Well pumps and well water in Dunnellon, FL
Dunnellon's three ZIP codes hold 13,465 state well records, and 34431 has a median depth of 150 feet, among the deepest of any area in the county with this many wells. Depth is what makes a pump job here bigger than the national guides assume.
How deep Dunnellon wells are
The three Dunnellon ZIP codes are not alike either. 34431 has a median of 150 feet, 34432 has 120, and 34430 has 100, against a county median of 105. So two neighbors with the same symptom can be facing quite different repairs.
A deeper well means more drop pipe and cable to pull and a pump pushing water further, which is where much of the cost of a replacement comes from. That is the best reason to rule out the breaker, the switch and the tank first, and to ask for the cable readings before anybody agrees to pull a pump from 150 feet.
| ZIP code | Well records | Median depth |
|---|---|---|
| 34432 | 5,898 | 120 ft |
| 34431 | 3,786 | 150 ft |
| 34430 | 3,781 | 100 ft |
34432 alone holds 5,898 well records, the second highest of any ZIP code in the county.
Your own well's depth, and the depth the pump is set at, are on its completion report, which the county health department holds. It is worth having a copy before the day something fails.
Florida Well Data, Marion County well records · Florida Department of Health in Marion County, Drinking water
No water in Dunnellon? Check these first
The same order works on every well in the county, and the first two checks cost nothing.
- Is it the whole house? If only one tap is dry, it is that fixture, not the well.
- The breaker. Reset the pump's double breaker once. If it trips again, stop and call a licensed well contractor.
- The pressure switch. Gauge near zero? Many switches have a reset lever on the side.
- The pressure tank. A solid thud all the way up means it is waterlogged.
- The control box, then the pump itself, which is a job for a licensed contractor.
What each symptom means, and the six questions to ask before you agree to a new pump.
Who handles permits in Dunnellon
Well construction is permitted by the Florida Department of Health in Marion County, under delegation from the water management district that covers the parcel. Marion County splits between the St. Johns River district to the east and the Southwest Florida district to the west, and Dunnellon is on the western side, but the boundary is not a straight line. The health department will confirm which district's rules apply to your parcel.
Plumbing work in the house, including softeners and filters, is Marion County Building Safety for unincorporated addresses. Inside Dunnellon city limits it may be the city instead, so give them the address and ask.
Florida Department of Health in Marion County, Drinking water · St. Johns River WMD, Well construction permitting · Southwest Florida WMD, Well construction permits · Marion County Building Safety, Permitting FAQs
What Dunnellon well water is usually like
Marion County wells draw from the Floridan aquifer through limestone, so the water is usually hard and often carries sulfur or iron. None of that means the well has gone wrong, but each has its own fix, and bacteria and nitrate need a lab test because you cannot taste them.
UF/IFAS Extension Marion County, Water quality series: hard water · Florida Department of Health, Private well water testing
Before you hire anyone
Calling a well contractor? Check three things first.
- 1The license. Every Florida water well contractor is licensed. Ask for the number and look it up at the state's contractor verification clearinghouse.
- 2The diagnosis before the price. A pressure switch reading, the tank's air charge and the cable readings, before anybody quotes a new pump. The six questions to ask.
- 3The permit, if a rig is coming. A new well needs one before drilling starts, and it is the contractor's job to have it. Who issues it.
Public offices, free to call
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