Iowa private well rules
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Private Well Program regulates private wells, sets construction, maintenance and plugging standards, and certifies well contractors.
Who certifies well contractors in Iowa
Iowa DNR well construction permits are issued by your county through the Iowa Well Information System (IWIS), which also tracks water tests, renovations and plugging reports.
A permit is required for every new water well and geothermal loop, and for some types of well reconstruction.
The private well rules cover water systems serving fewer than 25 people a day. Larger systems fall under public water supply rules.
Source: DNR Private Well Program
Who may work on a well pump
In Iowa, installing and repairing well pumps and water distribution systems, including pressure tanks and pressure switches, counts as a regulated well service.
State law requires well contractors to be certified by the Iowa DNR, and the certified person must be on site while the work is done.
A well owner may do their own well work, but must do it personally and cannot hire or barter with a non-certified person. Owners must follow the same rules as contractors.
Iowa certified pump installers can install and repair pumping and water distribution systems and can plug all types of wells.
Sources: Pump work is a well service; Certified contractor on site
Does the state require well testing?
Iowa DNR tells private well users they are responsible for their own water testing. County environmental health offices can help, but you must contact them.
Every private well used for drinking should be tested at least once a year, and also when the well is new, after the well or pump is serviced, or when the water changes.
Iowa DNR advises testing for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year, and for arsenic and manganese at least once, or more often where nearby wells show changing arsenic.
In any given year, less than 7 percent of Iowa private well owners test their water.
Getting your water tested in Iowa
Iowa's Private Well Grants Program provides free water testing to all private well owners and users. Contact your county health department to get your well tested.
The State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa says residents may get well water tested at no cost through the Private Well Grants Program, arranged by the county environmental health department.
The state lab says if total coliform and E. coli are both absent, the water is bacterially safe to drink. If coliform is present, the water is unsafe.
The Private Well Grants Program funds county health departments to reimburse residents for water tests, well closure and well repair.
Sources: Free testing through the county; State Hygienic Laboratory; County administered grants
Disinfecting a well
Iowa DNR says never drink water from a well that may have been affected by flood water until it is tested.
If bacteria are found, purge and shock chlorinate the well and water system. The Private Well Grants Program can reimburse up to $400 for this work.
Retest the well for bacteria, fecal coliform and nitrate 7 to 10 days after shock chlorination, and repeat until the results are clear.
Source: Never drink from a flooded well
Plugging an unused well
If an unneeded well will not be renovated or placed on standby, Iowa DNR says it must be properly plugged within 90 days of first noting its condition.
Plugging must be done by a DNR certified well contractor unless the owner does all the work personally. Well drillers and pump installers can plug all types of wells.
The Private Well Grants Program lists $700 for well plugging. Ask your county before the work starts.
When a property is sold, every water well on it, including abandoned and plugged wells, must be disclosed on the Groundwater Hazard Statement.
Sources: Plug within 90 days; Grant for well plugging
Checking a contractor's certification
You can confirm a contractor is certified by looking up their name on the Search Well Contractors page of IWIS for the type of work you need.
Non-certified contractors are not legally allowed to perform well services in Iowa, so check that the person you hire is on the DNR lists.
Iowa DNR says to always have a contract when hiring anyone for well services.
A certified contractor may still lack the equipment or experience for every job, so choose carefully.
Sources: Check certification in IWIS; Non-certified work is illegal; Certification is not everything
Common questions
Does Iowa require private well owners to test their water?
Testing is the owner's job: Iowa DNR says private well users are responsible for their own water testing, and it advises testing for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year.