Why is a County Well Location Permit necessary?

A County well location permit is necessary to ensure any well drilled in the County meets all current County and State standards relative to minimum setbacks associated with protection of all residents’ and the environment’s health.

When do I need a County Well Location Permit?

A County well location permit is required prior to drilling a well for any purpose, including providing potable drinking water, water for irrigation or agricultural purposes, monitoring and geothermal systems. Prior to any wells being drilled in the County, a State drilling permit is also required. State drilling permit applications are submitted by the licensed well driller directly to the Well and Septic office for review and approval.

What is the County Well Location Permit application process?

At minimum, all applicants must submit a complete application package, including a completed application with applicant’s original signature, the current well permit fee, and two copies of a scaled site plan with all pertinent data. Please refer to the eDocuments link: Well and Septic procedure and requirement

Conditions of Approval

A County well location permit may be issued only after an application package is submitted and reviewed for completeness and accuracy of information. The property in question must be eligible for well permit issuance.

Appeal Information

If a permit is denied, an appeal may be made to a committee through the Chief of the Division of Land Development Services in this department. If the appeal is denied based on County law, the denial may be appealed to the Montgomery County Board of Appeals. If the denial is based on State law, an appeal may be made to the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Inspection Information.

An inspection request is required prior to the well driller grouting the well. If the well shall provide potable drinking water for a new home, then Certificate of Potability (C.O.P.) sampling is also necessary prior to issuance of a Use and Occupancy permit for the structure to be served by the well. C.O.P. sampling is also required on all replacements wells providing potable drinking water. Please contact the Well and Septic office at (240) 777-6320 for details.

Other Agencies Involved

A Maryland State Well Construction permit must be obtained by the well driller prior to drilling any well in the County. This permit is issued after the County Well Location Permit is issued. There is no permit fee associated with the State Well Permit.

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) is the agency that issues all plumbing permits and can be reached at (301) 206-8000.

What is the permit fee for the County Well Location Permit?

The total fee for a well permit is $160.00.

When will I receive my County Well Location Permit?

Well Location Permits are generally issued within two weeks of submission of a complete application package, providing the property is eligible for permit issuance. Permit processing time may vary due to workload factors and project complexity.

Permit Duration

A county Well permit is valid for twelve (12) months from the date of issuance. Once the permit has expired, a new application must be submitted.

Permit fees are not transferable.