News Ticker

Private Wells Begin Running Dry Across Parts of Brunswick County; Regional Risk Rising in Columbus and Horry

Calabash, NC — As Extreme Drought conditions deepen across southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina, private well failures are beginning to surface in Brunswick County, with state groundwater data and local well contractors confirming that shallow wells in several communities have already run dry. While Columbus and Horry counties have not yet reported widespread failures, drought officials warn that groundwater levels are dropping across the region and additional outages are possible if conditions persist.

Brunswick County: Confirmed Well Failures in Multiple Communities

Brunswick County is currently the only county with verified reports of private wells running dry. According to the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council and the NC Division of Water Resources, shallow private wells under roughly 20 foot are failing in parts of Shallotte, Calabash, and Southport.

Several homeowners have already lost water service due to declining groundwater and pump overheating inside small pump houses. State drought‑indicator wells in Calabash and Southport are also registering dry‑well conditions, confirming that groundwater levels in the southern half of the county have dropped sharply during the ongoing heat and drought.

Failures are concentrated in areas with older, shallow wells that draw from upper aquifers most sensitive to drought. Deeper wells remain stable, but many rural homes still rely on older systems installed decades ago.

Columbus County: No Confirmed Failures, But Drought Is Putting Pressure on Local Wells

Columbus County has not reported any confirmed private well outages as of mid‑July. However, drought officials note that groundwater levels often respond more slowly than surface conditions, and the county’s proximity to Brunswick’s severe drought zone means some rural wells could begin showing stress if dry weather continues. Many homes in western and southern Columbus rely on older, shallow wells that may be more sensitive to prolonged heat and limited rainfall.

Horry County: Groundwater Stress Increasing as Pee Dee Basin Declines

Horry County has not reported confirmed private well failures, but drought officials say groundwater conditions are tightening as levels fall across the Pee Dee Basin. The South Carolina Drought Response Committee has documented multiple private well failures in nearby Pee Dee counties, and the same aquifer systems extend directly into Horry.

Local utilities, including Loris and North Myrtle Beach, have strengthened drought restrictions due to reduced groundwater recharge and higher summer demand. Some systems report slower well recovery rates, an early sign of aquifer strain even without household outages.

Groundwater levels can vary widely across the county, and drought impacts often appear first in outlying communities before affecting larger systems.

What Homeowners Should Watch For

Well contractors across the region recommend that homeowners monitor for signs of declining water levels, including sputtering faucets, pump short‑cycling, or sudden drops in water pressure. Heat inside pump houses can also cause pump overheating, which may mimic or worsen drought‑related outages.

Even if a home relies on a private well, residents should be just as resourceful and conservation‑minded as they would be on a public water system, both can run dry during prolonged drought.

With Extreme Drought conditions expanding across southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina, groundwater levels are expected to remain under stress. State officials say additional private well failures are possible in all three counties if the region does not receive sustained rainfall.

Sources: North Carolina DMAC; NC Division of Water Resources; Shallotte well‑contractor reports; NWS Wilmington; South Carolina Drought Response Committee; USDA and NC State Climate Office.