Maine county well guide

Well Water in Somerset County, ME: Testing, Contractors and Rules

About 11,278 households in Somerset County, 55% of the county, rely on a private well. Nobody tests that water unless the owner does.

Labs within 40 milesLicensed contractors
55%of households on a private well
Share on wells, county vs state
Somerset County55%
Maine average50%
15licensed contractors serve the county
9 mito the nearest certified lab, Maine Laboratories, LLC
Nostatewide test required when a home is sold

Most homes in Somerset County are on a private well: about 11,278 households, 55% of the county. That makes Somerset County one of the places in Maine where the water department is the homeowner.

Local rules for wells in Somerset County

Private wells in Somerset County follow Maine's statewide rules, administered by Maine Water Well Commission, staffed by the Maine CDC Drinking Water Program. 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 state permit for a household well. The well must be drilled by a Maine licensed well drilling company using a licensed driller, to the Commission's construction rules (steel casing at least 20 ft and seated into bedrock, a sanitary cap, and a well cap above grade), and sited under the subsurface wastewater rules (100 ft from a septic disposal field, 50 ft from a septic tank). The driller files a well completion report with the Maine Geological Survey. A few towns require a bacteria test before a certificate of occupancy, and lenders usually do.

Water test when a home is soldNot required statewide

No statewide requirement. Maine's residential property disclosure form asks whether the water supply is a private well, when it was last tested and whether any test found a problem, so a recent test is expected in practice, and FHA, VA and USDA loans normally require a bacteria, nitrate and lead sample from an accredited lab before closing.

What the state recommends

Maine CDC recommends testing a private well every year for coliform bacteria and nitrate, and every three to five years for arsenic, uranium, radon, fluoride and manganese, the five contaminants Maine's bedrock wells carry most often (about one in ten wells is over the arsenic standard, and radon in water is higher in Maine than almost anywhere in the country). The standard Maine well water kit covers all of these plus lead, iron, hardness and pH. Test again after flooding, well work, hydrofracturing or a change in taste, color or smell.

Free or low-cost testingAvailable

No statewide free program, but a cheap and simple one: the state Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory in Augusta sells the standard well water kit through town offices, plumbing supply stores and by mail, with the bacteria, nitrate, arsenic, uranium, fluoride and metals panel for well under $100 and radon as an add-on, and Maine CDC explains the results. Several counties and tribal health programs run periodic free arsenic screening.

Getting your water tested near Somerset County

4 certified labs within 40 miles serve Somerset County, starting with Maine Laboratories, LLC in Norridgewock (about 9 miles from the county center). Each card below shows whether the lab takes homeowner samples and which tests it is certified for.

4 certified labs within 40 miles

Licensed well contractors serving Somerset County

15 licensed contractors serve Somerset County, including Bowie Bros Well Drilling Inc and Burns Well Drilling Inc. 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 Somerset County typically reach 200 to 360 feet; the median of 2,057 domestic wells in the Maine Geological Survey well database drilled since 2000 is 260 feet. What comes up with the water depends on the aquifer, and across Maine the usual suspects are arsenic (naturally occurring in bedrock across central and southern maine, worst in the augusta to bangor corridor and the midcoast), radon in water (granitic bedrock statewide, especially the southwest). A first full panel tells you which of them apply to your well.

Typical well depth

200 to 360 feet; the median of 2,057 domestic wells in the Maine Geological Survey well database drilled since 2000 is 260 feet

Contaminants to test for
  • Arsenic (naturally occurring in bedrock across central and southern Maine
  • Worst in the Augusta to Bangor corridor and the midcoast)
  • Radon in water (granitic bedrock statewide
  • Especially the southwest)
  • Uranium (granite in the same areas)
  • Manganese and iron (bedrock and overburden wells)
  • Fluoride (locally high in bedrock)
  • Coliform bacteria (dug wells and older drilled wells)
  • Hardness
  • Sodium and chloride (road salt near highways
  • Saltwater along the coast)
  • Nitrate (shallow wells in farm country
  • The Aroostook potato belt)
  • PFAS (near sludge-spread farmland in Fairfield and central Maine
  • And airfields)

Neighboring counties: Kennebec County, Franklin County, Piscataquis County, Waldo County.

What well work costs in Somerset County

Bacteria test (coliform and E. coli)$27published Maine lab fees
Nitrate test$10 to $80varies by lab; ask when you order
Broad panel (metals and minerals)$127 to $147published Maine lab fees
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

Maine state lab (HETL) kits: $27 bacteria, $42 basic safety test, $127 to $147 standard well and home-sale tests. Installed costs are national 2026 ranges; local quotes vary with depth, access and materials. Sources, checked September 2026: Maine HETL test kit store, HomeGuide cost guides, Angi: cost to shock a well.

Questions Somerset County well owners ask

How many homes in Somerset County are on a well?

About 11,278, or 55% 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 Somerset County?

Maine Laboratories, LLC in Norridgewock, about 9 miles away. Call first to ask whether they accept homeowner samples.

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

No statewide water test and no state permit for a household well. The well must be drilled by a Maine licensed well drilling company using a licensed driller, to the Commission's construction rules (steel casing at least 20 ft and seated into bedrock, a sanitary cap, and a well cap above grade), and sited under the subsurface wastewater rules (100 ft from a septic disposal field, 50 ft from a septic tank). The driller files a well completion report with the Maine Geological Survey. A few towns require a bacteria test before a certificate of occupancy, and lenders usually do.

What does a well test cost near Somerset County?

Published lab fees in Maine: $27 for a bacteria test. Maine state lab (HETL) kits: $27 bacteria, $42 basic safety test, $127 to $147 standard well and home-sale tests. Mail-in kits cost about the same as walking in.