Water Resources - Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How can I get my well water tested?     Back

The Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention Private Well Water Program (886-292-3474) provides guidance regarding private well water testing. This includes a list of certified labs, recommended tests, and recommended testing intervals.

Q2. I want to have a well drilled. Can you recommend a driller?     Back

The Maine Water Well Commission provides a list of Well Driller Companies licensed in Maine. The Commission clerk can be contacted at DWPlicensing.dhhs@Maine.gov or (207) 287-2070 if there are further questions about identifying licensed well drillers in your area.

Q3. I have a complaint about or problem with my well; who should I contact?     Back

If you know who drilled the well, contact the well driller directly. In most cases this should resolve the problem. If you are unable to resolve the problem with the driller, you can submit a complaint to the Maine Water Well Commission, who investigate potential violations of the well drillers and pump installers rules.

Q4. How can I find information, such as depth and yield, about my well?     Back

Well records that have been reported to the State are in the Maine Geological Survey Water Well Database. You can contact mgs@maine.gov if help is needed in navigating the database. Information that can help identify your well in the database include address, tax map/lot number, approximate drill date, well driller, and previous owner’s names. Title 12,  §550-B: Water well information rule requires that well drillers report well data to the state within 30 days of drilling. However, this rule was not enacted until 1987 and is not always followed, so many well records are not included in the database. You can also check to see if the well information is given on the inside of the well cap.

Q5. Where does ground water come from?     Back

What originated as rain or snow, groundwater is water that percolated into the ground and is now stored beneath the surface in soil pore spaces and bedrock fractures. Refer to USGS Open File Report 93-643 "What is groundwater?" for a more detailed discussion.

Q6. I’m considering getting a well drilled; how deep will it need to be?     Back

The majority of private wells in Maine are bedrock wells, wells that extend hundreds of feet below the ground surface to access water-bearing fractures in the rock. Wells are drilled until they intercept enough water-bearing fractures to meet the recommended minimum recovery rate defined in the Well Drillers and Pump Installers Rules. The density and interconnectivity of fractures is highly variable. While there may be some regional trends, it cannot be predicted how deep a well will need to be drilled for sufficient water supply. The Water Well Database may be helpful in identifying regional trends.

Last updated on September 16, 2026