Private Water Supply | Clinton County Health Department

Private Water Supply Overview

The private water supply program assures the provision of safe potable supplies of water for drinking, culinary and sanitary purposes, protection from contracting waterborne diseases and prevention of disease transmission. The focus of the program includes private water wells, closed loop wells, non-community and semi-private water supplies.

The Clinton County Health Department reviews well application plans and issues permits to construct, modify or seal private water wells and closed loop well systems. Well permits are valid for a period of one year from the date of issuance. Water Well Contractors must be licensed and Closed Loop Well Contractors must be registered with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). The Health Department conducts inspections during the drilling and sealing of wells to ensure state code requirements are being met. A major consideration in constructing these wells is to prevent contamination from the ground surface, shallow ground water, sewage disposal systems and other hazardous sources from entering the well. New water wells are sampled and tested prior to putting the well into operation.

Abandoned wells pose a health and safety hazard if they are improperly sealed or in a state of disrepair (e.g., broken well lid, crumbling brick or cracked concrete walls) serving as a route for contaminating groundwater and should be sealed. Permits to seal an abandoned well can be obtained from the Health Department at no charge. An inspection is conducted during the sealing of all abandoned wells.

Well owners should test their well water annually for coliform bacteria and nitrates (especially if infants 6 months of age or younger reside in the home) through a certified private lab or IDPH laboratory. The Clinton County Health Department provides water well test kits that include sampling and shipping instructions, forms and sample bottles. Laboratory test results are interpreted by the Health Department. Other water quality issues such as calcium, magnesium, iron, arsenic, lead, manganese, sodium, hardness, total dissolved solids, alkalinity, chloride, and sulfate are referred to the Illinois State Water Survey.