N.M. Admin. Code § 20.6.2.5002 - UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL WELL CLASSIFICATIONS

A. Underground injection control wells include the following.

(1) Any dug hole or well that is deeper than its largest surface dimension, where the principal function of the hole is emplacement of fluids.

(2) Any septic tank or cesspool used by generators of hazardous waste, or by owners or operators of hazardous waste management facilities, to dispose of fluids containing hazardous waste.

(3) Any subsurface distribution system, cesspool or other well which is used for the injection of wastes.

B. Underground injection control wells are classified as follows:

(1) Class I wells inject fluids beneath the lowermost formation that contains 10,000 milligrams per liter or less TDS. Class I hazardous or radioactive waste injection wells inject fluids containing any hazardous or radioactive waste as defined in 74-4-3 and 74-4A-4 NMSA 1978 or 20.4.1.200 NMAC (incorporating 40 C.F.R. Section 261.3), including any combination of these wastes. Class I non-hazardous waste injection wells inject non-hazardous and non-radioactive fluids, and they inject naturally-occurring radioactive material (NORM) as provided by 20.3.1.1407 NMAC.

(2) Class II wells inject fluids associated with oil and gas recovery;

(3) Class III wells inject fluids for extraction of minerals or other natural resources, including sulfur, uranium, metals, salts or potash by in situ extraction. This classification includes only in situ production from ore bodies that have not been conventionally mined. Solution mining of conventional mines such as stopes leaching is included in Class V.

(4) Class IV wells inject fluids containing any radioactive or hazardous waste as defined in 74-4-3 and 74-4A-4 NMSA 1978, including any combination of these wastes, above or into a formation that contains 10,000 mg/l or less TDS.

(5) Class V wells inject a variety of fluids and are those wells not included in Class I, II, III or IV. Types of Class V wells include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) domestic liquid waste injection wells:

(i) domestic liquid waste disposal wells used to inject liquid waste volumes greater than that regulated by 20.7.3 NMAC through subsurface fluid distribution systems or vertical wells;

(ii) septic system wells used to emplace liquid waste volumes greater than that regulated by 20.7.3 NMAC into the subsurface, which are comprised of a septic tank and subsurface fluid distribution system;

(iii) large capacity cesspools used to inject liquid waste volumes greater than that regulated by 20.7.3 NMAC, including drywells that sometimes have an open bottom or perforated sides;

(b) industrial waste injection wells:

(i) air conditioning return flow wells used to return to the supply aquifer the water used for heating or cooling;

(ii) dry wells used for the injection of wastes into a subsurface formation;

(iii) injection wells associated with the recovery of geothermal energy for heating, aquaculture and production of electrical power;

(iv) stormwater drainage wells used to inject storm runoff from the surface into the subsurface;

(v) motor vehicle waste disposal wells that receive or have received fluids from vehicular repair or maintenance activities;

(vi) car wash waste disposal wells used to inject fluids from motor vehicle washing activities;

(c) mining injection wells:

(i) stopes leaching wells used for solution mining of conventional mines;

(ii) brine injection wells used to inject spent brine into the same formation from which it was withdrawn after extraction of halogens or their salts;

(iii) backfill wells used to inject a mixture of water and sand, mill tailings or other solids into mined out portions of subsurface mines whether water injected is a radioactive waste or not;

(iv) injection wells used for in situ recovery of lignite, coal, tar sands, and oil shale;

(d) ground water management injection wells:

(i) ground water remediation injection wells used to inject contaminated ground water that has been treated to ground water quality standards;

(ii) in situ ground water remediation wells used to inject a fluid that facilitates vadose zone or ground water remediation.

(iii) recharge wells used to replenish the water in an aquifer, including use to reclaim or improve the quality of existing ground water;

(iv) barrier wells used to inject fluids into ground water to prevent the intrusion of saline or contaminated water into ground water of better quality;

(v) subsidence control wells (not used for purposes of oil or natural gas production) used to inject fluids into a non-oil or gas producing zone to reduce or eliminate subsidence associated with the overdraft of fresh water;

(vi) wells used in experimental technologies;

(e) agricultural injection wells - drainage wells used to inject fluids into ground water to prevent the intrusion of saline or contaminated water into ground water of better quality.

Notes

N.M. Admin. Code § 20.6.2.5002

20.6.2.5002 NMAC - N, 12-1-01; A, 8-1-14, Amended by New Mexico Register, Volume XXVI, Issue 15, August 14, 2015, eff. 8/31/2015, Amended by New Mexico Register, Volume XXIX, Issue 23, December 11, 2018, eff. 12/21/2018