Free Water Tests & Well Plugging Reimbursement

Free Water Tests

The Environmental Health Department offers free water tests to anyone on a private well in Washington County. 

Money reimbursements available for:

  • Plugging Abandoned Wells
  • Renovated Wells
Contact us for more information.

Grants to Counties Water Well Program

The money reimbursements and free water tests offers are made possible by the Iowa Grants to Counties Water Well Program. The Grants to Counties (GTC) Program was established in 1987 when our legislature passed the Iowa Groundwater Protection Act to help prevent further contamination of one of Iowa's most precious resources - our groundwater.

Grants are made available to local county health departments to provide financial assistance to their residents for private water well services. With grant money, residents of participating counties who own a private well can receive free well tests, receive reimbursement of up to $600 for each well renovated, up to $400 for each well plugged, and up to $300 for each eligible cistern plugged if grant funds are available. This program is important because we need to protect our water and ground water.

Grant Administration

The Bureau of Environmental Health Services oversees the financial administration of the GTC Program. The bureau works closely with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, who provides technical oversight of water well testing, water well closure, and water well renovation through the GTC program.

More Information

Learn more about water tests, well plugging and well renovations. For more information about your private well: