DFW Well Service

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DFW Well Service handles drilling, pump service, inspections, and water quality issues across North Texas.

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Well Rehabilitation

Declining water production doesn't always mean drilling a new well. Cleaning, chemical treatment, and pump repositioning can restore a declining well at a fraction of replacement cost.

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A residential water well on a rural North Texas property
A residential water well on a rural North Texas property — the kind of aging well DFW Well Service rehabilitates to restore production.

Before You Drill a New Well

A new residential well in North Texas costs $8,000–$20,000+. A well rehabilitation program costs $2,500–$6,000 for most jobs — and in many cases restores enough production to extend the well's useful life by 5–15 years.

The most common cause of declining North Texas well production is not geology — it's iron bacteria and mineral scale clogging the well screen over time. Both are highly treatable. A camera inspection before any decision tells you whether rehabilitation is likely to work before you spend a dollar on it.

The Rehabilitation Process

  1. 1

    Camera inspection

    We lower a video camera into the casing to assess screen condition, casing integrity, sediment level, and the presence of iron bacteria or scale buildup.

  2. 2

    Pre-treatment flow test

    Current flow rate is measured and compared against the original well log (if available). This gives us a baseline to measure improvement against.

  3. 3

    Mechanical cleaning

    A wire brush or jetting tool cleans scale and biofilm from the casing interior and screen perforations. Loosened debris is bailed or pumped from the well.

  4. 4

    Chemical treatment

    A targeted chemical (acid for mineral scale, polyphosphate for iron bacteria) is introduced to the casing and allowed to dwell, dissolving deposits from the screen and perforations.

  5. 5

    Development & flushing

    The well is surged and pumped to dislodge remaining debris, pull treated material from the formation, and flush the casing clean. This step typically takes several hours.

  6. 6

    Post-treatment test & disinfection

    Flow rate is retested and compared against baseline. The well is shock chlorinated, flushed, and a bacteria sample is collected to confirm the water is safe before return to service.

Signs Your Well May Need Rehabilitation

Gradually declining flow rate

Pressure that was strong 5 years ago is noticeably weaker today — even though the pump is functioning.

Increased sediment or turbidity

More sand, silt, or cloudiness than the well used to produce, indicating screen deterioration or formation clogging.

Iron bacteria deposits

Orange or reddish-brown slime at faucets or in the toilet tank — iron bacteria in the well casing.

Rotten egg odor

Hydrogen sulfide from sulfur-reducing bacteria in the well — often co-present with iron bacteria in older wells.

Well over 15 years old, no maintenance

Older wells with no documented cleaning or treatment history are strong candidates for a camera inspection.

Failed bacteria tests despite chlorination

Recurring bacteria despite shock chlorination often means a biofilm source inside the casing — cleaning addresses the root cause.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is well rehabilitation?
Well rehabilitation is the process of restoring a declining well to closer to its original performance without drilling a new well. It includes mechanical cleaning of the screen and perforations, chemical treatment to dissolve mineral scale and iron bacteria, physical development (surging and pumping to loosen formation debris), shock chlorination, and repositioning the pump if the water table has dropped. Rehabilitation can add 5–15 years of useful life to a well at a fraction of the cost of drilling a new one.
How do I know if my well needs rehabilitation vs. replacement?
Signs that rehabilitation may restore performance: gradual decline in flow rate over months or years, increased sediment in the water, iron bacteria or biofilm buildup (evidenced by slimy orange deposits at faucets), and a well that has been in service for 15–25 years without any maintenance. Signs that replacement is more likely needed: collapsed casing, severely silted or fractured formation, static water level that has permanently dropped below the pump, or a well that has failed rehabilitation once before.
What causes a well to decline in production?
The most common causes of declining production in North Texas wells: iron bacteria and mineral scale clogging the well screen and perforations (reduces the rate at which water can enter the well from the formation); fine sediment (silt or clay) accumulating at the bottom of the casing over time; the static water level dropping due to drought or neighboring well usage; and pump wear delivering less GPM even when the well itself is fine. A camera inspection distinguishes between these causes before treatment begins.
How much does well rehabilitation cost?
Rehabilitation costs vary significantly by method and well condition. Mechanical cleaning and development alone runs $800–$2,500. Chemical treatment (acid or polyphosphate injection) adds $500–$1,500 for chemicals and dwell time. A comprehensive rehabilitation with camera inspection, chemical treatment, mechanical development, and pump repositioning runs $2,500–$6,000 for most residential wells in North Texas. This compares favorably to a new well at $8,000–$20,000+.
How long does rehabilitation take?
A standard rehabilitation job takes 1–2 days on site. Chemical treatment requires dwell time (4–24 hours depending on the chemical and the degree of scale buildup), which typically means returning the following day for development and flushing. The well should not be used for drinking water during the process and for 24–48 hours after flushing is complete, until a post-treatment bacteria test confirms the water is safe.
Does rehabilitation guarantee restored performance?
Rehabilitation improves performance in most cases but cannot guarantee a specific outcome. The condition of the formation and the extent of screen clogging determine how much flow rate can be recovered. We perform a camera inspection and flow test before and after treatment so you have documented performance data. If rehabilitation does not restore adequate flow, we will tell you — and can discuss whether repositioning the pump deeper or drilling a new well is the right next step.

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