What permits and setbacks are required to drill a well in Massachusetts?

Drilling a water well in Massachusetts requires an approved permit from the local municipal Board of Health (BOH) prior to breaking ground. Under 310 CMR 15.000 (Title 5) and local health regulations, strict setback minimums must be verified: 100 feet from septic absorption beds (leach fields), 50 feet from septic tanks and sewer mains, 10 to 25 feet from property boundary lines, and 25 feet from public roadways. The well must be drilled by a state-certified driller (MA DCR License #285 held by T.J. Ogden Co.). Ogden Wells handles the complete plot plan filing and post-drilling completion report on your behalf.

How deep are residential wells drilled in Massachusetts bedrock?

Most residential wells across Central and Eastern Massachusetts are completed between 200 and 500 feet into crystalline granite, schist, or gneiss bedrock. Every borehole requires a minimum of 40 feet of heavy-wall 6-inch ASTM A53 steel casing seated with a hardened drive shoe into solid ledge to seal out surface runoff. In southeastern MA and Cape Cod, glacial gravel outwash aquifers allow for shallower 100–250 ft wells utilizing stainless steel continuous-slot well screens.

What drinking water contaminants are most common in Massachusetts private wells?

Naturally occurring parameters include acidic low-pH water (pH 5.5–6.3, which leaches blue-green stains and copper from plumbing), dissolved iron and manganese, waterborne radon gas (frequent in eastern MA granite belts), and localized arsenic in Middlesex County (Tewksbury, Billerica, Westford). MassDEP recommends testing private well water through a state-certified laboratory every 12 months for coliform bacteria and every 3 to 5 years for a complete chemical and heavy metal panel.

Regional Service Territory — Massachusetts

Water Wells & Groundwater Services in Massachusetts

✓ Licensed in MA · Serving New England Since 1980📞 7-Day Dispatch: 1-800-339-9051

Massachusetts Hydrogeology & Well Drilling Conditions

Massachusetts bedrock is predominantly crystalline granite and gneiss, so most residential wells are drilled 200–500 feet into fractured bedrock. Cape Cod and southeastern MA feature shallower gravel aquifer wells due to glacial deposits. The MA DCR requires certified well drillers (T.J. Ogden Co. License #285), and local municipal Boards of Health enforce strict sanitary setbacks from septic systems, property lines, and wetlands. Ogden Wells handles all permitting and engineering filings for our clients.

Dominant Aquifer

Bedrock (Crystalline Granite & Gneiss)

Typical Well Depth

200–500 ft in most of the state; 100–250 ft on Cape Cod & SE MA

Bedrock Formations

Granite, gneiss, schist — water in natural fractures

Drinking Water Quality & Bedrock Contaminant Profiles in Massachusetts

Groundwater chemistry in Massachusetts is shaped by the mineralogy of its underlying rock formations. Our field testing and engineering team treats the following parameters statewide:

Iron / Manganese Staining

Geological Cause: Naturally occurring minerals leaching from bedrock fractures

Engineered Solution: Birm or greensand filtration, or air injection oxidizing systems

Low pH / Acidic Water

Geological Cause: Granitic bedrock naturally produces soft, acidic water that corrodes copper plumbing

Engineered Solution: Calcite neutralizing filtration or automated soda ash injection

Radon Gas in Water

Geological Cause: Uranium-bearing granite in Eastern MA releases radon gas into deep groundwater

Engineered Solution: Point-of-Entry diffuse bubble aeration system exhausting safely above roofline

Arsenic Contamination

Geological Cause: Naturally occurring in Middlesex and Essex county bedrock formations

Engineered Solution: Adsorptive media (Metsorb titanium dioxide) or Point-of-Use reverse osmosis

Massachusetts Well Permitting, Setbacks & Sanitary Code Compliance

Massachusetts requires a licensed well driller (MA DCR #285) and local Board of Health permit prior to drilling. Setbacks from Title 5 septic systems (100 ft from leach field, 50 ft from tank), wetlands, and property lines apply. Ogden Wells manages all permits and files completion reports.

Septic Leach Field:

100 ft minimum separation

Septic Tank & Sewer:

50 ft minimum separation

Property Boundaries:

10–25 ft municipal setback

7-Day Emergency Well Service & Pump Dispatch in Massachusetts

When your well stops producing water or an electrical pressure switch fails in mid-winter, waiting days for parts is not an option. Ogden Wells operates a dedicated mobile emergency service fleet ready to roll across Massachusetts:

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Boom Hoist Trucks

Equipped to pull 400+ ft downhole pump columns safely in all weather conditions.

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Onboard Inventory

Stocked with Goulds and Franklin Electric submersible pumps (1/2 to 5 HP) and Well-X-Trol tanks.

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State Lab Diagnostics

Same-day water sampling for bacteria, heavy metals, arsenic, radon, and pH chemistry.

Communities & Municipalities Served Across Massachusetts

TewksburyLowellBillericaChelmsfordDracutDunstablePepperellGrotonHarvardAyerFitchburgLeominsterWestfordCarlisleConcordLittletonActonStowBoltonBerlinCape Cod+ all regional Massachusetts communities

💡 Our headquarters is in Tewksbury, MA — this is our home territory. We have more wells drilled and serviced in Massachusetts than any other company in New England.

Northeast Groundwater Territory

New England & New York Regional Coverage

Active drilling licenses, hydrofracturing rigs, and 7-day emergency pump crews dispatched throughout Massachusetts and across the entire Northeast corridor.

Ogden Wells Regional Coverage Map with New England Callout — Serving MA, NH, ME, RI, CT, VT, and NY

Frequently Asked Questions About Water Wells in Massachusetts

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Fully licensed in Massachusetts. Providing professional well drilling and pump systems since 1980.

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📍 7-State Coverage: MA · NH · ME · RI · CT · VT · NY

Our MA Services

✓ New Bedrock Well Drilling
✓ Submersible Pump Installation
✓ Pressure Tank Replacement
✓ High-Pressure HydroFracturing
✓ Whole-House Water Filtration
✓ Downhole Video Well Inspection
✓ 7-Day Emergency Dispatch
✓ Board of Health Permitting

Prevalent Massachusetts Water Parameters

⚠ Iron & manganese staining
⚠ Low pH (acidic water)
⚠ Radon in eastern MA
⚠ Hard water
⚠ Arsenic in some towns (Billerica, Tewksbury, Woburn area)

New England Groundwater Fleet