Wells

Grants to Counties

Warren County has funding under the Grants to Counties Program to offer private well water testing at no cost to the well owner. Reimbursement for well plugging and well rehabilitation is also available under Grants to Counties.

Private Wells Information and Forms

Well Permitting

Private Well and Geothermal Well Permits can be obtained from Warren County Environmental Health. A well permit application needs to be completed and submitted to Warren County Environmental Health. After the application is reviewed, the permit can be issued.

Well permit fees for drinking water and geothermal wells:

  • $100.00 payable to Warren County Health Services
  • $25.00 payable to Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Both these fees will be accepted by Warren County Environmental Health Staff at the time of permit application and permit issuance.

Well Plugging Guidelines

Grants to counties offers reimbursement for well plugging if the well is plugged in accordance with Iowa DNR guidelines.

There are two options under the DNR guidelines. They are as follows.

  • The first option is you can hire a well plugger to do the well plug for you. Any Certified Well Driller, Pump Installer, or Well Plugger can plug your well for you. If you choose this option, the county does not need to be onsite for the actual plugging process. The Certified Well Contractor will do everything for you. All we need is the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Abandoned Water Well Plugging Record form signed by the contractor and homeowner along with an invoice showing the fee you paid the contractor to plug your well, and our office will issue a reimbursement check to you up to $500.00.
  • You, as the homeowner, can plug your own well with the oversight of Warren County Environmental Health. To do this, the Warren County Environmental Health office will come to the well site and do a well plugging estimate at no charge. The estimate will tell you how much material will be needed to plug the well. We will need an original invoice from you stating the cost of supplies you paid for plugging the well. Then, you will have to schedule a time to complete the well plugging with Warren County Environmental present to supervise the plugging in order to qualify for reimbursement. If you choose to plug the well yourself, the reimbursement is up to $500.00 for materials only, labor cannot be included in this.

Click below for a copy of the well plugging form. It is located at the bottom of the IDNR page under “Well plugging record form required”.

Well Pluggers

Names Address City Phone #
Adam Waddle PO BOX 126 Melcher 515-250-4274
Damen Moffitt 10948 170th Ave Indianola 515-480-7139
Dannel Ripperger 110 Kansas Ave Lorimor 515-468-8113
Darren Fife 6410 Sunset Terrace Windsor Heights 515-633-2824
David Hruby 60 NE Badger Lane Waukee 515-979-1444
Gene Cameron Osceola 641-342-4213
Gerald Snyder 1817 Shore Street Truro 515-975-2594
Jephrey Rose 50574 215th Ave Chariton 641-774-7449
Justin Thomas 528 Hickory Blvd Pleasant Hill 515-265-3986
Keith Davis 1444 110th Place Knoxville 641-891-0416
Kevin Buckingham 18995 300th Ave Leon 641-446-4655
Matthew Sheeder 506 NE 56th Street Pleasant Hill 515-418-0105
Michael Eblen 1806 Eblen Lane Creston 641-344-3796
Mike Fry 522 S Main Osceola 641-223-3422
Ronald Rogers 1700 W Prairie Street Creston 641-333-2223
Sean Luellen 16744 Ranger Ave Woodward 515-631-9524
Steven Strecker 3008 Garden Ave Des Moines 515-664-7902
Tim Rozendaal 1650 Countyline Road Otley 641-259-2651

Private Well Water Testing

Well water testing is offered at no charge to the homeowner through the Grants to Counties program.

There are two conditions to qualify for the well water testing:

  1. Well that is being tested must be within Warren County.
  2. Well must be used by the owner for drinking purposes or other daily usage such as bathing, cooking etc.

Standard water testing includes Arsenic, E. coli, total coliform bacteria, Nitrates and Manganese. If you have a specific concern that is no one of the items listed above, call Warren County Environmental Health and we can provide you resources and guidance on additional testing.

Well water testing can be completed by Warren County Environmental Health Staff Monday- Wednesday 9:00am-3:00pm. Call us at 515-961-1074 or email us at envhealth@warrencountyia.org to schedule an appointment. We will come to your house, take the water sample, and then send it to the laboratory for testing.

