Private Well Water

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Private Drinking Water

If you are on municipal water, your local municipality samples your water to assure that it is safe from different contaminants and to make sure that the water is safe to drink for everyone who is connected to it.

When it comes to private water from a well, as a homeowner water sampling is an important part of assuring that you and your family are safe while drinking the water and using the water when cooking and cleaning.

What is a Well?

A private well is a way to access groundwater. About two-thirds of Wisconsin residents use groundwater as their drinking water source.

Some of the components include:

Casing: The casing is a tube in the ground that houses the well pump and the pipe that moves water from the pump to the surface. It also prevents the hole from collapsing, and keeps contaminants from entering the water supply. Modern well casings are typically 5" plastic (PVC) pipe.
Cap: The cap is the top of the well casing. The cap usually has a screened vent to prevent insects from entering the well. The cap also keeps rainwater and small animals from getting into the well.
Pump: The well pump draws water up the hole and pushes it into the home. The well pump is usually submersible. This means the pump is installed in the well casing several feet below ground, making it operate more quietly.
Pressure Tank: The pressure tank is usually a 3-4 foot tall cylinder located in the home. It stores water and distributes it through the home at an even pressure. The tank can also serve as additional storage for low-yield wells. The pressure switch located at the tank controls the pumps on/off cycle.
Screen: The screen is at the very bottom of the well, attached to the casing. It keeps sand and gravel out of the well while allowing groundwater to flow into the well. Some wells drilled into bedrock do not need screens since the water travels through crevices in the rock, and there is no sand to filter out.

^{Source: EPA}

How Often Should I Sample My Water and What Should I Sample For?

According to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) they recommend private drinking water is tested for the following:

Private well users should test their private well for:

Bacteria and nitrate at least once a year.
Arsenic and lead at least once every five years.

Drinking Water Tests for Private Wells (DNR)

What are Signs that My Well is Having Problems?

What's wrong with my water? - pinpoint your water problem and what can be done about it.

Identify your water's symptoms - does your water smell, look, taste or feel funny?

Approved Labs

Sheboygan County does not complete sampling and testing of private wells. When looking at testing your drinking water we highly recommend utilizing a certified laboratory.

WellTAP

We offer free well testing to qualified private well users through the Wisconsin Well Testing Access Program (WellTAP). To qualify for WellTAP, all of the following criteria must be met:

The well serves someone who is pregnant, a child 12 or under, or a person with weakened immune system.
The well serves your primary residence.
A financial or other burden prevents you from testing on your own.

Contact us at (920) 459-3207 or email at environmental.health@sheboygancounty.com to learn more about WellTAP.

Qualified well users can request a sample kit from us, and it will be analyzed by the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene. Once the results are available, we will send them to you. If a level of a substance in the sample is above its public health value, we will provide you with recommendations on how to reduce your exposure.

Additional Resources

For more information on private wells see the DNR’s website where you can find how to look up the well construction report, find out how deep your well is, and other great information.

Questions and Resources

Do you have questions about a lodging establishment in Sheboygan County?
Contact us at(920) 459-3207 or email at environmental.health@sheboygancounty.com.

4/11/2025

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