As used in this chapter, the following words and terms shall have
the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Abandoned well" means any well as defined in this section which
is not in use, is not properly maintained, or no longer serves its intended use as
demonstrated by the permit issued for its construction, or any well which endangers
or threatens the subsurface and percolating waters by the intrusion of salt water or
from any other cause, or endangers life.
"Act" means
N.J.S.A.
58:4A-4.1 through 29, as amended and
supplemented.
"Administrative authority" means the agency certified pursuant to
the County Environmental Health Act, N.J.S.A. 26:3A2-21 et seq., or
the local board of health having jurisdiction. When water systems serve county,
State, or Federal facilities, the administrative authority shall mean the
Department.
"Annular space" means the space between the well casing/well
screen and the wall of the borehole or, in the case of a multiple cased well, all
space(s) between casing(s) and all space between the outer casing and the wall of
the borehole.
"Appurtenance" means the instrument or equipment that is used to
treat water or aid in the functioning of the well system including, but not limited
to, water conditioning and treatment equipment, pipes, tanks, pumps, control
devices, valves, filtration, circulatory systems, and flow centers.
"Aquifer storage and recovery well" or "ASR well" means a well
that is used to store water in an aquifer during periods of low water demand and
then recover the water for use during periods of high demand.
"Board" means the State Well Drillers and Pump Installers
Examining and Advisory Board established pursuant to the Subsurface and Percolating
Waters Act, 58:4A-4.1 et seq.
"Borehole" means the hole made by driving, jetting, coring
drilling, augering or other means into the ground for the purpose of constructing a
well pursuant to this chapter.
"Boring" or "soil boring" means any hole, any temporarily cased
hole, or any other such installation using direct-push methods that is
decommissioned pursuant to this chapter within 72 hours of completion.
"Boring log" means a description of the boring including, but not
limited to, the depth and nature of the material that has been penetrated, water
zones and any other data or information required by the Department under this
chapter.
"Building sewer line" means the pipe extending from the outer wall
of a building to a septic tank or approved place of disposal including a public
sewer, and the lines to all parts of the subsurface sewage disposal system, except
those classified as distribution lines.
"Casing" means a pipe or tubing installed into a borehole during
or after drilling to support the sides of the holes and prevent caving or the
entrance of water, gas or other fluid into the hole.
"Cesspool" means a covered pit with open-jointed lining into which
untreated sewage is discharged, the liquid portion of which is disposed of by
leaching into the surrounding soil, the solids or sludge being retained within the
pit.
"Closed loop geothermal well" means a well or a borehole drilled
to a specific depth either singly or in a series into which a continuous closed loop
of pipe is inserted for the purpose of non-contact thermal energy transfer from a
fluid in the loop to or from the earth.
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the Department of
Environmental Protection or his or her designee.
"Confining layer" means a layer of natural earth materials having
very low hydraulic conductivity that inhibits the movement of water into and out of
a water bearing zone. A confining unit may consist of one of more confining
layers.
"Consolidated formation" means a geologic formation where the
sands, gravels, clays or other similar materials have been lithified. These rock
formations will commonly remain stable around an open borehole without
caving.
"Continuing education point" or "CEP" means the unit of training a
licensed well driller or licensed pump installer has received through a seminar,
workshop, training course, college course, or other means to satisfy continuing
education requirements as approved by the Department.
"Coring" means drilling with a hollow bit and core barrel in order
to obtain a representative sample of the geologic formation.
"Days" means calendar days, unless otherwise specified.
"Decommissioning" means the permanent closure or sealing of any
well in accordance with the procedures set forth in this chapter.
"Department" means the Department of Environmental
Protection.
"Dewatering system permit" means a permit to drill well(s) for the
installation, operation and abandonment of a dewatering well or dewatering well
point system for temporary construction dewatering projects only.
"Dewatering well driller" means a person possessing a New Jersey
dewatering well driller's license pursuant to N.J.A.C.
7:9D-1.7
and
1.8.
"Dewatering well" or "dewatering wellpoint" means a well or
wellpoint installed for the removal of groundwater with the intent of temporarily
lowering the water table or aquifer level during construction operations.
"Direct push" means the use of static force, hydraulic down
pressure, and percussion to advance a sampling tool into the subsurface for
collecting soil, soil gas, and groundwater samples or for injecting remediation
materials.
"Disposal field" means a disposal bed or a group of one or more
disposal trenches. The perimeter of the disposal field corresponds to the perimeter
of the disposal bed, or a line circumscribing the outermost edges of the outermost
disposal trenches and including the area between the disposal trenches.
"Distribution box" means a watertight structure which receives
sanitary sewage effluent from a septic tank and distributes such sewage effluent in
equal portions to two or more pipelines leading to the disposal field.
"Domestic well" means a Category 1 well as described in
7:9D-2.1(a)1, that is
used primarily to supply drinking and sanitary water supply for an individual
dwelling unit.
"Driven" means the action of driving or pounding of the well
casing vertically into the ground or the pounding of drive rods. This excludes
methods where the casing is rotating as it is being installed.