All water testing is completed through the State Hygienic Laboratory. Results are typically available 3-5 days after testing is completed.

Note: In order to get the most accurate results from testing, we need access to a faucet where the aerator can be removed. The aerator is the small screen that attaches the head of the faucet.

Do you have additional questions about private water wells? Find more information here at the State Hygienic Labratory.

Drinking Water Quality Problems in Iowa

Problems That May Threaten Health

Contaminent Possible Suggested Health Effects Possible Source Suggested Treatment
A. Coliform Bacteria Indicates sanitary defect in well or system if collected properly Surface or shallow subsurface water, waste water or topsoil Refer to flowchart on pages 5-6
B. E.coli Indicates disease-producing microorganisms may be present; diarrhea Human waste, animal manure or wastewater; flood water Refer to flowchart on pages 5-6
C. Nitrate Methemoglobinemia (blue baby disease) Fertilizer,manure, septic system: etc. Elminate.source if possible: correct defects of well or supply; anion exchange; reverse osmosis; distillation
D. Pesticide Acute: vomiting, weakness, etc. Chronic: cancer, genetic or birth defect risks Improper use, disposal, spills, or back-siphoning accident Eliminate source if possible: purge system; depending on type of pesticide, treatment units may be available (consult manufacturer)
E.Lead Chronic: adverse effects on blood, nervous and kidney systems Improper use, disposal, spills, or back-siphoning accident Reduce corrosion (see below), lead pipe/solder replacement, reverse osmosis, distillation
F. Gasoline/Organic Solvents (BTEX) Chronic: cancer risks; taste or odor Leaking storage tanks, spills, improper use or disposal Eliminate source if possible: purge system; activated carbon filter in series; vented distillation
G.Arsenic Acute: gastrointestinal problems Chronic: cancer risks Most common is natural mineral deposits Distillation, reverse osmosis, activate alumina, anionic resin

*Varies with exposure, contaminant, and susceptibility

Problems That Usually Do Not Threaten Health

Contaminent Complaint Possible Source Suggested Treatment
A. Iron and Manganese Rusty water, rust stains on sink or clothes, deposits inside pipes Corrosion or naturally present in aquifer Water softeners for soluble (ferrous) iron; iron removal units (green sand); reverse osmosis; distillation
B. Hardness Scale, soap scums, deposition inside pipes Dissolved calcium and magnesium from soil and/or aquifer Water softener (ion exchange; reverse osmosis; distillation
C. Iron Bacteria Oily film on water, slime growth in water tanks or toilets Present in iron-rich aquifer; contaminated drilling equipment Shock chlorination; continuous chlorination to retard growth
D. Corrosion Metallic taste, greenish stains on faucets, sinks, leaking pipes Corrosive water- present in aquifer; “softened” water; incompatible metals in plumbing; aggressive water Add corrosion control chemicals or sacrificial metal
E. Hydrogen Sulfide Rotten egg odor Hydrogen sulfide gives water this odor; possibly caused by corrosion or naturally occurring sulfur bacteria. NOTE: make sure odor is not due to coliform bacteria problem (see I. A. above) Shock chlorination; green sand iron filter; activated charcoal filters

CAUTION

  • No one treatment system corrects ALL water quality problems
  • ALL systems have limitations and life expectancies
  • ALL systems require routine maintenance and/or monitoring
  • Match the treatment system to the speciic contaminant to be removed
    • laboratory testing may be necessary to determine the problem(s)

Coliform Action Response

Coliform_Action_Response_1
Coliform_Action_Response_2

Pump Installers

Names Address City Phone #
Dale Egeland 385 Q Ave Booneville 515-432-1497
Glen Bedwell 2924 Quaker Street St. Charles 641-396-2462
James Cary 1490 Iowa Ave Earlham 515-468-3122
Jeff Pootinga 202 SE 154th Street Pella 641-780-5585
Kevin Middleswart 7283 Illinois Street Indianola 515-681-2200
Mike Miller 408 3rd Street Menlo 641-524-2161
Rod Klemme 742 W 18th Street Nevada 515-291-3489
Troy Miller 109 Sherman Street Menlo 641-740-0806

