Water Wells

In areas where municipal water supply services are not available, homeowners must rely on private wells to provide water that they can use for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and bathing. Wells play a vital role in Michigan, with more than 2.6 million Michigan residents obtaining their water from private drinking water wells.

Water Transmission and COVID-19

Water Well Permit Application

How do I apply for my well permit?

To apply for your well permit, you must submit a completed permit application and site plan to this office.

Find your property here and submit to this office with permit application: GIS Interactive Map

The application must include:
a. The completed application and site plan forms
b. Documentation of permanent street address if new construction (tax bill, township address form, etc.)
c. 10-digit parcel identification number

Once these materials are submitted, a Sanitarian will review them. Permits are typically mailed back to you within 5 working days. Once you have your permit, well construction may begin on your well.

How long are my permits valid?

You have one year from the time your permit is issued to complete construction. After that application for a new permit must be made. A well permit is not transferable from place to place or person to person.

What inspections are made by Midland County Environmental Health during the construction of my well and sewage system?

Once the well has been installed and all chlorine is absent from the water the Sanitarian for your area must be called to set up an inspection date.

Typical inspections include:

The well head and pressure tank will be inspected. The property will be inspected to verify proper isolation distances have been maintained.
A Partial Chemical sample will be taken.
A Coliform Bacteria Sampling bottle will be left at your home.
Bottles and instructions for coliform bacteria sampling will be made available to you during the final inspection of your new well.

By Law, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to take and submit a coliform bacteria sample from the new well.

What happens after the inspections?

A full final approval form will be sent to you when the following conditions are met:

The well meets all conditions of Part 127 rules.

All conditions of the well permit have been met, including submittal of the well log and pump record by the well driller and safe water sample results from water samples submitted by the property owner.

Once these conditions are met, the Final Approval will be forwarded to the appropriate building department. The building department must have this Certificate of Approval on file before they will issue their Certificate of Occupancy!

Water Sampling Information

Water sampling bottles are available at the following labs:

Certified Water Labs

Lab fees vary according to the type of test. Check with this office for current lab fees. Sampling bottles can also be obtained directly from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Lab at (517) 335-8184.

Other Resources:

Water Tests Only - Mortgage Evaluation

Abandoned Wells in Michigan

Abandoned Well FAQ's (Scroll to bottom of linked page)

Abandonment Brochure

Municipal Water Lines Extension Abandonment Information

Michigan Abandoned Well Manual

Michigan Well Construction Code

Understanding Your Drinking Water Sample Results and Sampling Tips

Coliform Bacteria in Your Drinking Water

Well Water Disinfection Manual

Well Complaints Information