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Alabama county well guide
Well Water in DeKalb County, AL: Testing, Contractors and Rules
About 7,746 households in DeKalb County, 27% of the county, rely on a private well. Nobody tests that water unless the owner does.
of households on a private well
Share on wells, county vs state
1licensed contractors serve the county
40+ mito a certified lab; mail-in kits recommended
Nostatewide test required when a home is sold
About one in 4 households in DeKalb County relies on a private well, around 7,746 homes. Outside the towns with public water, wells are the norm here.
Local rules for wells in DeKalb County
The rules that apply in DeKalb County are set at the state level in Alabama. 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
Water test for a new wellNot required statewide
No statewide water test and no state permit for the owner. The Water Well Standards Act requires the well to be drilled by an ADEM-licensed water well driller to the 335-9 construction standards (grouted casing, sanitary seal, setbacks from septic tanks, drainfields and other contamination sources), and the driller must notify ADEM before drilling and file a well completion report afterward. The driller is required to disinfect the new well; a few county health departments ask for a bacteria sample before a well serves a new home, and lenders usually do.
Water test when a home is soldNot required statewide
No statewide requirement. Alabama is a caveat emptor state with no mandatory seller's disclosure form, so nothing about the well has to be disclosed unless the buyer asks. FHA, VA and USDA loans normally require a bacteria, nitrate and lead sample from a certified lab before closing.
What the state recommends
The Department of Public Health and the Alabama Private Well Program at Auburn recommend testing a private well every year, preferably in spring, for coliform bacteria, and every few years for nitrate, pH, hardness, iron, manganese, lead and copper (Auburn's W1 Total Water Analysis covers the chemistry). Add radon in the Piedmont, arsenic in the Black Belt and coastal plain, chloride and sodium near the coast and in deep Black Belt wells, PFAS in the Tennessee Valley around Decatur and near airfields, and test again after flooding, well work or a change in taste, color or smell.
Free or low-cost testingAvailable
No statewide free program, but two cheap routes. Every county health department sells the Department of Public Health bacteria kit (total coliform and E. coli, a few dollars per sample, results in a few days from the Mobile or Prattville branch laboratory), and any county Extension office will take a sample for Auburn University's W1 Total Water Analysis for a small fee, with the county agent explaining the result. The Alabama Private Well Program at Auburn (888-844-4785) runs periodic free screening events.
Getting your water tested near DeKalb County
DeKalb 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 DeKalb County
Licensed help in DeKalb County includes Piedmont GeoScience. Every listing was matched to the Alabama license list; the "verify" link on each profile opens the state lookup.
1 licensed contractors
Well depth and water chemistry
Well depth and water chemistry in DeKalb County follow the rock underneath it. Typical wells here run 100 to 400 ft in the sands of the Coastal Plain across the southern half of the state, deeper (300 to 800 ft) where the Black Belt's chalk has to be drilled through to reach the Eutaw and Gordo sands; 100 to 400 ft in the fractured granite, gneiss and schist of the east-central Piedmont, where yields are modest; 50 to 300 ft in the limestone, sandstone and shale of the Tennessee Valley, Cumberland Plateau and Valley and Ridge in north Alabama, where karst makes depth and yield unpredictable. Contaminants worth testing for in this part of Alabama include coliform bacteria (the most common failure statewide, worst in north alabama karst wells and shallow coastal plain wells), iron and manganese (coastal plain sands and the plateau, nearly universal).
Typical well depth
Varies by location. Check the state well record search for logs of nearby wells.
Contaminants to test for
- Coliform bacteria (the most common failure statewide
- Worst in north Alabama karst wells and shallow Coastal Plain wells)
- Iron and manganese (Coastal Plain sands and the Plateau
- Nearly universal)
- Acidic corrosive water that pulls lead and copper from plumbing (Piedmont and Coastal Plain sands)
- Hardness (limestone across north Alabama)
- Nitrate (shallow wells in the Wiregrass
- Sand Mountain poultry country and farm bottoms)
- Hydrogen sulfide (deeper Coastal Plain and Black Belt wells)
- Radon and uranium (Piedmont granite)
- Arsenic (locally in the Black Belt and coastal plain)
- Saltwater and chloride (Baldwin and Mobile counties near the coast
- Deep Black Belt wells)
- PFAS (Tennessee River corridor around Decatur and near airfields)
Neighboring counties: Jackson County, Cherokee County, Marshall County, Etowah County.
What well work costs in DeKalb 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 DeKalb County well owners ask
How many homes in DeKalb County are on a well?
About 7,746, or 27% 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 DeKalb County?
There is no certified lab within 40 miles. Use a mail-in kit from a Alabama certified lab, or the county health department if it collects samples.
Do I need a permit to drill a well in DeKalb County?
No statewide water test and no state permit for the owner. The Water Well Standards Act requires the well to be drilled by an ADEM-licensed water well driller to the 335-9 construction standards (grouted casing, sanitary seal, setbacks from septic tanks, drainfields and other contamination sources), and the driller must notify ADEM before drilling and file a well completion report afterward. The driller is required to disinfect the new well; a few county health departments ask for a bacteria sample before a well serves a new home, and lenders usually do.
What does a well test cost near DeKalb 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.