Well Permitting

About 20 percent of Florida’s residents receive their water from “limited use” public water systems and private wells. In Florida, all public water system owners are required to perform routine testing to ensure that state drinking water standards are met. However, private well owners are responsible for ensuring that their own well water is safe to drink.

To ensure that your private water supply is safe and healthy, you should understand the importance of maintaining your own well and water system and performing routine water quality tests.

If you have a private well, the Department of Health strongly recommends that you test your water for bacteria and nitrate at least once per year. Routine water testing is a simple and inexpensive measure you can take to ensure that your water supply is safe and to protect your family’s health. The Polk County Health Department can provide you with instructions on how to collect the water samples and have them tested.

The Well Construction Permit process is a two-part process that involves the health department and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Contact the Polk County Health Department Water Program to schedule a pre-construction site inspection prior to drilling a public drinking water well. The pre-construction inspection must be performed to verify that the proposed well location meets setback requirements.

Well Permitting Application (opens in new window)

Well drilling in Eastern Polk County is handled by the Osceola County Health Department.

Environmental Public Health Office

Environmental Health Phone: (863) 519-8330
Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday