Identifying and addressing drinking water challenges in well-reliant communities after natural disasters: lessons from a Louisiana flood

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The 2016 Louisiana flood caused extensive structural damage to private drinking water wells, which were submerged under several feet of contaminated surface water for days. Well-reliant communities, which make up 13% of Louisiana’s population, are solely responsible for ensuring the safety of their water. The aims of this study are to evaluate private well user preparedness and recovery, and develop recommendations for flood-prone well-reliant communities. METHODS: A convenience sample of flood-impacted well owners was surveyed and offered free well water testing ten weeks after flood waters subsided (n=106). Surveys collected information to characterize knowledge gaps, risk perceptions, flood impacts, resource accessibility, and well maintenance barriers; while water tests evaluated total coliform and E. coli. RESULTS:Surveyed well owners needed information on well testing labs (90%), water contamination (77%), and water treatment (78%). Of respondents with flooded wells (n=75), one-third resided in low flood risk zones, indicating a need for improved risk determinations. After the flood, over half (57%) of flood-impacted well users (n=75) continued consuming well water after the flood; yet, 26% had water which tested positive for total coliforms. 69% of well users who resumed well water consumption (n=43) disinfected their water, but testing indicated that microbes can continue to regrow or re-enter wells. CONCLUSIONS:Results suggest that well owners lack the knowledge, means, resources, or motivation to protect well water and treat water adequately after floods. In addition, disinfection methods may be either insufficient, will not work due to well system failures, or are conducted incorrectly. Recommendations are made to enhance emergency response communications, and to improve well water surveillance. As the likelihood that more frequent and severe flooding events will increase, officials need to update and enhance technical resources, and provide well user training to facilitate well user preparedness, self-reliance and resilience. KEYWORDS: Flood, private well, well water, disaster preparedness, natural disaster