Forms and Guidance

At a minimum, you should test for coliform bacteria and nitrates on a yearly basis, and for arsenic at least once during the life of each well. Depending on the local geology and land use where your well is located, there may be other contaminants that you should test for too. Find out more by visiting our Private Well Testing web page.

Are you buying or selling a property with a private well? If so, you should obtain a well and water system inspection before the sale so you know the condition of these resources.

When you need an inspection of your well or water system, please contact your Iowa DNR Certified Well Contractor. Check out the resources below.

Certified Well Drillers

Certified Pump Installers

Information about an annual well check-up

Buying or selling a home with a private well

Any water well and water system, whether deep or shallow, can become contaminated when flooding occurs. Water testing is the only way to know if your well is safe to drink.

Please see our "What should I do when my well floods" document for additional information on this important topic.

The Iowa DNR Private Well Tracking System (PWTS) is used by county and state staff to track private well construction permitting, water testing, well renovations and well plugging.

The PWTS is designed as an authorized user type of data system for the purpose of Iowa's well program record keeping. The general public can create an account and view the information stored in the system.

GeoSam is Iowa’s geologic site and sample tracking program maintained by IIHR-Iowa Geological Survey.

GeoSam provides location, identification, and other key information about every available well, rock exposure, or site of geologic information in Iowa. GeoSam can be searched using either a map-based or text-based interface.

The GeoSam does not require a login to view information stored in the system.

GP6 Well Siting Tool - The tool is useful for performing desk evaluations of well sites and help determine if the well location will likely require discharge management through General Permit #6 (GP6). It also helps define which locations likely cannot support well construction discharge due to close proximity of Outstanding Iowa Waters (OIWs). As a user of this tool, you have access to map layers that will help you identify distances to surface waters and OIWs, locations of sinkholes, karst areas, land slope, and more. It also allows you to print the map you create to use as a resource.

Approximately 282,000 Iowans obtain their water from a private water supply - nearly all groundwater supply wells.

Iowa has:

310 contractors who are certified to drill new wells and renovate old wells.

435 contractors who are certified to install and service well pumps and water systems, and renovate old wells.

And 752 contractors who are certified in one of two categories to plug water wells.