Water Well Questions From Lake of the Ozarks Property Owners

How deep will my well need to be?

Nobody can tell you for certain before drilling. Around the Lake of the Ozarks, groundwater moves through fractures and openings in dolomite and limestone bedrock, and those are unevenly spread. ^[1] Records for nearby wells give a realistic range, and the well is drilled until it reaches enough water for the agreed need. More on this under well depth and records.

Can you tell me the cost before drilling?

We can tell you how the price is built: the parts that are fixed, such as setup, the casing the drilling area requires, the pump and the pressure system, and the parts that depend on the final depth. What no one can do honestly is quote an exact total before the well is drilled, because the depth is not known until then.

Why does geology matter so much?

It decides how deep the well goes, how much casing the state requires in that area, and how much water the well produces. Missouri divides the state into thirteen drilling areas with different construction requirements for exactly this reason. ^[2]

Can I find records for an existing well?

Often, yes. Missouri's WIMS database has public records for wells drilled, reconstructed or plugged after July 1987. ^[3] A record typically shows the well's depth, casing and construction date. Older wells often have no electronic record.

Does Missouri require a licensed contractor?

If you hire someone, yes. Anyone hired to drill, repair, reconstruct or plug a well, or install a pump, must hold a Missouri well or pump installation permit. ^[4] Landowners who do their own well or pump work are exempt from the permit but must still follow the state's construction rules. You can check any contractor's permit in WIMS.

I have low pressure or no water. Do I need a new well?

Not necessarily. The cause can be electrical, the pressure switch or tank, the pump, the piping, or the well's yield, and only one of those is a well problem. Testing on site tells them apart. See no water or low pressure.

How often should I test my well water?

Testing a private well is the owner's responsibility. Missouri's health department recommends testing at least once a year, and any time the well is serviced or the water changes in look, smell or taste. ^[5] Sample kits for the state public health laboratory are available through local public health agencies. ^[6]

What happens to an old or abandoned well?

Missouri law requires abandoned wells to be plugged, and the responsibility usually falls on the landowner. ^[7] Landowners may plug a well on their own property; anyone they hire to do it must hold a well or pump installation permit, and the plugging has to be reported to the state. An open, failing or badly capped old well is a direct path for surface water into the groundwater your new well will draw from, and an open hole is a safety hazard.

What should I have ready before I request a quote?

The property address or nearest road, whether it is a new or existing well, any well paperwork or WIMS record, what an existing system is doing if there is a problem, what the water will be used for, and the best time to reach you. The quote form only asks for your name, job address, email, phone and best time to call. We go over the rest by phone.

Do you serve my area?

We serve Camden, Miller, Morgan, Benton, Pettis, Laclede, Pulaski, Moniteau and Cole counties. See the service area for towns.