Private Wells

An official notice will be mailed to you shortly after the scheduled attachment date. The notice will outline the requirements and corresponding due dates specific to your property.

If municipal water is available, you are required to connect to the public water system within 180 days of the attachment date [Madison General Ordinance (MGO) 13.07(opens in a new window)]. For the Town of Blooming Grove South Phased Attachment, connection must be made by June 30, 2021. For the Town of Madison Attachment, connection must be made by April 30, 2023.

A delayed connection also may be requested if the owner applies for and is granted a well operation permit.  The term of a delayed connection order typically corresponds to the well operation permit, which is for a period of five years

Once municipal water is available (the water main is extended), you will be required to connect to the public water system within 90 days of the water main extension.  In the interim, your private well will continue to be the source of water for your home but you must obtain a well operation permit from the Madison Water Utility.

More information regarding well permitting requirements can be found on the Private Well FAQ; MGO 13.21(opens in a new window); and on our Private Wells web page.

To establish water service, a water service application and fee must be submitted to Madison Water Utility.  The application is available for download on our Plumbers & Contractors web page, or it may be requested by calling (608) 266-4646.  The fees associated with establishing water service, approximately $260 for a standard residential service, are based on the size of service and include the water meter and inspection fee along with the corresponding charge for sanitary sewer.  Questions regarding sanitary sewer requirements and fees can be addressed by City Engineering staff at (608) 266-4751.

The application and fee may be submitted by either the property owner or a licensed plumber.  However, all applications must be signed by a licensed plumber; in certain cases, the owner may also be required to sign the application.  Once the application is approved, scheduling of the project will generally be coordinated by the plumber.  After the service lateral is connected to the house, the owner will need to provide access to the inside of the house for utility staff to set the water meter in place.

In order to meet the connection deadline, we encourage you to start this process as soon as possible.  Obtaining estimates can take several weeks and this type of work is often scheduled several months out.

​​​​​​Our experience shows that delays are inevitable, often due to the weather.  We recommend that you start discussions with your contractor before the ground thaws this spring.

The connection work must be completed by a licensed plumber who has been approved to do plumbing work in the City of Madison.  When you contact contractors to obtain an estimate, please ask them if they are licensed and approved to perform work in the City of Madison.​​​​​​

A list of prequalified contractors approved to work on utilities in the City right of way may also be found on the City of Madison Public Works Department web page(opens in a new window).

The cost of connecting to municipal water can vary from one property to another and depends on a number of factors.  The primary factors include the size of service needed to meet your water needs; the setback distance from the water main to your home; and the rates of the licensed contractor you choose.  Generally, the greater the setback distance from the water main to your home the greater the cost.

Madison Water Utility recommends obtaining bids from a minimum of two licensed plumbers prior to selecting your contractor and signing a contract.  Additionally, some savings may be achieved by coordinating the work to coincide with neighboring properties also being attached to the City of Madison.  We encourage you to get the estimated costs and the scheduled start date in writing from the contractor you plan to use.

If there is a deferred water assessment, it must either be paid in full in conjunction with the water service application or the assessment can be financed over a period of five years through the City Finance Department.  For more information, please contact City finance staff at (608) 266-4008

When you receive your estimates, it is important to make sure you are comparing “apples to apples”.  Your estimate should include items such as the meter application and water service fee; street opening permits (if applicable); tapping of the water main; specific pipe material type, quantity and size (copper, PEX, galvanized; 5/8”, 1”, 1.5”, etc.); street restoration costs; and internal connection costs from the water meter to your existing internal plumbing lines.

Yes, private domestic wells are permissible in the City of Madison with a valid well operation permit (MGO 13.21(opens in a new window)).  If municipal water is available upon attachment, the private well may continue to be used for outdoor use only.  If you decide to abandon the well after connecting to municipal water, the work must be performed by a licensed well driller or pump installer.  Financial assistance, in the form of a well abandonment rebate, is available from the City of Madison.

An official notice will be mailed to you shortly after the scheduled attachment date.  The notice will outline the requirements and corresponding due dates specific to your property.

All private wells located in the City of Madison require a well operation permit which can be obtained from Madison Water Utility.

Yes, private domestic wells are permissible in the City of Madison; however, MGO 13.21(opens in a new window) requires that a well operation permit must be obtained from Madison Water Utility.  The following criteria must be satisfied before a well operation permit can be issued:

1. The well and pump installation must satisfy the requirements of Chapter NR 812 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.
2. The well must produce bacteriologically safe water; that is, the water must be free of coliform bacteria including E. coli.
3. The well must not be cross-connected to the municipal water system.

Permits are valid for 5 years and are renewable. Permit applications must include the $355 fee which covers the cost of a state mandated inspection and required water quality tests.  The property owner is required to submit annual test results for total coliform and nitrate by October 1st of each year the permit is valid.  Well permits are non-transferable; new owners must obtain a permit in their name. Additional information may be found in MGO 13.21(opens in a new window) and on our Private Wells web page.

Once your property is connected to municipal water, the well must be properly abandoned according to the requirements of Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter NR 812(opens in a new window)(link is external).  The abandonment must be completed by a licensed well driller or pump installer.

The proper abandonment of a private well involves more than no longer using the well or simply covering the well casing (metal pipe) and ignoring it. Technically, the term well abandonment refers to the filling and sealing of a well with an approved, impermeable material such as bentonite chips, concrete, or neat cement.      

As of June 1, 2008, only licensed well drillers and pump installers can fill and seal wells under Wisconsin law.  These licensed professionals must follow the regulations codified in Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter NR 812(opens in a new window)(link is external).  In addition, Madison Water Utility staff must be on site for any well abandonment performed in the City of Madison. The utility maintains a courtesy list of local contractors qualified to perform this work.

The cost of a well abandonment depends on a number of factors; the primary ones being the depth of the well and whether the pump is present and needs to be pulled.  A “typical” abandonment costs $800 - $1500 but may be more or less depending on the well depth; ease with which the pump can be removed; and the private contractors rates.  Well drillers typically charge by the foot so deeper wells are more expensive to abandon than shallow wells.

The City of Madison may reimburse a property owner up to 50% of the cost, up to $1000, to abandon a well.  Details are available on our Private Wells web page or by contacting Madison Water Utility at (608) 266-4654.
 
Financial assistance may also be available through the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  The DNR offers a limited number of income -based grants to help offset the cost to abandon an unused private wells.