How deep are wells in Clearwater County, Idaho?

Across 882 Clearwater County well records, most wells run 120 to 619 feet deep, with a median of 305 feet. Depth varies sharply over short distances, so nearby records matter more than a county average.

How far down is water in Clearwater County?

In Clearwater County, most reported static water levels sit between 22 and 334 feet below the surface, with a median of 120 feet, across 1,633 records that report one.

How much does it cost to drill a well in Clearwater County, Idaho?

A median-depth well in Clearwater County is about 305 ft, which at published Idaho rates of $35-$60 per foot works out to roughly $10,500 to $18,500 for the borehole. Because local wells run from 120 to 619 ft, the realistic spread is $4,200 to $37,000. That excludes casing, pump, pressure tank and electrical. It is an estimate from public records, not a quote - get written per-foot quotes from licensed Idaho drillers.

Who approves septic systems in Clearwater County, Idaho?

Public Health - Idaho North Central District permits septic systems in Clearwater County. They can be reached on 208-799-3100.

Well depths in Clearwater County, Idaho

1,907 wells are on record with the state in Clearwater County.Reported depths run from 18 to 1,260 feet, with a median of 305 feet.

Median depth

305 ft

18–1,260 ft across 882 records

Median depth to water

120 ft

1–940 ft across 1,633 records

Median yield

10 gpm

0–948 gpm across 1,606 records

What a well costs in Clearwater County

A median-depth well, borehole only

$10,500–$18,500estimate

But depth is what drives the bill, and it varies. Across the range local wells actually hit — 120 to 619 ft — drilling runs $4,200–$37,000. That spread is the risk you are carrying when you make an offer, and it is why one quote is not enough.

How this was worked out: Median depth of 305 ft from 882 nearby well records, multiplied by a published statewide rate of $35-$60 per foot. Borehole only.
Not included: casing, pump and pressure tank, electrical and trenching, permits and site work

Rate from Well and Septic Cost in Rural Idaho (2026) (swagerbuilds.com, retrieved 2026-09-29). A published statewide figure, not a quote from this county — treat it as a starting point for a conversation with a licensed driller, not a price.

A county median will not tell you about your parcel

Groundwater changes over a few hundred feet. The useful number is what the wells nearest your parcel actually did — check the exact spot instead.

Check a Clearwater County location

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What these numbers are based on

Idaho drillers must file a report for every well they complete, and the Idaho Department of Water Resources publishes them. The figures above come from 1,907Clearwater County records retrieved on 2026-09-29.

Only 882 of those 1,907 records report a total depth, so the median is drawn from those. We do not fill the gaps.

Clearwater County sits 4 of 44 Idaho counties by median well depth — deeper than the middle county, whose median is 188.5 ft. That comparison is a rough orientation, not a prediction: a single county can contain both 40 ft and 600 ft wells.

Records here span 1960 to 2026. Coverage is most complete from July 1987 onward; earlier wells are patchy and some were never reported at all.

How accurately are these wells located?

About 75% of located wells in Clearwater County were placed from a section description — a 40-acre block or larger — rather than surveyed. For those, the true well could be several hundred feet from where the record puts it. That matters when you are asking what the nearest well did, and it is why our lookup labels every well with how it was located.

Who to talk to in Clearwater County

Septic systems here are permitted by Public Health - Idaho North Central District (208-799-3100), not by the county. They decide what site evaluation a parcel needs. For water, get written per-foot quotes from at least two licensed Idaho drillers — the depth range above is why a single quote is not enough.

We do not yet publish verified local cost ranges for Clearwater County. We would rather show nothing than pass off a national average as a local figure.

Before you buy

Look up the specific parcel, not the county.
Get two or more written per-foot drilling quotes.
Ask Public Health - Idaho North Central District what septic evaluation is required.
Have a title company confirm water rights and easements.
Have boundaries and acreage confirmed by a licensed surveyor.

Keep reading

Nearby counties

This is a screening tool, not an inspection

Everything shown here comes from public records about other properties near the point you selected. Nearby records describe those wells, not this parcel.

These records cannot tell you whether a well drilled on this parcel would find water, at what depth, or at what yield, and they say nothing about whether the parcel can be permitted or built on.

Records are incomplete. Idaho Department of Water Resources well logs are mostly from July 1987 onward, and older wells may be missing, unreported or inaccurately located.

Use this to decide what questions to ask and what to budget for investigating. Confirm anything you intend to rely on with the people listed below before you buy.

Who can actually answer these questions

Licensed Idaho well driller — What depth and yield to realistically expect, and what drilling this site would cost
Central District Health or Southwest District Health — Whether a septic system can be permitted, and what site evaluation is required
Title company — Water rights, easements, liens and what actually conveys with the parcel
Licensed land surveyor — Actual boundaries and acreage
County planning and zoning — Permitted uses, setbacks and whether the parcel is legally buildable