Well Water in Dixie County, FL: Testing, Contractors and Rules
About 5,362 households in Dixie County, 83% of the county, rely on a private well. Nobody tests that water unless the owner does.
In Dixie County, roughly 83% of households, about 5,362 homes, draw their water from a private well. Nobody tests it, treats it or inspects it unless the owner does.
Local rules for wells in Dixie County
The rules that apply in Dixie County are set at the state level in Florida. The state does not require a test on a new well, and nothing is required at sale. Some counties and townships add permits or setbacks of their own, so check locally before drilling. The state's own recommendations are below.
At a glance
No statewide water test for a new well. What is required is a well construction permit from your water management district (or the county health department where the district has delegated permitting) before drilling, a licensed water well contractor, construction to the Chapter 62-532 standards (setbacks from septic systems, grouted casing, disinfection) and a completion report from the driller. The exception is a delineated area under Chapter 62-524: where groundwater is known to be contaminated, a new drinking water well needs a permit through the county health department and the water is sampled and cleared before the well is used.
No statewide requirement. FHA, VA and USDA loans normally require a bacteria, nitrate and lead sample from a certified lab before closing, and buyers of homes in delineated contamination areas should ask the county health department for the well's file.
The Florida Department of Health recommends a coliform bacteria and nitrate test at least once a year and a lead test every three years, plus arsenic, ethylene dibromide and naturally occurring radionuclides where the county health department advises it. Add hardness, iron, sulfide, sodium and chloride on a first test, and test again after flooding, a hurricane, repairs or any change in taste, color or smell.
The Department of Health's Well Surveillance Program samples private wells near known contamination sites free of charge and notifies owners of the results; if your well is inside a delineated area you may already be on the list. Elsewhere, county health departments give out bottles and instructions and test bacteria and nitrate for about $20 to $30 a sample, or $30 to $40 more if staff collect it.
Getting your water tested near Dixie County
Dixie County has no certified lab within 40 miles, so most owners here test by mail. Order bottles from a certified lab, sample from the cold tap before any treatment, and ship the same day with an ice pack.
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Licensed well contractors serving Dixie County
No licensed contractor lists Dixie County as a home base or service area yet. The finder below searches the whole state; most drillers travel several counties for a job.
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Well depth and water chemistry
Well depth and water chemistry in Dixie County follow the rock underneath it. Typical wells here run 20 to 80 ft in the surficial aquifer of the Panhandle, the Suwannee valley and southwest Florida; 100 to 400 ft in the Floridan aquifer across north and central Florida; 60 to 150 ft in the Biscayne aquifer of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Contaminants worth testing for in this part of Florida include coliform bacteria (shallow surficial wells, wells flooded by storms), nitrate (suwannee basin, agricultural areas).
Varies by location. Check the state well record search for logs of nearby wells.
- Coliform bacteria (shallow surficial wells
- Wells flooded by storms)
- Nitrate (Suwannee basin
- Agricultural areas)
- Hydrogen sulfide and hardness (Floridan aquifer)
- Iron and tannin-stained water (surficial wells)
- Arsenic (old cattle dip vat sites
- Former citrus and golf course land
- Parts of southwest Florida)
- Radium and radon (central Florida phosphate district)
- Ethylene dibromide (former farmland in central and north Florida)
- Saltwater and chloride (coastal wells)
- PFAS near airfields and fire training sites
Neighboring counties: Gilchrist County, Levy County, Lafayette County, Alachua County.
What well work costs in Dixie County
Bacteria test through a county health department ($17) or direct at the state lab ($40); certified labs set their own nitrate prices. Installed costs are national 2026 ranges; local quotes vary with depth, access and materials. Sources, checked September 2026: Florida Department of Health: well water testing, Florida DOH in Indian River County, HomeGuide cost guides, Angi: cost to shock a well.
Questions Dixie County well owners ask
How many homes in Dixie County are on a well?
About 5,362, or 83% 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 Dixie County?
There is no certified lab within 40 miles. Use a mail-in kit from a Florida certified lab, or the county health department if it collects samples.
Do I need a permit to drill a well in Dixie County?
No statewide water test for a new well. What is required is a well construction permit from your water management district (or the county health department where the district has delegated permitting) before drilling, a licensed water well contractor, construction to the Chapter 62-532 standards (setbacks from septic systems, grouted casing, disinfection) and a completion report from the driller. The exception is a delineated area under Chapter 62-524: where groundwater is known to be contaminated, a new drinking water well needs a permit through the county health department and the water is sampled and cleared before the well is used.
What does a well test cost near Dixie County?
Published lab fees in Florida: $17 to $40 for a bacteria test. Bacteria test through a county health department ($17) or direct at the state lab ($40); certified labs set their own nitrate prices. Mail-in kits cost about the same as walking in.