A promotional graphic for the 2026 Private Well Conference. The left half of the image shows water in a well bucket, and the right half shares the conference details: May 19-21, 2026, in Missoula, Montana.

Join Us at the 2026 Private Well Conference!

ByLaura Schultz

Our sister program, PrivateWellClass.org, is holding the 2026 Private Well Conference in Missoula, Montana, from May 19-21. This will be our sixth time holding the conference, following in-person events in 2017, 2019, and 2025; and virtual ones in 2021 and 2022.

The mission of the Private Well Conference is to serve the professionals who work with wells by providing valuable information and insights that can be taken home by attendees and used to benefit well owners across the country. Health department staff, lab personnel, extension educators, well drillers, environmental health professionals, and academic researchers are all among the audience we hope to most benefit from the conference.

We know that there is not often overlap between those who physically install/maintain wells versus septic systems. But, all the same, wells and septic systems are intrinsically linked. Most properties with one system are statistically likely to have the other one too. This means property owners need to know how to maintain and care for both systems. In addition, wells and septic systems are linked geologically through groundwater interactions. What happens in one impacts the other. 

For this reason, many other professions concerning wells and septics do have overlap. Most prominently, environmental health practitioners commonly inspect and sign off on each. Health departments frequently house records for both residential wells and septic systems. Extension educators may work in outreach programs/offices that cover both systems. Lab personnel and academics run tests and perform research on the links between these systems as well as their links to broader groundwater systems. 

So, if you work in this nexus between private wells and septic systems, we would love to host you at the Private Well Conference! While of course the agenda focuses heavily on private wells, we expect to have at least one session in the agenda covering primarily septic/decentralized topics. 

Last year, our staff gave two presentations in this realm: “Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Assessment Tool: Lessons from Two Case Studies” and “Evaluating State Well, Septic Info for Extending Water and Sewer Lines.” While this year’s agenda and exact topics for decentralized presentations are still being developed, we expect them to be finalized soon and will make the agenda available as soon as possible.

Another great reason to consider attending the conference is that registration is entirely free! That means the only costs to attendees are transportation, lodging, and meals. Missoula is served by the Missoula Montana Airport (MSO), where service is provided by seven passenger airlines (including American, Delta, and United). The conference center is just six miles from the airport and right off of Interstate 90 in Downtown Missoula along the Clark Fork River.

So, we hope to see you at the conference! For further information, check the Private Well Conference website, email us at info@privatewellclass.org or info@decentralizedwastewater.org, or call us at 1-866-945-0699.