New Private Water Well Drilling in Union County, NC

About a quarter of Union County residents still rely on groundwater (per Union County Environmental Health, as cited here). Most of them are on estate lots and rural tracts outside municipal water lines. A new drinking-water well is a permitted, inspected project in North Carolina.

How a new well project usually goes

1. Permit first. Union County Environmental Health issues private well construction permits. The fee is $500, due at application, along with a site plan showing setbacks (county fee schedule).
2. Siting. State rules (15A NCAC 02C .0107) set minimum separation distances, for example 50 ft from a septic tank or drainfield. The county also lists distances from foundations and sewer lines (summary).
3. Drilling. Most wells here are drilled into fractured bedrock. USGS records for about 140 bedrock wells in the county show a median depth of about 120 ft, and some go much deeper (source).
4. Pump, tank and plumbing. A submersible pump, pressure tank and line to the house are installed.
5. Water testing and certificate. NC requires new wells to be sampled. The well can't go into service until the county issues a certificate of completion.

Things specific to Union County

• Much of the county sits on the Carolina Slate Belt, where average yields are lower (around 15–16 gpm per NC State Extension, as cited here). Ask how a quote handles a low-yield bore.
• The county notes arsenic shows up more often in Slate Belt wells, so plan on a full inorganic test.
• Lead times can stretch during the building season.