Delaware Private Well Guide
Private wells are not covered by Consumer Confidence Reports. If you own one, here's what you're responsible for.
Short answer: Find your well's permit and record through DNREC, obtain testing through DPH-connected resources or a certified laboratory, choose parameters based on your property and any symptoms, and treat only after you have a result in hand.
Who this is for: any Delaware homeowner served by a private domestic well.
What Delaware agency handles this
- DNREC: well construction and use permits, well records, and the Well Viewer.
- Delaware Division of Public Health: private-well testing resources and the Delaware Public Health Laboratory.
- Certified laboratories: sample analysis and, for some parameters, sample collection instructions.
Delaware location changes the starting panel
For a shallow or agricultural well in Sussex or Kent, discuss nitrate/nitrite and the standard DPH chemistry panel. For a coastal Sussex property, include chloride/salinity; for a New Castle property near the Delaware River or a known investigation area, ask a certified laboratory or DNREC whether additional testing is appropriate. These are screening decisions, not proof that a particular county or neighborhood is contaminated.
DNREC's well program manages construction and use permits for qualifying wells, checks proposed locations for potential contamination issues, and requires Delaware-licensed well contractors. Keep the well permit, completion record, and recent laboratory reports together for future troubleshooting or property work.
Delaware permit and licensing rules
Delaware's private-well process is governed by DNREC's Water Supply Section. 7 DE Admin. Code 7301 sets minimum requirements for well location, design, installation, use, disinfection, repair, modification, and sealing. 7 DE Admin. Code 7302 covers licensing for water-well contractors, pump-installation contractors, well drillers, well drivers, and pump installers. In practical terms, a homeowner should verify the permit and use a current Delaware-licensed professional for construction, repair, pump work, or abandonment.
Those construction rules are different from water-quality testing. Delaware's private wells are not public water systems and do not receive a utility-style Consumer Confidence Report. The owner must arrange testing and retain the results. DNREC's permit record can explain how a well was constructed; it cannot substitute for a current laboratory sample.
- DNREC Residential Water Supply Program
- DNREC well permits and Well Viewer
- DNREC water-well licenses
- 7 DE Admin. Code 7301: construction and use of wells
- 7 DE Admin. Code 7302: well and pump licensing
Step-by-step
- Find your well's permit and record using the DNREC Well Viewer.
- Decide on a basic panel versus expanded testing based on your location, well construction, nearby land use, and any symptoms (see Private Well Testing).
- Obtain a test kit or contact a certified laboratory directly, following their sample collection instructions exactly.
- Review results against comparison values, understanding that a single sample reflects one point in time.
- Choose treatment only after testing, matched to the specific result.
- Retest after treatment, repair, or disinfection to confirm the system is working as expected.
Common mistakes
- Assuming Delaware requires the same real-estate testing as New Jersey's Private Well Testing Act — it does not
- Buying treatment before testing for the specific contaminant it's meant to address
- Diagnosing contamination from geography or a farm/septic system nearby without a test result
- Skipping retesting after any repair or disinfection
What a result does and does not prove
A test result tells you what was in your water at the time of sampling. It does not guarantee future results will be identical, and it does not diagnose a health condition. Treat elevated results as a reason to investigate further, not as a final verdict without context.
When to contact DNREC, DPH, a laboratory, or a well professional
Contact DNREC for permits, construction, and allocation questions. Contact DPH or a certified laboratory for testing. Contact a qualified well professional for construction, repair, disinfection, or abandonment work. If you suspect contamination and have health concerns, contact your health-care provider or the Division of Public Health.
Official sources
- DNREC Well Permits and Well Viewer
- DNREC permit fees (verify the current fee before applying)
- Delaware Public Health Laboratory and certified laboratories
- Delaware environmental guide for private-well testing reminders
Related
Do I need to test my well before selling my home?
Delaware does not have a direct equivalent to New Jersey's Private Well Testing Act, so there is no blanket state testing mandate tied to a sale. A lender, buyer, or local requirement may still call for testing — confirm with your real-estate professional.
This page provides general educational information and is not medical, legal, or laboratory advice.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-11. Report a correction.