Well Drillers

Names Address City Phone #
Allen Akers 2204 175th Court Winterset 515-468-0091
Caley Parrish 6472 James Francis Place Johnston 515-727-8028
Coulton Thorpe PO Box 555 Ankeny 515-289-2345
Daniel Cook 24950 88th Ave New Virginia 515-281-4171
David Spooner PO Box 555 Ankeny 515-208-1400
Dennis Auld 113 S Main Street Roland 515-388-4055
Don Carlson 1123 37th Street Des Moines 515-745-4628
Don Murphy 3213 Talon Ave Menlo 515-681-6240
Donald Edds 2113 61st Street Des Moines 515-238-2217
Douglas Fitzgerald 106 High Street Booneville 515-491-5320
Dylan Knudsen 3401 Eula Drive Urbandale 515-989-3224
Eric Mueggenberg 4203 SW Walnut Street Ankeny 515-635-0004
Gary Henderson 4120 NE Hillcrest Court Ankeny 515-402-8004
Gingerich Wells 1331 IA-1 Kalona 1-800-356-2664
Hylton Jackson 6383 Holcomb Ave Des Moines 641-373-2083
James Carey Winterset 515-480-5667
James Clark 2019 Merle huff Ave Norwalk 515-758-2559
Jeffrey White 1421 Carroll Ames 515-281-8925
Jeremy Soenen 2059 130th Street Earlham 515-664-7308
Jerome Hobson 617 SE 4th Ankeny 515-282-8818
Jesse Nelson 1432 SW Waywin Drive Ankeny 515-244-3184
Jon Reis 2822 SW Village Circle Ankeny 515-473-6256
Joseph Greene 600 SW 7th Street Ste M Des Moines 515-244-3184
Joshua Vanevery PO Box 555 Ankeny 563-249-0411
Justin Rewerts 825 T Ave Nevada 515-382-3864
Kevin Sperfslage 1179 Erbe Drive Otley 641-842-2390
Kristopher Sommer 1416 Cummins Pkwy Des Moines 515-244-3184
Lance Mcintosh PO Box 36 De Soto 515-205-5846
Loren Larson 701 W Maple Roland 515-460-6336
Mark Evans 59518 170th Street Nevada 515-231-3396
Mark Wiseman 3505 Sherifan Ave Des Moines 515-255-2620
Matthew Graham 5635 Vista Drive West Des Moines 515-577-4142
Michael Pierce 6353 HWY F48W Newton 641-792-7351
Patrick Nickel PO Box 555 Ankeny 515-289-2345
Paul Falk 600 SW 7th Street Ste M Des Moines 515-244-5249
Raymond Coons 7922 NW 114th Street Grimes 515-986-3200
Richard Burhans 3072 Timber Trail St. Charles 641-396-2310
Richard Hansen 29615 510th Ave Kelley 515-685-3765
Riley Larson 701 W Maple Roland 515-460-6336
Robert Potter 1910 Swan Lake Circle Des Moines 515-401-0134
Ryan Vicker 2151 Cherry Street Road Creston 641-202-2728
Sheldon Hutchinson 1004 S Buxton Street Indianola 515-979-5836
Stephen Jurshak 211 Troy Street Murray 641-342-2166
Terry Heiliger 4113 81st Street Urbandale 515-986-3474
Tom Thorpe PO Box 555 Ankeny 515-707-1251
515-289-2345
Travis Witt 205 W Lincoln Macksburg 515-462-3569

Hygienic Labs

List of Certified Wastewater Hygienic Labs from https://www.iowadnr.gov/ as of 10/30/2009.

