Private Wells
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts does not have any statues that specifically regulate private wells and relies on Boards of Health to adopt local regulations for private wells.
In 1992 the Town of Duxbury adopted private well regulations based on model regulations from the Department of Environmental Protection. These regulation are called Rules and Regulations for Private Wells. They cover both drinking water and irrigation wells.
Owners of private wells installed prior to 1992 should check with the Board of Health to see if their well is registered. By registering your well with the Board of Health you will be notified if a septic system is to be installed near that well. It will also allow the Board of Health to notify well owners of potential public health hazards such as chemical spills.
A copy of the regulations can be found on this page along with information on applying for well permits for both irrigation wells and private drinking water wells.
It is recommended by the Duxbury Board of Health that the Duxbury public water system is the preferred source of drinking water.
For irrigation wells you must fill out a well construction permit. You will need two copies of a plan drawn and stamped by a registered engineer, registered land surveyor or registered sanitarian, showing your proposed irrigation well with a 100' radius drawn around the proposed well. All septic systems of abutting properties and your own septic system shall be shown on the plan along with any other potential source of contamination within 200' of the proposed well. Duxbury requires a 100' setback from an irrigation well to a septic system. The well driller is required to submit a well completion report to the Duxbury Board of Health after the well is completed. All other Duxbury Rules and Regulations must be complied with. Please read the regulations located on this page.
Drinking water wells require the same plan as above except that the setback to septic systems is 150'. A Well Construction Permit is to be submitted to the Board of Health. The drinking water well shall not be used nor will a building permit be issued until a Water Supply Certificate is granted by the Board of Health. The process for obtaining a Water Supply Certificate is explained below.
Water quality testing of private drinking water wells is required anytime the property on which the well is located changes ownership. This is regardless of the distance from the well to the septic system. That water quality report shall be submitted along with the Title 5 septic system inspection to the Board of Health. A water quality report for private drinking water wells is also required whenever a Title 5 is done and the well is located within 100' of the septic system even if the house is not being sold.
The Well Construction Permit is used for both private drinking water wells and irrigation wells. The fee is $120.00.