Western UP Health Department

Leading The Community Toward Better Health

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PLEASE NOTE: Our field season is now over & will resume in the Spring of 2023. However, we will be accepting applications throughout the winter months and will schedule appointments in the order in which received. If you have a well or septic emergency, contact our office directly.

A groundwater drilling machine installed on an old truck performs well drilling on a private site.

A site evaluation is the first step in determining if a parcel of land without access to municipal water supply can be considered for a drinking water well.  After a Request for Service Application has been made for an evaluation, a sanitarian will visit the proposed site to determine if the conditions on the site meet the requirements of the Superior Environmental Health Code and the Michigan Well Code.

Issues considered and examined during the evaluation include:

  • Soil type and permeability
  • Depth to seasonal high water table
  • Slope
  • Horizontal separation distance from wells, surface waters, property lines
  • Amount of suitable area available
  • Area hydrogeology
  • Runoff patterns
  • Proposed land use
  • Easements, right-of-ways, & building setbacks
  • Location of buried utilities and other site improvements
  • Existing development on adjacent lots

To initiate a site evaluation, please complete our:

2023 Request for Service Application

Additional resources related to new well construction include:

Water Supply Program Fee Schedule

Superior Environmental Health Code

Superior Environmental Health Code Technical Manual

Michigan Well Code Administrative Rules

Guidance Manual – Drinking Water Program