Ohio private well rules

Who registers well contractors in Ohio

In Ohio a private water system is a drinking water well, pond, spring, cistern or hauled water storage tank serving fewer than 25 people, less than sixty days out of the year, or with fewer than 15 service connections. Most homes on a well fall under it.

Ohio's private water rules (Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3701-28) are applied through the local health districts, so your county or city health district is the first office to call about a well.

The Ohio Department of Health sets construction standards for wells and other private water systems and requires the contractors who work on them to be registered and bonded.

A permit to build, alter or seal a private water system is approved only when a registered sanitarian (or sanitarian in training) at the local board of health signs and dates it.

A private water system permit expires one year after it is approved, and all of the permitted work must be finished by then.

Sources: ODH regulates private water systems under state law; Rules are carried out through local health districts; State sets construction standards and requires registered, bonded contractors; Permit approved by a local health district sanitarian

Who may work on a well pump

Ohio counts pump installers, along with well drillers, as private water systems contractors whose work requires registration with the Ohio Department of Health.

Anyone in the business of working on a private water system before the discharge side of the pressure tank (or other storage vessel) needs ODH registration.

An employee working under the direct supervision of a registered contractor does not need a separate registration, and neither does someone who helps the owner without being paid.

Since April 1, 2011, a homeowner who wants to build, alter or seal the water system on their own primary or secondary property must also register with ODH, without the bond. Contact both the local health department and ODH first.

The state permit application says every person who works on a private water system, homeowners included, must be registered with the Ohio Department of Health under rule 3701-28-18(A).

After well, pump or distribution work under a permit, the registered contractor's completion form goes to the local health district within 30 days of finishing and before the system gets final approval.

Sources: Pump installers must register with ODH; Homeowners doing their own work must register; Everyone working on a system must be registered; Completion form within 30 days of pump work

Does the state require well testing?

Ohio requires a water test when a private water system is built, altered or otherwise worked on under an open permit. The tests needed for permit approval are total coliform, E. coli and nitrates.

Every new private water system must have a water sample collected by the local health district and tested for E. coli and total coliform bacteria.

A system that is not required to have continuous disinfection passes with 4.2 or fewer total coliform MPN and no E. coli detected.

A system with continuous disinfection, such as a shallow well, must test negative for total coliform, which shows the disinfection equipment is working.

Nitrate is checked on every permitted system. A pre-test under 5 ppm needs no action; 5 ppm or more means a sample goes to an Ohio EPA certified lab.

If the lab nitrate result is 10 ppm or more, the local health district must give the owner information on the health risks and treatment options. Under 10 ppm needs no further action.

Sources: Testing required only under a permit; Local health district collects the sample

Getting your water tested in Ohio

For approval after new construction, alteration or repair, private water system samples must be analyzed by a laboratory certified by ODH or by Ohio EPA.

ODH recommends that well samples taken for a real estate sale or for your own information also go to a certified laboratory.

Ohio EPA certifies laboratories to test drinking water and posts a current list of certified labs on its website.

Ohio EPA's Division of Drinking and Ground Waters publishes a list of certified laboratories (October 2026 edition), which ODH links for private water testing.

To check whether a lab is certified, contact Ohio EPA Laboratory Certification at dwlabcert@epa.ohio.gov or (614) 644-2752.

Nearly all well samples are tested for E. coli because the test is inexpensive and results come back in 24 hours.

Sources: Approval samples go to an ODH or Ohio EPA certified lab; Ohio EPA certifies drinking water labs; Ohio EPA certified lab list, October 2026; E. coli results in 24 hours

Disinfecting a well

When a private water system is built, altered or repaired, the registered contractor is responsible for disinfecting the work they did.

A new, altered or repaired system must be disinfected before it is used, and after an alteration or repair the water lines and pressure tank must be cleaned and disinfected too.

ODH's well cleaning and enhanced disinfection procedure, used for repeat bacteria problems, wells returning to service, or flood or casing damage, must be done by a registered private water systems contractor.

A homeowner may disinfect an existing well themselves using ODH's homeowner procedure.

If total coliform or E. coli keep showing up after disinfection, ODH says to call an experienced registered contractor for enhanced disinfection and to have the well's construction checked.

When pumping a well before disinfection, do not run the water into the septic system, because it will overload it.

Sources: Contractors disinfect their own work; Enhanced cleaning and disinfection is contractor work; Homeowners may disinfect an existing well

Plugging an unused well

Clermont County Public Health says only registered water system contractors can seal a private water system, and the Ohio Department of Health keeps the list of them.

Wells, cisterns and hauled water storage tanks that will no longer be used must be properly abandoned under the state private water rules, according to Clermont County Public Health.

A homeowner who wants to seal the well on their own primary or secondary property must register with ODH first (no bond is required).

Sealing a well is a permitted job. The state permit application has a separate work type for sealing or decommissioning only.

Keeping a well after hooking up to public water is handled as its own permit type, an alteration for a public water connection without sealing.

Well logs, completion forms and sealing reports must be filed with the local health district within 30 days of finishing the work.

Sources: Only registered contractors may seal (Clermont County Public Health); Homeowners sealing their own well must register; Sealing needs a permit; Sealing report to the local health district within 30 days

Checking a contractor's registration

ODH posts lists of registered private water systems contractors (Ohio based and out of state). They are updated as contractors are added; if a contractor is missing, check back or call the ODH program at 614-644-7558.

The ODH statewide list (a Contractor Activity Status Report, grouped by county) prints columns headed Well, Spring, Pump, Water, Cistern, Pond and Sealing, with an X for each contractor. The list itself prints no legend for these columns.

No work may begin on a private water system until ODH has confirmed the contractor's registration for that year, either on the registered contractor list or by a letter of acceptance.

The permit application asks for the registered contractor's company name and ODH registration number. If you have not chosen one when you apply, you must provide it before work starts.

ODNR's guide for owners says to ask your local health department, or ODH, whether a contractor is registered before you hire.

ODH's list of registered water haulers relies on the local health districts, which register and inspect haulers, to report them.

Sources: ODH registered contractor lists; What the ODH list shows; Contractor named on the permit; Check with the local health department