Private Well Construction and Maintenance
A private well uses ground water as its water source. Private water supply quality is unregulated. Owners of individual water systems are responsible for ensuring that their water is safe from contaminants. Whether you are planning a well, are a new well owner, or have owned a well for a long time, knowing the basics about water wells is important and can help you make sound decisions about your water well system.
Understanding that proper well construction and continued maintenance are the keys to a safe water supply.
Understanding that proper well construction and continued maintenance are the keys to a safe water supply.
Water Well Testing
Your well should be tested once each year for total coliform bacteria and every three years for nitrates. If you suspect other contaminants, you should test for those as well. The Environmental Health Office has partnered with the Montana State University Well Educated Program to provide private well owners with materials to sample their well water. Please contact the Environmental Health Office for supplies or visit the Water Well Testing website for fact sheets, educational videos, and additional information.
You should also have your well tested if:
You should also have your well tested if:
- There are known problems with well water in your area
- You have experienced problems near your well, such as flooding, land disturbances, nearby waste disposal
- You replace or repair any part of your well system
- You notice a chance in water quality, such as taste, color or odor
- There is future development planned in your vicinity
Water Well Information
The Groundwater Information Center (GWIC) is the central repository for information on groundwater resources in Montana. Through the GWIC website, private well owners can access well-completion reports from drillers, measurements of well performance, water-level measurements at various wells, and water-quality reports for thousands of samples. The database at GWIC are continually updated with new data from driller's logs and research projects from various agencies across the state.
Local Contact Information for Public Water
Residents within the City of Sidney and the Town of Fairview are connected to the municipal public water supply. These water supplies are required to conduct regular water quality monitoring. Therefore, private testing of these sources is not necessary. To contact these water systems, use the following information:
City of Sidney Public Works
406-433-2809
City of Sidney Public Works Website
Town of Fairview
406-742-5616
Email Town of Fairview
City of Sidney Public Works
406-433-2809
City of Sidney Public Works Website
Town of Fairview
406-742-5616
Email Town of Fairview
Additional Resources
Updated 2-10-26