Private Drinking Water Wells

Effective July 1, 2007, all private drinking water wells in Pitt County were required to be permitted prior to installation. On October 12, 2011, Pitt County adopted local well rules which required irrigation wells to also be permitted by the Environmental Health Division.

Permits Required

All private drinking water wells and irrigation wells in Pitt County are required to be permitted by the Environmental Health Division prior to installation. Additionally, to repair, replace or abandon a well also requires a permit.

Permitting Process

1. The permitting process begins with completion of an application for the construction, repair, or abandonment of a water well.
2. Upon completion of the application, a site visit is made to evaluate the property or the existing well and issue an authorization to construct, repair or abandon the well, detailing the site requirements.
3. An inspection by Environmental Health staff during installation of the well and inspection of the well head are required. An inspection is also required for the repair or abandonment of a well.
4. With new or replacement drinking water wells, the last step in the process is collection of a water sample by Environmental Health staff which is then sent for analysis to the State Public Health Laboratory.

Purpose

All elements of the permitting process are intended to ensure that state laws and rules are followed. In addition to sampling new well installations, Environmental Health staff will also collect water samples for analysis from existing drinking water wells that meet state construction standards.

More Information

For more information about the requirements for new or existing private drinking water wells or irrigation wells, please call 252-902-3206.