If your home runs on a private well around Mount Horeb, Verona, Dodgeville, New Glarus or Spring Green, this guide explains what’s going on when the water stops or changes, where to get it tested, what repairs usually cost, and what Wisconsin rules require.
Something wrong right now?
- No water at all
- Low or up-and-down pressure
- Pump keeps turning on and off
- Stopped after a storm or power outage
- Brown, orange or cloudy water
- Frozen well or line
- See all well problems
Safety first: well pumps run on 230/240-volt circuits. Don’t open the pressure switch, control box or well cap wiring. In Wisconsin, pump work on a drinking-water well requires a DNR-licensed pump installer.
What’s new for local well owners
- The Madison public health water lab closed on October 1, 2025. Here’s where to test your well now, with current prices.
- Wisconsin’s well code changed on March 1, 2026. Among other things, a well that has sat unused for more than 90 days must be filled and sealed by a licensed pro.
- FHA announced changes to how well distance rules apply to existing homes in 2026. Ask your lender for current requirements, and see buying or selling a home with a well.
- Nitrate is common in western Dane County. A 2024–25 county project found detectable nitrate in 90% of 1,292 volunteer samples. Read about nitrate in Driftless wells.
Know your well
- Find your well’s construction report and depth
- Typical well depths by town
- How long pumps and pressure tanks last
- What well work costs in Wisconsin
- Grants and financial help
Town guides
Mount Horeb · Verona · Middleton · Cross Plains · Black Earth & Mazomanie · Oregon · Stoughton · Belleville & Exeter · New Glarus · Barneveld & Ridgeway · Dodgeville · Mineral Point · Spring Green & Arena · Sauk City & Prairie du Sac
Need a professional?
Pump, drilling, sealing and paid inspection work in Wisconsin must be done by DNR-licensed contractors. We don’t do or arrange that work, but we explain how to find one and what to ask.
