommissioning them at the end of their life. Leaving it is a liability and a water-quality risk.
Does an abandoned well have to be disclosed when I sell?→
That is a question for your attorney and your real estate professional. What we can say is that the next buyer's attorney may ask for the decommissioning report, which is why you keep it with the deed. Ask your attorney about disclosure specifics.
How do I find out if there's an old well on my property?→
NJDEP holds well records and there is a process for requesting the paperwork for a well on a given property — contact wellpermitting@dep.nj.gov. Older wells may not have clear records, and a buried well can be genuinely hard to find. NJDEP has guidance for wells that cannot be located.
Can you seal it if I hire you for the pump work too?→
No. A New Jersey pump installer licence does not authorise sealing a well — that is a well driller's licence and a different class of work. We're a pump and water treatment company. If your old well needs sealing, you need a licensed well driller, and we would rather tell you that than take the job.
Who keeps the decommissioning report?→
The driller files the well decommissioning report with NJDEP. Keep a copy with your deed, because the next buyer's attorney will ask for it. That paperwork is the proof the well was closed properly.
Questions about your own well?
Call (862) 276-0328Last reviewed September 2026. Rules change, and these pages summarise what the agencies say rather than giving legal advice. Confirm anything that matters with the agency named on the page.