"Driving" means the pounding of the well casing into the
ground.
"Dry well" means a covered pit with open-jointed lining through
which drainage from roofs, basement floors or area-ways may seep or leach into the
surrounding soil.
"Elevator borehole well driller" means a person possessing a New
Jersey elevator borehole well driller's license pursuant to N.J.A.C.
7:9D-1.7
and
1.8.
"Environmental resource and geotechnical well driller" means a
person possessing a New Jersey environmental resource and geotechnical well
driller's license pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:9D-1.7
and 1.8.
"Examination and CEP manager" means the Department or an entity
who has contracted with the Department to undertake the following tasks:
administration of the licensing exams required pursuant to this chapter; development
of study materials for licensing exams, maintenance of a database that contains exam
and licensing history; and a maintenance of continuing education points for all
licensees.
"Flowing well" means a well from which the water flows upwards and
out of the well without pumping due to natural or artificially supplied underground
pressure from air or other gas.
"Geologic log" means a description of the materials and drilling
conditions encountered during the drilling of a well or boring.
"Geophysical log" means the graphic or electronic record of
certain physical properties of material. Logs may include, but are not limited to,
measurement of spontaneous potential, resistivity, electro-magnetic response,
natural gamma radiation, temperature, caliper, water flow, velocity (sonic) and
induced nuclear methods such as gamma and neutron logs.
"GPM" means gallons per minute.
"Groundwater" means water below the land surface in a zone of
saturation.
"Grout" means any material approved by the Department for use in
sealing the annular space of a well during construction, or for sealing a well
during decommissioning.
"Hand dug well" means a manually excavated well of permanent
nature installed for water supply.
"Immediate on-site supervision" means that a New Jersey licensed
well driller of the proper class is present on-site during each entire well drilling
operation to oversee the work and performance of any person engaging in or assisting
with the operation of the well drilling machine or the construction of any well. On
site supervision does not include mobilization and de-mobilization of the well
drilling equipment.
"Injection well" means a well through which liquid or gas is
injected, under pressure or gravity flow, into the ground for the purpose of
disposing wastes, maintaining formation pressure, recharging the aquifer, or
environmental remediation.
"Jetting" means the use of a high pressure stream of air or water
to mobilize earth material in advance of penetrating, driving or lowering of well
casing into an aquifer.
"Journeyman (Class B) well driller" means a well driller
possessing a New Jersey journeyman (Class B) well driller's license pursuant to
N.J.A.C. 7:9D-1.7
and
1.8.
"Journeyman well driller" means a well driller possessing a New
Jersey journeyman well driller's license pursuant to N.J.A.C.
7:9D-1.7
and
1.8.
"License of the proper class" or "license" means a document issued
to a person pursuant to
58:4A-11 authorizing the individual to
engage and perform work in the trade, business, or calling of well drilling, or pump
installing.
"Licensee" means a driller or pump installer validly licensed
pursuant to the Act and this chapter.
"Liner" means a well casing that is inserted into an existing
cased borehole for the purpose of repairing a well or protecting the groundwater
from contamination.
"Maintenance casing" means an inner casing which can be removed to
repair or replace the screen which is attached to it.
"Monitoring well" means a well used to observe the elevation of
the water table or potentiometric surface, or to measure the water quality of a
water-bearing zone.
"Master well driller" means a well driller possessing a New Jersey
master well driller's license pursuant to N.J.A.C.
7:9D-1.7
and
1.8.
"Monitoring well driller" means a well driller possessing a New
Jersey monitoring well driller's license pursuant to N.J.A.C.
7:9D-1.7
and
1.8.
"Multiple cased well" means any well that contains more than one
casing or liner including, but not limited to, temporary, surface, maintenance,
starter, or driven casings.
"Non-public well" means a well that provides potable water to a
non-public water system as defined at N.J.A.C.
7:10-1.3
.
"Observation well" means a well that is used to conduct aquifer
pump tests for the purpose of applying for a water allocation permit or water use
registration pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:19.
"Open loop geothermal well" means a well designed and installed
specifically for use of the earth as a source for heat extraction/rejection.
"Oversized borehole" means a borehole which is at least four
inches greater than the inside diameter of the casing which is to be
inserted.
"Person" means any individual, responsible corporate official,
corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, owner or operator of a water
supply facility, political subdivision of the State, and any state, interstate, or
Federal agency.
"Pitless well adapter" means a manufactured device designed for
attachment to one or more openings through a well casing, and constructed so as to
prevent the entry of contamination into the well, to conduct water from the well, to
protect the water from freezing or extremes of temperature, and to provide access to
water system components within the well.
"Pitless well unit" means a preassembled device which extends the
upper end of a well casing to above grade, provided with a pitless well cap, and
constructed so as to prevent the entry of contamination into the well, to conduct
water from the well, to protect the water from freezing or extremes of temperature,
and to provide access to the well and to the water system components within the
well.
