Kentucky county well guide

Well Water in Lyon County, KY: Testing, Contractors and Rules

About 422 households in Lyon County, 13% of the county, rely on a private well. Nobody tests that water unless the owner does.

Labs within 40 milesLicensed contractors
13%of households on a private well
Share on wells, county vs state
Lyon County13%
Kentucky average10%
2licensed contractors serve the county
35 mito the nearest certified lab, Pace Analytical Services, LLC – Madisonville
Nostatewide test required when a home is sold

Roughly 13% of Lyon County households, about 422, 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 Lyon County

Private wells in Lyon County follow Kentucky's statewide rules, administered by Kentucky Division of Water, Groundwater Section. No water test is required by the state 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 wellNot required statewide

No statewide water test and no permit or fee for a household well. All work on a well, including plugging it, must be done by a Kentucky certified water well driller to the 401 KAR 6:310 construction standards (grouted casing, sanitary well cap, 50 ft from a septic tank and 70 ft from a drainfield), and the driller must file the well record with the Division of Water and give you a copy within 60 days. A few local health departments ask for a bacteria sample on a new well; lenders usually do.

Water test when a home is soldNot required statewide

No statewide requirement. The Kentucky seller's disclosure form asks whether the water source is a well, spring or cistern and whether there are known problems, nothing more. FHA, VA and USDA loans normally require a bacteria, nitrate and lead sample from a certified lab before closing.

What the state recommends

The Division of Water recommends testing a private well, spring or cistern every year for coliform bacteria, and every few years for nitrate, pH, hardness, iron, manganese, lead and copper. Add arsenic in the Jackson Purchase and western coal field, hydrogen sulfide and metals in the eastern coal field, radon in the Bluegrass and Pennyroyal limestone, and test again after flooding, well work or a change in taste, color or smell. Karst wells and springs in the Pennyroyal and Bluegrass should be retested after heavy rain.

Free or low-cost testingAvailable

No statewide free program. Most county and district health departments will collect a private well or cistern sample and send it to the state Division of Laboratory Services in Frankfort for total coliform and E. coli, for a sampling fee of about $50; call the environmental office of your local health department to schedule. UK Cooperative Extension offices run periodic screening events in some counties.

Getting your water tested near Lyon County

1 certified lab within 40 miles serves Lyon County, starting with Pace Analytical Services, LLC – Madisonville in Madisonville (about 35 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 Lyon County

2 licensed contractors serve Lyon County, including Bingham Drilling Co and Bingham Drilling Company. 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 Lyon County typically reach 140 to 220 feet; the median of 36 household wells in the Kentucky Groundwater Data Repository drilled since 1990 is 180 feet. What comes up with the water depends on the aquifer, and across Kentucky the usual suspects are coliform bacteria (the most common failure statewide, worst in karst limestone wells and springs that draw surface water after rain), nitrate (shallow wells in farm country and the purchase), iron and manganese (coal fields and the jackson purchase). A first full panel tells you which of them apply to your well.

Typical well depth

140 to 220 feet; the median of 36 household wells in the Kentucky Groundwater Data Repository drilled since 1990 is 180 feet

Contaminants to test for
  • Coliform bacteria (the most common failure statewide
  • Worst in karst limestone wells and springs that draw surface water after rain)
  • Nitrate (shallow wells in farm country and the Purchase)
  • Iron and manganese (coal fields and the Jackson Purchase)
  • Hydrogen sulfide and methane (shale and coal-bearing rock in the eastern and western coal fields)
  • Hardness (limestone across the Bluegrass and Pennyroyal)
  • Acidic corrosive water that pulls lead and copper from plumbing (coal field wells)
  • Arsenic (locally in western Kentucky)
  • Radon (locally in limestone and black shale)
  • Pesticides (shallow Purchase wells)
  • PFAS near airfields and industrial sites

Neighboring counties: Caldwell County, Livingston County, Marshall County, Crittenden County.

What well work costs in Lyon County

Basic bacteria and nitrate test$25 to $75lab fee, homeowner sample
Full panel lab test$150 to $400metals, VOCs, radiologicals
Well inspection$250 to $550flow, pressure, visual, water test
Submersible pump replacement$1,200 to $4,500parts and labor
Pressure tank replacement$400 to $1,200installed
Whole-house treatment system$800 to $6,000softener, iron filter, UV, RO
New well drilled$5,500 to $25,000about $25 to $65 per foot
Shock chlorination$80 to $300or about $20 as a DIY job

National ranges from published 2025 to 2026 contractor pricing. Local quotes vary with depth, access and materials.

Questions Lyon County well owners ask

How many homes in Lyon County are on a well?

About 422, or 13% 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 Lyon County?

Pace Analytical Services, LLC – Madisonville in Madisonville, about 35 miles away. Call first to ask whether they accept homeowner samples.

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

No statewide water test and no permit or fee for a household well. All work on a well, including plugging it, must be done by a Kentucky certified water well driller to the 401 KAR 6:310 construction standards (grouted casing, sanitary well cap, 50 ft from a septic tank and 70 ft from a drainfield), and the driller must file the well record with the Division of Water and give you a copy within 60 days. A few local health departments ask for a bacteria sample on a new well; lenders usually do.

What does a well test cost near Lyon County?

A bacteria and nitrate test runs $25 to $75 at most certified labs; a full panel with metals is $150 to $400. Mail-in kits cost about the same as walking in.