The City of Cape Coral has a new tool to help you stay informed when it comes to your private wells.
The Well Data Portal provides easy access to current and historical well permit data, including well depth, installation date, contractor information, and more.
This portal is supposed to help Cape Coral homeowners, buyers and realtors by giving you well water information at your fingertips.
The more information you have on a home, the better decisions you can make as a buyer, which is why Cape Coral realtor Sam Yaffey thinks Cape Coral’s new well data portal is brilliant
"When you buy a home, you look into a lot of things like the age of the roof and the age of the air conditioning," Yaffey said. "If you're buying a house in which your water supply for everyday use potable water is through a well, then you would like to know when you're buying that house what it has."
This new portal tells you information like how deep your well is, who drilled it at your property, and how old it is.
"It's nice to add that to the list of things that we're paying attention to," Cape Coral homeowner Brigitte Lakah said.
You can find out if the well has been replaced or if someone has lowered it.
You can confirm with your realtor if the property is connected to city irrigation or check for any water restrictions.
Yaffey looks forward to using the portal.
"I think it's helpful for everybody," Yaffey said. "You look at the depth of your well and you find out, oh, it's only so-and-so. It was put in 30 years ago or something like that. Then you know instantly that a problem is coming if it hasn't already been addressed."
If you’re trying to sell in parts of Cape Coral where the Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer is dangerously low, this could make it harder to sell.
"I have not been working anywhere where there is a well water concern right now," she said. "I have read a lot of concerns on social media from people."
To find it, visit the Well Data Portal , on the City's website, click "Search Our Records." There you can find well information on a specific address.
Yaffey tried using it. She said it’s a pretty simple process, but Gulf Coast News asked her if an app would be easier to use.
"I think that's true of any app and what you're trying to look up, building permits or something like that for a home," she said. "It's much easier to look it up on a wide screen."
The city said the Well Data Portal is designed to save time and money by providing critical well information up front, helping residents and builders avoid unnecessary drilling and costly surprises.
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