Ohio county well guide

Well Water in Monroe County, OH: Testing, Contractors and Rules

About 451 households in Monroe County, 8% of the county, rely on a private well. Nobody tests that water unless the owner does.

Labs within 40 milesLicensed contractors
8%of households on a private well
Share on wells, county vs state
Monroe County8%
Ohio average18%
10licensed contractors serve the county
30 mito the nearest certified lab, Microbac Laboratories, Inc. – Marietta Division
Nostatewide test required when a home is sold

Roughly 8% of Monroe County households, about 451, get their water from a private well rather than a utility. They are concentrated in the rural parts of the county, and they are on their own for testing.

Local rules for wells in Monroe County

Private wells in Monroe County follow Ohio's statewide rules, administered by Ohio Department of Health. A water test is required when a new well is completed. There is no statewide test requirement when a home is sold, though lenders often ask for one. The cards below show the details and the official sources.

At a glance

Water test for a new wellRequired

Under OAC 3701-28 a permit from the local health district is required before a well is drilled or altered. When the work is done, the owner asks the health district for the final inspection, and a sanitarian collects the water sample: total coliform, E. coli and nitrate. The system is approved only when the sample passes (4 or fewer total coliform per 100 mL and no E. coli for a well without continuous disinfection).

Water test when a home is soldNot required statewide

No statewide requirement. Most local health districts offer a real-estate evaluation of the well on request (a visual inspection plus a bacteria and nitrate sample), and some lenders ask for one. Ask the county health district for its fee and turnaround.

What the state recommends

ODH recommends a total coliform and nitrate test every year, and every time the water changes in taste, color or smell, after flooding, or after any work on the well or pump. Add arsenic, iron and manganese, hardness and sulfate at least once, and PFAS or methane where local conditions call for it.

Free or low-cost testingAvailable

No statewide free program. Several county health districts run their own labs (Erie, Logan, Mahoning, Canton City among them) and sell bacteria and nitrate tests at cost; others sell bottles from a certified lab. OSU Extension fact sheet AEX-315 lists labs that accept samples from homeowners.

Getting your water tested near Monroe County

1 certified lab within 40 miles serves Monroe County, starting with Microbac Laboratories, Inc. – Marietta Division in Marietta (about 30 miles from the county center). Each card below shows whether the lab takes homeowner samples and which tests it is certified for.

1 certified labs within 40 miles

Licensed well contractors serving Monroe County

10 licensed contractors serve Monroe County, including Cascade and D & L Drilling, LLC. Each profile carries the state license number and the date we checked it, and the filters below sort them by drilling, pump work or treatment.

Well depth and water chemistry

Wells in Monroe County typically reach 50 to 200 ft in glacial sand and gravel; 100 to 400 ft in bedrock in the east and south. What comes up with the water depends on the aquifer, and across Ohio the usual suspects are coliform bacteria, nitrate (northwest and central farm counties), arsenic (glacial aquifers in northwest and central ohio), iron. A first full panel tells you which of them apply to your well.

Typical well depth

Varies by location. Check the state well record search for logs of nearby wells.

Contaminants to test for
  • Coliform bacteria
  • Nitrate (northwest and central farm counties)
  • Arsenic (glacial aquifers in northwest and central Ohio)
  • Iron
  • Manganese
  • Hardness
  • Sulfate and hydrogen sulfide (eastern shale and coal country)
  • Radium and uranium (some sandstone and shale wells)
  • Methane (near oil and gas fields)

Neighboring counties: Noble County, Belmont County, Guernsey County, Washington County.

What well work costs in Monroe County

Bacteria test (coliform and E. coli)$45 to $75published Ohio lab fees
Nitrate test$10 to $80varies by lab; ask when you order
Broad panel (metals and minerals)$85 to $450state and university lab packages
Well inspection$250 to $550$350 to $900 with water testing
Submersible pump replacement$1,000 to $2,500installed; deep wells cost more
Pressure tank replacement$800 to $1,500installed
One treatment unit$700 to $3,500softener, iron filter or UV, installed
Multi-stage whole-house treatment$2,500 to $10,000+several units or whole-house RO, installed
New well, complete$6,000 to $16,000typical 200 ft well with pump; drilling alone about $20 to $30 per foot; deeper wells cost more
Shock chlorination$80 to $200by a contractor; under $30 to do yourself

County health department bacteria test: $45 if you collect, $75 if a sanitarian collects (Wayne County). Installed costs are national 2026 ranges; local quotes vary with depth, access and materials. Sources, checked September 2026: Wayne County Health Department, HomeGuide cost guides, Angi: cost to shock a well.

Questions Monroe County well owners ask

How many homes in Monroe County are on a well?

About 451, or 8% of households, based on Census housing data and state well surveys. The share is highest outside the towns with public water.

Where is the closest certified lab to Monroe County?

Microbac Laboratories, Inc. – Marietta Division in Marietta, about 30 miles away. Call first to ask whether they accept homeowner samples.

Do I need a permit to drill a well in Monroe County?

Under OAC 3701-28 a permit from the local health district is required before a well is drilled or altered. When the work is done, the owner asks the health district for the final inspection, and a sanitarian collects the water sample: total coliform, E. coli and nitrate. The system is approved only when the sample passes (4 or fewer total coliform per 100 mL and no E. coli for a well without continuous disinfection).

What does a well test cost near Monroe County?

Published lab fees in Ohio: $45 to $75 for a bacteria test. County health department bacteria test: $45 if you collect, $75 if a sanitarian collects (Wayne County). Mail-in kits cost about the same as walking in.