Environmental Health
Water Well Program
The purpose of the Water Well program is to protect the public from water-borne diseases and water quality that can adversely affect health. The primary way the Environmental Health division accomplishes this goal is by issuing well permits for individual residences and small public water supplies to ensure new wells are constructed properly and isolated from potential sources of contamination.
In addition, Environmental Health oversight works to ensure certain small public water supplies such as restaurants, motels, businesses, and schools collect required water samples and provide safe water to their clients.
Environmental Health investigates instances of groundwater contamination in order to better advise local residents. If investigation highlights practices that can be changed to improve water quality, Environmental Health informs the public and may create areas with special water well construction requirements.
Environmental Health has bacteriological and partial chemical sample bottles available for submission to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Laboratory in Houghton which can be picked-up by the public. Environmental Health recommends annual testing of water wells for bacteria and periodic sampling for nitrate and nitrite. Partial chemical test consist of chloride, fluoride, iron, hardness, nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, and sodium.
