Clean Fresh Water
HDNW has a comprehensive Drinking Water Well Program, aimed at ensuring the safety of both our community and people frequenting local businesses. Through regular inspections and water quality testing, this program helps identify and address potential contaminants. By actively engaging in this initiative, we prioritize the well-being of our residents throughout Northwest Michigan and support a thriving, healthy community!
Residential Water Testing
We carry test kits for many types of water sampling, including the two most common: Bacteriological and Partial Chemical. Stop by any of our offices to pick up one or more of the following test kits and learn more about what’s in your water:
Bacteriological (Coliform, E-coli) Sampling
Samples must be transported on ice and kept cold (not frozen) immediately after collection.
(Required for new wells - included in the permit fee for Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, Otsego)
Test Code B / Fee: $27.00
Partial Chemical Sampling
Samples must be transported on ice and kept cold (not frozen) immediately after collection.
(Fluoride, Chloride, Hardness, Iron, Sodium, Sulfates, Nitrites and Nitrates)
(Required for new wells - included in the permit fee for Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, Otsego)
Test Code C / Fee: $27.00
PLEASE NOTE: We test water samples at our Gaylord lab, and we transport your samples for you. Because of this, we do have water sample drop-off and shipping deadlines as outlined below:
Water Sample Drop-Offs
Samples MUST be collected on the day they are dropped off. Our drop-off days and times follow:
Gaylord Office
Accepts water samples Monday-Thursday from 8 am-4 pm*
Samples are not accepted on Friday.
Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet Offices
Accepts water samples Monday-Wednesday from 8 am -11 am*
Samples are not accepted on Thursday or Friday.
*Please note that this schedule is subject to change due to holidays.
Water Sample Shipping
Samples may be shipped to the lab on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, to arrive Thursday. It is your responsibility to ensure samples are received by the laboratory within 30 hours of collection.
(Be sure to check with the post office or other shipping company to make sure your sample will arrive in time. You may have to pay an additional charge for overnight delivery.)
Residential Well
A well is a hole drilled in the ground to an area that holds water. A pipe and a pump pull water out of the ground, and a screen filters out particles—like tiny rocks—that no one wants to drink. Wells come in different shapes and sizes, depending on the ground the well is drilled into and how much water is being pumped out.
The water in wells come from underground and is called groundwater. Groundwater comes mostly from rain and snow trickling down through rocks and soil. This water collects in the tiny spaces between soil and rock particles. When all of those spaces are filled up with water, an aquifer is formed. Wells draw their water from aquifers.
On-site wells that serve a single-family residence are called residential wells. For safety reasons, HDNW regulates residential wells. Before a resident or business installs a well, we evaluate the site and issue a permit, as well as do a final review once the well is installed. To obtain a well permit, click on your county below.
Remodel, Change, or Repair Existing Well System
If you intend to remodel, repair, or otherwise change the well of your existing home or property, use one of the applications below. These applications are ONLY required if there is an existing system on the property and the demands on that system or the set-up of that system will be changing.
Residential Site Evaluation
A site evaluation is the first step in determining if an existing or proposed land parcel without municipal well service (city water) can be considered for an on-site well system.
After an application has been submitted, an HDNW sanitarian will evaluate the proposed site to determine if the conditions on the site meet the requirements of the Sanitary Code. This application is normally used for property buy/sell situations. Application for permits to install water wells may be submitted by the new property owner following the closing of the property sale.
Application Walk-Through
Application and Permit Fees
Your permit application must be accompanied by the fee.
Need to Email Your Application?
Please email permit applications or nuisance complaints to the appropriate County:
Underground Utility Marking
To comply with Public Act 53 of 1974 by the Michigan State Legislature for the Protection of Underground Facilities and to protect our employees' safety, HDNW will have underground utilities flagged by Miss Dig for all Septic, Well, Existing System and Site Evaluations applications. Please plan an additional 4 business days into your schedule for this process.
Additional Resources
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS)
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of man-made chemicals that include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). PFAS have been used globally over the past century in manufacturing, firefighting and thousands of common household and other consumer products. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and in the human body - meaning they don't break down and they can accumulate over time. In recent years, experts have become increasingly concerned by the potential effects of high concentrations of PFAS on human health. HDNW works collaboratively with multiple agencies like EGLE, MDHHS, and local counties and townships to ensure residents are informed and filters are distributed when necessary.
Wickes Manufacturing TCE Plume in Antrim County
Trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination in the Mancelona area dates back to Wickes Manufacturing operations in the 1940s and 1950s. Wickes used TCE as a degreasing solvent and disposed of TCE in shallow pits onsite. Over time, the TCE contamination has migrated northwest through the area. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified TCE as a human carcinogen.
This TCE plume is the largest TCE plume in Michigan, and one of the largest in the United States.
Contamination of private residential wells has occurred in the area from Mancelona to Shanty Creek. State of Michigan grant funding has supported efforts to test private wells, install monitoring wells, study groundwater movement, and provide bottled water to residents affected by the contamination.
HDNW continues to monitor the movement of the TCE plume and regularly provides updates to the public and county officials.