Mineral Labs, Inc.
KY certified
- Arsenic
- Coliform Bacteria
- Full Homeowner Panel
- Hardness
- Iron and Manganese
- Lead
- Nitrate / Nitrite
- Radon in Water
- Uranium
Kentucky county well guide
Well Water in Lee County, KY: Testing, Contractors and Rules
About 492 households in Lee County, 18% 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
0licensed contractors serve the county
37 mito the nearest certified lab, Mineral Labs, Inc.
Nostatewide test required when a home is sold
Lee County has an estimated 492 households on private wells, 18% of the county. If you are one of them, testing, treatment and repairs are yours to arrange.
Local rules for wells in Lee County
Private wells in Lee 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 Lee County
1 certified lab within 40 miles serves Lee County, starting with Mineral Labs, Inc. in Salyersville (about 37 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 Lee County
No licensed contractor lists Lee County as a home base or service area yet. The finder below searches the whole state; most drillers travel several counties for a job.
No listings yet for this area. Try widening your search.
Well depth and water chemistry
Wells in Lee County typically reach 60 to 180 feet; the median of 56 household wells in the Kentucky Groundwater Data Repository drilled since 1990 is 90 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
60 to 180 feet; the median of 56 household wells in the Kentucky Groundwater Data Repository drilled since 1990 is 90 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: Owsley County, Wolfe County, Estill County, Breathitt County.
What well work costs in Lee 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 Lee County well owners ask
How many homes in Lee County are on a well?
About 492, or 18% 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 Lee County?
Mineral Labs, Inc. in Salyersville, about 37 miles away. Call first to ask whether they accept homeowner samples.
Do I need a permit to drill a well in Lee 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 Lee 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.