Well Water in Gallia County, OH: Testing, Contractors and Rules
About 168 households in Gallia County, 1% of the county, rely on a private well. Nobody tests that water unless the owner does.
Most of Gallia County is on public water, but an estimated 168 households still rely on a private well. This page covers the rules, labs and licensed contractors that serve them.
Local rules for wells in Gallia County
Private wells in Gallia County follow Ohio's statewide rules, administered by Ohio Department of Health. A water test is required 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
Under OAC 3701-28 a permit from the local health district is required before a well is drilled or altered. When the work is done, the owner asks the health district for the final inspection, and a sanitarian collects the water sample: total coliform, E. coli and nitrate. The system is approved only when the sample passes (4 or fewer total coliform per 100 mL and no E. coli for a well without continuous disinfection).
No statewide requirement. Most local health districts offer a real-estate evaluation of the well on request (a visual inspection plus a bacteria and nitrate sample), and some lenders ask for one. Ask the county health district for its fee and turnaround.
ODH recommends a total coliform and nitrate test every year, and every time the water changes in taste, color or smell, after flooding, or after any work on the well or pump. Add arsenic, iron and manganese, hardness and sulfate at least once, and PFAS or methane where local conditions call for it.
No statewide free program. Several county health districts run their own labs (Erie, Logan, Mahoning, Canton City among them) and sell bacteria and nitrate tests at cost; others sell bottles from a certified lab. OSU Extension fact sheet AEX-315 lists labs that accept samples from homeowners.
Getting your water tested near Gallia County
No state-certified lab sits within 40 miles of the center of Gallia County. That is common in rural Ohio, and the practical answer is a mail-in kit: the lab ships bottles, you sample at the kitchen tap and ship them back cold. The finder below widens the search to the whole state.
No listings yet for this area. Try widening your search.
Licensed well contractors serving Gallia County
No licensed contractor lists Gallia 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 Gallia County typically reach 50 to 200 ft in glacial sand and gravel; 100 to 400 ft in bedrock in the east and south feet. What comes up with the water depends on the aquifer, and across Ohio the usual suspects are coliform bacteria, nitrate (northwest and central farm counties), arsenic (glacial aquifers in northwest and central ohio), iron. A first full panel tells you which of them apply to your well.
Varies by location. Check the state well record search for logs of nearby wells.
- Coliform bacteria
- Nitrate (northwest and central farm counties)
- Arsenic (glacial aquifers in northwest and central Ohio)
- Iron
- Manganese
- Hardness
- Sulfate and hydrogen sulfide (eastern shale and coal country)
- Radium and uranium (some sandstone and shale wells)
- Methane (near oil and gas fields)
Neighboring counties: Meigs County, Jackson County, Lawrence County, Vinton County.
What well work costs in Gallia County
National ranges from published 2025 to 2026 contractor pricing. Local quotes vary with depth, access and materials.
Questions Gallia County well owners ask
How many homes in Gallia County are on a well?
About 168, or 1% 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 Gallia County?
There is no certified lab within 40 miles. Use a mail-in kit from a Ohio certified lab, or the county health department if it collects samples.
Do I need a permit to drill a well in Gallia County?
Under OAC 3701-28 a permit from the local health district is required before a well is drilled or altered. When the work is done, the owner asks the health district for the final inspection, and a sanitarian collects the water sample: total coliform, E. coli and nitrate. The system is approved only when the sample passes (4 or fewer total coliform per 100 mL and no E. coli for a well without continuous disinfection).
What does a well test cost near Gallia 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.