Water Lab (EJ Water Cooperative)
IL certified
Homeowner samples
- Coliform Bacteria
Illinois county well guide
Well Water in Cumberland County, IL: Testing, Contractors and Rules
About 2,534 households in Cumberland County, 58% 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
20 mito the nearest certified lab, Water Lab (EJ Water Cooperative)
Nostatewide test required when a home is sold
In Cumberland County, roughly 58% of households, about 2,534 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 Cumberland County
The rules that apply in Cumberland County are set at the state level in Illinois. New wells must be tested before use, 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 wellRequired
A permit from the county health department (or IDPH where the county has no delegated program) is required before a private well is drilled, the well must be built by an IDPH licensed water well contractor to the Illinois Water Well Construction Code (steel or approved plastic casing, grout, the setbacks from septic systems and other sources, a sanitary well cap above grade), and the contractor files a well construction report with IDPH. Under the code the new well is disinfected and a bacteria sample is collected, in most counties by the health department at the final inspection, before the well is approved for use; the health department's sign-off is what the building department wants before occupancy.
Water test when a home is soldNot required statewide
No statewide requirement. The Illinois Residential Real Property Disclosure Report asks the seller about the water supply and any known defects, and FHA, VA and USDA loans require a bacteria, nitrate and lead sample from a certified lab before closing. A few counties run point-of-sale well and septic inspection programs under local ordinance, so ask the county health department.
What the state recommends
IDPH recommends testing a private well every year for coliform bacteria and nitrate, after any repair or flooding, and whenever the taste, color or smell changes; a chemistry panel (arsenic, iron, manganese, hardness, chloride, sulfate) when the well is new or every few years; and, depending on the aquifer, radium and barium for deep sandstone wells in northern Illinois, arsenic for wells in the Mahomet and other glacial aquifers of central Illinois, and pesticides and nitrate for shallow wells in farm country. County health department labs run the bacteria test cheaply, and the IDPH state lab tests samples submitted through the county.
Free or low-cost testingAvailable
No statewide free program. Most county health departments sell a bacteria (and often nitrate) sample kit for a small fee and explain the result, and the IDPH Division of Laboratories runs the bacteria test for counties without their own lab. The Illinois State Water Survey and university extension programs run periodic free nitrate and arsenic screening clinics in farm counties.
Getting your water tested near Cumberland County
The nearest certified lab is Water Lab (EJ Water Cooperative) in Dieterich, about 20 miles from the county center, and it accepts samples from homeowners. Mail-in kits fill the gap for anything it does not run.
1 certified labs within 40 miles
Licensed well contractors serving Cumberland County
Licensed help in Cumberland County includes Brotcke Well & Pump, Inc. Every listing was matched to the Illinois license list; the "verify" link on each profile opens the state lookup.
1 licensed contractors
Brotcke Well & Pump, Inc
Verified license
License 102-004009, 102-004900 Active
- Pump Installation
- Pump Repair
- Well Abandonment
- Well Drilling
- Well Repair
Well depth and water chemistry
Well depth and water chemistry in Cumberland County follow the rock underneath it. Typical wells here run 40 to 50 feet; the median of 89 private water wells on the ISGS ILWATER map drilled since 2000 is 40 feet. Contaminants worth testing for in this part of Illinois include arsenic (naturally occurring in the glacial sand and gravel aquifers of central and northeastern illinois, including the mahomet aquifer, where roughly one well in ten is over the standard), iron and manganese (nearly universal in glacial aquifers).
Typical well depth
40 to 50 feet; the median of 89 private water wells on the ISGS ILWATER map drilled since 2000 is 40 feet
Contaminants to test for
- Arsenic (naturally occurring in the glacial sand and gravel aquifers of central and northeastern Illinois
- Including the Mahomet aquifer
- Where roughly one well in ten is over the standard)
- Iron and manganese (nearly universal in glacial aquifers)
- Hardness (very hard water statewide)
- Radium and barium (the deep Cambrian-Ordovician sandstone aquifer of northern Illinois)
- Coliform bacteria (old large-diameter bored and dug wells
- Common in southern Illinois)
- Nitrate and atrazine (shallow wells in corn and soybean country)
- Chloride and sodium (road salt in the Chicago collar counties
- And natural brine in deep wells)
- Hydrogen sulfide and methane (deep wells in the south and the coal counties)
- Fluoride (locally high in deep aquifers)
Neighboring counties: Coles County, Jasper County, Effingham County, Clark County.
What well work costs in Cumberland County
Bacteria test (coliform and E. coli)$30published Illinois lab fees
Nitrate testIncludedpart of the bacteria test above
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 lab: one $30 test covers coliform, E. coli and nitrate (McHenry County). Installed costs are national 2026 ranges; local quotes vary with depth, access and materials. Sources, checked September 2026: McHenry County Health Department lab, HomeGuide cost guides, Angi: cost to shock a well.
Questions Cumberland County well owners ask
How many homes in Cumberland County are on a well?
About 2,534, or 58% 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 Cumberland County?
Water Lab (EJ Water Cooperative) in Dieterich, about 20 miles away. It accepts homeowner samples.
Do I need a permit to drill a well in Cumberland County?
A permit from the county health department (or IDPH where the county has no delegated program) is required before a private well is drilled, the well must be built by an IDPH licensed water well contractor to the Illinois Water Well Construction Code (steel or approved plastic casing, grout, the setbacks from septic systems and other sources, a sanitary well cap above grade), and the contractor files a well construction report with IDPH. Under the code the new well is disinfected and a bacteria sample is collected, in most counties by the health department at the final inspection, before the well is approved for use; the health department's sign-off is what the building department wants before occupancy.
What does a well test cost near Cumberland County?
Published lab fees in Illinois: $30 for a bacteria test that also covers nitrate. County health department lab: one $30 test covers coliform, E. coli and nitrate (McHenry County). Mail-in kits cost about the same as walking in.