Should You Worry About Your Well During a North Carolina Drought?
We’ve all been watching the weather reports lately. With North Carolina currently sitting in a moderate drought, I’m starting to get the same question from homeowners in Raleigh and Franklin County: "Felton, is my well going to go dry?"
It’s a valid fear. Your well is your family’s lifeline. After 35 years of drilling through the North Carolina Piedmont, I’ve seen our water tables rise and fall through plenty of dry spells.
Here is what you actually need to know about how this drought affects your well water—and what you should be looking out for.
1. The Advantage of the NC "Deep Well"
If you have a modern drilled well in the Raleigh area, you are likely tapping into the crystalline granite bedrock. These are "deep wells," often going 200 to 500 feet down.
Unlike shallow "bored" wells (the older ones with the big concrete tiles), deep rock wells are much more resilient during a drought. While a shallow well relies on recent rainfall in the top layer of soil, your deep well pulls from fractures in the rock that hold water from months or even years ago.
The Bottom Line: You likely won’t run out of water today, but a prolonged drought can eventually slow down the "recharge rate" of even the deepest wells.
2. Warning Signs Your Well is Struggling
You don't usually go from "plenty of water" to "zero water" overnight. Your well will give you some hints first. Watch for these three signs:
Sputtering Faucets: If you turn on the tap and it "spits" air at you, your pump might be sucking in air because the water level in the well casing has dropped.
Cloudy or "Muddy" Water: As the water level drops, the pump may begin to pull in sediment from the bottom of the well that usually stays settled.
Low Pressure: If your shower feels more like a drizzle, or your washing machine is taking twice as long to fill, your well may be struggling to keep up with the demand.
3. How the Piedmont Geology Protects (and Challenges) Us
In Franklin County and Wake County, we deal with the Piedmont Aquifer. Our water is stored in the cracks and crevices of the granite. During a drought, the water level in these cracks drops.
If your well was drilled during a very "wet" year, the pump might have been set at a depth that was fine then, but is now too high for the dropping water table. Sometimes, the fix isn't a new well—it's simply lowering the pump further into the existing rock shaft.
4. Felton’s "Upfront" Advice for the Drought
If you’re worried, here are three things you can do right now:
Space Out Your Water Use: Don't run the dishwasher, the washing machine, and the lawn irrigation at the same time. Give your well time to "recover" between big draws.
Check Your Pressure Tank: Sometimes "well trouble" is actually just a failing pressure tank. Have a pro check the "drawdown" to make sure your system isn't working harder than it needs to.
Don't Wait for "Dry": If you see the warning signs, call us. It’s much cheaper to troubleshoot a struggling pump than it is to replace a burned-out motor that ran dry for three hours.
The Upfront Promise
At Upfront Well Company, we aren't going to tell you that you need a brand-new well just because the rain stopped. We’ll look at your specific depth, your pump's performance, and your local water table to give you an honest assessment.
Meet Your Expert:
Felton Jacobs | Founder & Master Well Contractor Felton Jacobs isn't just the name behind the company; he’s the boots-on-the-ground expert who has been drilling through North Carolina's tough Piedmont rock since 1989. With over three decades of hands-on experience, Felton has seen every water challenge Raleigh and Franklin County have to offer.
Professional Credentials:
NC Certified Well Contractor: Level A (Highest Certification Level)
Specialization: High-Pressure Air-Hammer Drilling & Complex Pump Systems
Memberships: Active member of the North Carolina Ground Water Association (NCGWA) and the National Ground Water Association (NGWA).
Local Authority: 35+ years serving Louisburg, Raleigh, Wake Forest, and the surrounding Triangle area.
“At Upfront, we don’t just drill holes; we build reliable water systems for our neighbors. My goal is to make sure every customer gets an honest assessment and a well that lasts a lifetime.” — Felton Jacobs