County Lab name & Address Contact Person Test Certification
Appanoose Midwest Environmental Services, Inc.
PO Box 338, 23698 217th Ave.
Centerville, IA 52554
Michael Bain
641-437-7023
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Black Hawk Keystone Laboratories Inc.- Waterloo
3012 Ansborough
Waterloo, IA 50701
James Eggers
641-792-8451
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Black Hawk TestAmerica Analytical Testing Corp.
704 Enterprise Dr.
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Mike McGee
319-277-2401
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Buena Vista Mangold Environmental Testing
2004 Expansion Blvd.
Storm Lake, IA 50588
Joe Kelly
712-732-7786
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Delaware Sandol Laboratory
PO Box 114, 310 E. Main St.
Manchester, IA 52057
Dolores Sanfilippo
563-927-6734
TSS, CBOD
Des Moines Burlington Wastewater Treatment Lab
101 South St.
Burlington, IA 52601
David Avery
319-753-8157
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Dubuque Environmental Monitoring WPCP Lab
795 Julien Dubuque Dr.
Dubuque, IA 52003-7996
Jonathan Brown
563-589-4176
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Hamilton L.G.I.
PO Box 247, 1532 DeWitt St.
Ellsworth, IA 50075
Mike Lindaman
515-836-4444
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Jackson ChemRight Laboratories Inc.
117 N. Main St.
Maquoketa, IA 52060
David Gossman
563-683-4188
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Jasper Keystone Laboratories Inc.- Newton
600 East 17th St. South
Newton, IA 50208
James Eggers
641-792-8451
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Johnson University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory
102 Oakdale Campus
Iowa City, IA 52242
John Kempf
319-335-4500
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Lee Ft. Madison Wastewater Plant
1621 20th St.
Ft. Madison, IA 52627
Rick Kuhljuergen
319-372-5421
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Lee Roquette America Inc.
1003 S. 5th St.
Keokuk, IA 52623
Dana Kriks
319-526-3566
TSS, CBOD
Lee Keokuk Water Pollution Control
1000 Mississippi Dr.
Keokuk, IA 52623
David Glasscock
319-524-3412
TSS, CBOD
Muscatine Muscatine Water Pollution Control Plant
1202 Musser St.
Muscatine, IA 52761
Patti Fuller-Bloechl
563-263-2752
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Polk University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory
DMACC Campus, 2220 S. Ankeny Blvd.
Ankeny, IA 50023
Rick Sable
515-725-1600
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Poweshiek Paul D. Jones Analytical Laboratory
Box 39
Montezuma, IA 50171
Paul Jones
641-623-2127
TSS, CBOD
Scott Davenport Water Pollution Control Plant
PO Box 3606, 2606 S. Concord St.
Davenport, IA 52808
Helen Keys
563-326-7965
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Scott Quad City Metallurgical Laboratory, Inc.
17048 215th St.
Davenport, IA 52804
Todd Bloodsworth
563-386-7827
TSS, CBOD
Scott Quad City Analytical Services
1798 Iowa Dr.
LeClaire, IA 52753
Randall Wanke
563-289-3373
TSS, CBOD
Story MVTL – Nevada
Box 440, 35 West Lincoln Way
Nevada, IA 50201
Teresa Sjulin
515-382-5486
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Wapello Ottumwa Water Pollution Control Lab
2222 S. Emma St.
Ottumwa, IA 52501
Pat Davis
641-683-0641
TSS, CBOD
Webster Xenia North Treatment Facility
3397 330th St.
Dayton, IA 50530
Jacque Booth
515-676-2117
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Woodbury Siouxland District Health Department
1014 Nebraska St.
Sioux City, IA 51101
Tyler Brock
712-279-6123
TSS, CBOD, E. coli
Woodbury Analytical & Consulting Services
PO Box 8, 407 4th St.
Sergeants Bluff, IA 51054
Sharlyn Franco
712-943-4888
TSS, CBOD
Out of State Davy Laboratories
PO Box 2076, 115 6th St. South Ste. D
LaCrosse, WI 54602
Paul A. Harris
608-782-3130
TSS, CBOD