Well Pump Repair in Amelia County, VA

If the well at your place in Amelia County has lost pressure or quit, whether you're near Amelia Court House, out toward Jetersville or somewhere in between, this page is for you. It covers what's known about Amelia wells, this fall's drought warning, the health department and building office numbers, water testing, a short section for neighbors in Cumberland County, and how to reach one independent local well and pump contractor about well pump repair.

Call (804) 602-7227 Request Service

Small white wooden well house with a shingled roof beside a gravel farm lane, with a brick ranch house, pines and a fenced hay field — A small white well house beside a gravel farm lane, with a brick ranch house behind it and a fenced hay field along the lane.

Amelia's wells: drilled and bored, shallow and deep

An estimate built on the U.S. Geological Survey's well-use model puts about 12,047 Amelia residents on private wells. The census stopped asking about household water sources after 1990, so modeled figures like this are the best available, and USGS says its maps aren't meant to be read house by house.

The clearest local picture comes from the Virginia Household Water Quality Program's 2014–15 clinic in Amelia. Participants' wells ranged from 30 to 490 feet deep and from 1 to 60 years old, and both drilled and bored wells were common. That spread matters for pump work. University of Nebraska Extension describes shallow-well jet pumps for water less than 25 feet down, deep-well jet pumps for 25 to 250 feet, and submersible pumps set below the water in a drilled well, which have to be pulled up for repair. A 30-foot bored well and a 490-foot drilled well call for very different jobs.

Amelia is under a drought warning

DEQ's October 2, 2026 update lists Amelia under a Drought Warning, as it was on August 6, when Chesterfield and Richmond were moved down to a watch. Under a warning, VDH says to stop non-essential water use. It also suggests keeping about a gallon of bottled water per person per day for three days. Virginia Tech says groundwater usually bottoms out in late September or October, and that sputtering or low pressure can mean the water level has dropped below the pump.

With bored wells common in Amelia, that matters: Penn State Extension's drought guidance says shallow and hand-dug wells usually go dry first. The same guidance says the most common cause of "no water" is a failing submersible pump, so get the pump, switch and tank checked before deciding the well is dry. If it does run dry, VDH says to call a professional rather than adjusting the pump yourself. The drought page covers lowering a pump, deepening the well and drilling a new one.

Offices to know in Amelia

Amelia Health Department (Piedmont Health District), 16320 Church Street, Amelia, (804) 561-2711. VDH's Amelia permit handout sends well permit applications through the Health Department. Building, deepening, altering or abandoning a well needs a VDH permit; replacing the pump doesn't. Well permit fee: $300, the statewide VDH fee for a private well construction or abandonment permit (the older Amelia handout shows a lower fee that is out of date).
Amelia County Building Department, 16360 Dunn Street, Suite 101, Amelia, 804-561-3039, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Applications go through the county's online permit portal. The department's page says nothing specific about well pumps or tanks. Virginia's building code exempts a like-for-like pump replacement from a building permit; for a new pressure tank, switch or wiring, call the department first.

Getting your water tested

At the 2014–15 Amelia clinic, 56 samples were tested. Total coliform bacteria turned up in 75 percent, E. coli in 11 percent, and 57 percent had a pH below 6.5. VDH's Piedmont district listed Amelia's 2026 clinic sample day as September 2, with an Amelia contact at 804-561-2481; watch the Virginia Household Water Quality Program schedule for the next one. After pump work, a CDC and NEHA fact sheet advises testing for coliform and nitrate before drinking the water.

Next door in Cumberland County

Cumberland, home to Cartersville, shares Amelia's health district and its drought status. DEQ listed Cumberland under a Drought Warning on October 2, 2026. The Cumberland Health Department (Piedmont Health District) can be reached at (434) 392-8187 and is currently located within the Prince Edward Health Department. Its 2026 well-water clinic sample day was also September 2. We haven't found a published count of Cumberland homes on wells or a county page on pump permits. For a new tank, switch or wiring, ask Cumberland County Building Inspection, 1 Courthouse Circle, Cumberland, 804-492-9114.

What pump work costs

We found no published well pump price for Amelia or Cumberland. National guides are the reference: This Old House (March 2026) puts a typical replacement at $900 to $2,500, and American Home Shield (February 2026) puts a submersible at $1,000 to $2,500 and a shallow-well jet pump at $400 to $1,400. The cost page has a parts table and worked examples.

Amelia well questions

Does replacing a well pump in Amelia need a permit?

Not from the health department, because Virginia's well regulations say a pump replacement isn't a well alteration, and the state building code exempts a like-for-like swap. Ask the Building Department about tanks, switches and wiring.

My well is bored, not drilled. Does that change the repair?

It can. A shallow bored well may use a jet pump above ground instead of a submersible down in the well, and shallow wells are the first to feel a drought. Tell the contractor what kind of well you have when you call.

Who handles a dry well in Amelia?

WTVR's August 6 drought coverage advised well owners with low or no flow to call their local health department; in Amelia that's (804) 561-2711. A well and pump contractor can check whether the problem is the pump, the controls or the water level.

Does the well need to be disinfected after a pump replacement?

Yes. Virginia requires disinfection after work that reaches inside the well casing. Ask whether it's included in the estimate. The well rules page explains the two approved methods.

How this site helps

Call or send a request from Amelia or Cumberland. If the contractor works that far out, we'll pass it to one independent local well and pump contractor, and if not, we'll tell you.

Sources

Well pump trouble in Amelia?

Reach one independent local well and pump contractor by phone or with a short request.