"Pitless well cap" means a gasketed, watertight, sanitary device
that covers and encloses the upper termination of a pitless well unit or the well
casing, and is provided with watertight connections for electrical power lines and
well vent.
"Potable water" means water used, or intended to be used, for
drinking and culinary purposes, which is free from impurities in amounts sufficient
to cause disease or harmful physiological effects, with the bacteriological and
chemical quality conforming to applicable standards.
"Pump" means a mechanical device used to remove or emplace gases,
water or fluids from or into a well.
"Pump installer" means a person possessing a New Jersey license as
a pump installer pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:9D-1.7
and 1.8.
"Pump installing" means the installation, removal, alteration, or
repair of well pumping equipment and appurtenances thereto in connection with any
well including connecting lines between a well and storage tank or appurtenance
thereto.
"Sanitary well seal" means a manufactured device or approved
arrangement which is used to cap a well or to establish or maintain a watertight
junction between the well casing and the piping or equipment installed
therein.
"Seepage pit" means a covered pit with open-jointed lining
material through which septic tank effluent may seep or leach into the surrounding
soil.
"Septic tank" means a watertight receptacle which receives the
discharge of sanitary sewage from a building sewer or part thereof, and is designed
and constructed so as to permit settling of settleable solids from the liquid,
partial digestion of the organic matter, and discharge of the liquid portion into a
disposal field or seepage pit.
"Service line" means a pipe for the transmission or conveyance of
potable water under pressure either from an individual well or from a distribution
main to a single realty improvement.
"Site-wide permit" means a permit to drill 10 or more wells for
the same use in a single municipality that are on a single lot, easement
right-of-way, or multiple contiguous lots of common ownership, where:
1. The boreholes and any annular space remaining after the
installation of equipment necessary for the intended use of the wells are sealed
during construction; or
2. The wells are installed to function in a series as part of a
system restricted to a single lot and block or an easement right-of-way within a
single municipality, or a contiguous property of common ownership consisting of
multiple lots or blocks within a single municipality.
"Sodium-based bentonite" means bentonite that has a high swell
potential, such as Wyoming bentonite.
"Soil borer" means a person possessing a New Jersey soil borer's
license pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:9D-1.7
and 1.8.
"Standing column well" means a well installed as part of an open
loop geothermal well system where water is pumped from the well, passed through a
heat pump, and returned to the same well.
"Sub-account" means a special dedicated non-lapsing account
established pursuant to
58:4A-14.1(b) that
may be used by a licensed well driller or licensed pump installer to cover permit or
license renewal fees.
"Suction line" means a pipe which conveys water at less than
atmospheric pressure from a well to a pump.
"Test well" means any well which is drilled, bored, cored, or
otherwise constructed for temporary use in obtaining data for engineering or for
geophysical or geological exploration or evaluating aquifer potential or quality for
a specific use.
"Unconsolidated formation" means a geologic formation where the
sands, gravels, clays or other similar materials are loosely arranged. These
formations will commonly not remain stable around an open borehole.
"Undersized borehole" means a borehole which is no larger than the
inside diameter of the well casing and is constructed for emplacement of a
well.
"Vertical closed loop geothermal well driller" means a well
driller possessing a New Jersey vertical closed loop geothermal well driller's
license pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:9D-1.7
and 1.8.
"Water bearing unit" means a geologic unit, which is a formation
of similar characteristics that can be distinctly mapped from over and underlying
units, that is capable of producing water and is separated from other geologic units
by a confining layer.
"Well" means a hole or excavation larger than four inches in
diameter or a hole or excavation deeper than 10 feet in depth that is drilled,
bored, cored, driven, jetted, dug, or otherwise constructed for the purpose of
removal or emplacement of, or investigation of, or exploration for, fluids, water,
oil, gas, minerals, soil, or rock, or for the installation of an elevator
shaft.
"Well development" means the removal of sands and drilling
materials from the water bearing zones of any well to produce water that is free of
visible sand and/or silt and increase its productivity.
"Well driller" means a person possessing a New Jersey license as a
well driller of the proper class, including, but not limited to, test borers and
such other classifications as the Department establishes by regulation, who engages
in well drilling or pump installing.
"Well drilling" means any operation or activity involving the
drilling, constructing, installing, repairing, replacing, modifying, stimulating or
sealing of any well.
"Well permit" means a written approval issued by the Department to
a licensed well driller and a property owner which authorizes a licensed well
driller of the proper class to construct a well or wells.
"Well pit" means a below ground chamber or vault for the purpose
of enclosing and providing access to a wellhead which terminates below grade.
"Well record" means the form to be completed by the well driller,
depicting the construction details of any well provided by the Department at the
time of well permit issuance.
"Well stimulation" means the stimulation of a well to increase its
productivity. Stimulation techniques include, but are not limited to, blasting,
hydro-fracturing, chemical treatment, surging, and dry-icing.
"Well system" means a system, including all appurtenances thereto,
that cannot function in the absence of the well and circulates, removes, or injects
fluid or water through a well for any purpose.
"Well water system" means a system which derives water from a well
to supply potable or non-potable water for any purpose.
