Public Water Systems

A public water system serves 25 people or more. If you have more than 25 but less than 500 people, you’re classified as a Very Small water system.

If you’re curious, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality has more specific information.

If a single well serves a lot of people, then anything that happens to that well affects all those people. We want to keep an eye on the quality of that water so that it doesn’t make a whole bunch of people sick.

My job is to protect the public health. That is, I test the water to make sure it’s safe to drink. If we find something in the water that’s not safe, then we get together and look at what we can do to treat the water and make it safe.

I also keep an eye on the pumping equipment. I run electrical tests on the pump down the well, check for any errors on computerized drives, and inspect the system to make sure everything is in working order. This helps catch problems before they get big (and expensive).

I’m also here to help you stay on the government’s good side. If you’ve had a letter from DEQ, or sometimes from South Central Health District, you may be required to “become compliant with regulations” or something like that. I’m here to help you stay out of trouble, by making sure all the paperwork is done and submitted.

My fees:

  • Magic Valley, within 30 minutes of Twin Falls – $175 per month
  • Wood River Valley, Camas County, or systems more than 30 minutes from Twin Falls – $225 per month
  • Additional testing fees for water tests according to DEQ schedule

If you have a water system that doesn’t quite meet DEQ regulation, but you still want someone taking care of it, I’d be happy to help.

Please contact me – I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.