Utah Admin. Code R655-4-17 - Shallow Water Well Construction Requirements
17.0 General. Shallow water wells at a depth
of 30 feet or less shall be constructed and equipped by a licensed well driller
pump installer, or shallow water well constructor. Shallow water wells shall be
constructed using methods and materials that will result in a well that is safe
for the public and environment and not a source of subsurface leakage, waste,
or contamination of the groundwater resource. The well drilling and
construction requirements for wells deeper than 30 feet found in Section
R655-4-11 do not apply to
shallow water wells that are 30-feet deep or less.
17.1 Approved Products, Materials, and
Procedures. Any product, material or procedure designed for use in the
drilling, construction, cleaning, renovation, development, or abandonment of
shallow water production wells shall be designed for that purpose and be safe
for the public and environment.
17.2 Shallow Water Well Casing. It shall be
the sole responsibility of the well driller or shallow water well constructor
to determine the suitability of any type of well casing for the particular well
being constructed.
17.2.1 Casing Stick-up. The
well casing shall extend a minimum of 18 inches above finished ground level and
the natural ground surface should slope away from the casing. A secure
sanitary, weatherproof mechanically secured cap, seal, or a completely welded
cap shall be placed on the top of the well casing to prevent contamination of
the well.
17.3 Surface
Seals. A surface seal shall be installed in the annular space between the well
casing and borehole wall from ground surface to an appropriate depth to protect
the well from surface water contamination. The seal shall also prevent the
upward movement of artesian waters within the annular space around the well
casing.
17.3.1 Seal Material. The seal
material shall consist of neat cement grout, sand cement grout, or unhydrated
bentonite such as granular, tabular, pelletized, or chip bentonite, as defined
in Section R655-4-2.
17.4 Access Port. Every shallow water well
shall be equipped with a usable access port so that the position of the water
level, or pressure head, in the well can be measured at all times.
17.5 Static Water Level, Well Development,
and Well Yield. To fulfill the requirements of Subsection
R655-4-4 (4.5.2), new wells
designed to produce water shall be developed to remove sediment and materials
introduced during construction and to restore the natural groundwater flow to
the well to the extent possible. After a water production well is developed, a
test should be performed to determine the rate at which groundwater can be
reliably produced from the well. Following development and testing, the static
water level in the well should also be measured. Static water level, well
development information, and well yield information shall be noted on the
official submittal of the well log by the licensee.
17.6 Pump Work. All pump installations shall
be completed in such a manner as to prevent waste and contamination of
groundwater by pollution material entering the well from pumping equipment,
casing connectors, fittings, piping, sanitary seals or caps.
Notes
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