New-State Well Codes

Cased well to have cement or concrete plug placed opposite to all perforations or screens. Concrete or cement plug to extend to at least 10 ft. above cavernous zone & 10 ft. below cavernous zone or well bottom. Creviced rock to be filled w/ concrete or cement grout, or alternate layers of cement grout & gravel or stone aggregate. Gravel packed well to be pressure grouted entire perforated or screened section of casing. Remainder of well to be filled w/ grout, cement or concrete grout, drilling mud, or bentonite. Artesian well to have cement or concrete plug seal the artesian aquifer and extend to at least 10 ft. above artesian zone and 10 ft. below artesian zone or well bottom. If necessary, to stop surface flow or subsurface leakage, pressure grout the entire zone. Remainder of well to be filled w/grout, cement or concrete grout, drilling mud, or bentonite. Temporarily abandoned wells to be sealed w/ watertight cap or seal. Uncased well to be filled w/ grout, cement or concrete grout, drilling mud, or bentonite. Well in consolidated formation to be filled w/ grout, cement or concrete grout, drilling mud, or bentonite.

Work must be performed by WV certified water well driller. All wells to be completely filled w/bentonite or cement grout. Wells in unconsolidated formations to be sealed w/bentonite or bentonite-cement mix from top to bottom. If well penetrates limestone or other creviced formation, stone, pea gravel, or other bridging agents may be used. Hand dug or bucket wells exceeding 24 inches in diameter to be abandoned using same method as wells in unconsolidated material. Screens, casings, liner pipes, pumps, wiring, valves, to be pulled when possible.

May use bentonite chips, neat cement, concrete, sand-cement grout, or chlorinated sand-free pea gravel.

Remove all liners, debris, accumulated sediments and obstructions, except well screens and packers. Casing to be perforated from bottom to w/in 5 ft. of land surface & pressure grout casing. Each cut to be at least 1.5 in. long. Perforations to be at least 4 equidistant cuts per row, & one row per foot. Casing to be filled completely w/neat cement grout, neat cement, or bentonite slurry. Screen and <5 ft of riser pipe may be filled w/unhydrated bentonite. Remainder of riser pipe must be removed. Casing may be cut off at max. of 5 ft below land surface. Withdraw casing and fill the borehole w/concrete, neat cement grout, neat cement, unhydrated bentonite, or bentonite slurry as casing is withdrawn.

Casing material may be salvaged. Obstructions to be removed from well. Remainder of well to be filled w/ grout or clay slurry. Temporarily abandoned well to be sealed w/ watertight cap or well head seal. Top of sand or gravel fill to be at least 5 ft. below top of consolidated rock & at least 20 ft. below surface. Well to be chlorinated prior to plugging. Wells constructed in collapsing material to be filled w/ grout or clay slurry through pipe. A 1 ft thick cement or bentonite grout plug to completely fill the bore hole shall be placed a minimum of 5 ft from ground surface, remaining space filled w/clean fill mounded a minimum of 1 ft above the ground surface. Bored wells w/no water source found and casing not placed may be abandoned by backfilling with bore spoils to at least 5 ft below ground surface. 2 ft thick bentonite grout plug to be placed at minimum 5 ft from ground surface, and remainder of hole filled with bore spoils.

All removable casing and existing surface completion to be removed from well & then entire well to be pressure filled by tremie pipe w/ cement from bottom up to land surface. In lieu of previously described plugging procedure with cement, bentonite grout of a minimum of 9.1 lb./gal followed by cement plug extending from surface to depth of at least 2 ft, or if well to be plugged has ≤100 ft. of standing water, it may be filled w/ solid column of 3/8 in. or greater granular sodium bentonite hydrated at frequent intervals while strictly adhering to the manufacturers' recommended rate and method of application. If bentonite grout is used, entire well from ≥2 ft below land surface may be filled w/bentonite grout. Top 2 ft. of well, above bentonite or granular sodium bentonite, to be filled w/ cement. Bentonite grout may not be used if water zone contains chlorides above 1,500 ppm or if hydrocarbons are present. Undesirable water or constituents to be isolated from fresh water zones w/cement plugs and remainder of wellbore filled w/neat cement or clean bentonite grout, followed by cement plug extending from land surface to depth of ≥2 ft. For the purpose of plugging a well, any licensee or landowner can remove the pump.

For wells w/minimum of 19 ft casing installed, additional seal of cement grout or bentonite to be placed for a min of 10 ft. in length. No bridges or gaps allowed in well bore. Remaining bore or casing to be backfilled w/ bentonite, cement grout, clean crushed stone of 0.5 in. in diameter or less., well cuttings, puddled clay, sand or combo of any of these materials. Surface casing may be cut off 2 ft below ground and native soil placed in well bore from 2 ft to land surface, provided upper surface plug is placed from 2 to 7 ft below surface. Backfill shall remain level w/land surface. Surface plug to consist of cement grout or bentonite & be placed in well bore to a min of 5 ft. below surface. Top of 10 ft. seal to be located w/in 20 ft. below casing bottom or top of well screen or perforated pipe.

Wells shall be easily accessible for cleaning, repair, disinfection, acidizing, and inspection.

Well to be sealed w/ watertight cap or seal when it is temporarily abandoned, any well removed from service for longer than 36 months shall be permanently abandoned. Any well that acts as a source of contamination shall be repaired or permanently abandoned immediately after receipt of notice. To be filled by forced injection of grout or pouring through tremie pipe from bottom to surface in one continuous operation. At minimum, the well may be filled w/bentonite-cement, neat cement, 20% high solids sodium bentonite grout, sand, or gravel to no closer than 20 ft below ground surface. The remaining 20 ft to ground surface shall be filled w/neat cement, bentonite-cement, or 20% high solids sodium bentonite grout.

Temporary Abandonment: If abandonment is 90 days or less, temporary steel cap may be welded w/ min of 4 separate welds of at least 0.5 in. long, w/steel or cast iron caps to be at least 3/16 in. thick. Permanent Abandonment: Check entire well for obstructions, all casing materials with value to be removed, and well bore to be filled w/ heat cement grout, sand clay grout, or bentonite cement grout placed with a pipe extending to bottom of well. Well to be chlorinated prior to abandonment using chlorine soln w/ concentration of 150 ppm. Well to be plugged & sealed w/ watertight cap or seal. Wells in consolidated rock may be filled w/ fine sand in zones of consolidated rock, where top of sand fill is at least 10 ft below the top of the consolidated rock, and remaining space w/approved grout materials. Top of casing to be terminated at least 4 ft below ground surface. Plugging and abandoning of a well shall only be performed by a licensed well driller.

May only be abandoned under special standard that must ensure all perforated sections of casing are pressure grouted throughout, and remainder of well is filled w/cement grout.

Casing must be perforated or removed. Perforations not required in sealed interval if verified with log. Well to be filled with cement grout under pressure. OAR 690-220-0060

"If well is uncontaminated and not in alluvium or terrace deposits authorized by the Board, fill well with uncontaminated, compacted drill cuttings and/or uncontaminated surface clay, cement, bentonite pellets or granules, or high solids (min. 20% solids by dry wt) bentonite grout to w/in 14 ft of land surface, and min. of 10 ft of annular space and interior of casing shall be filled w/cement grout to at least 4 ft below land surface. Top of casing to be properly sealed w/ pitless adapter cap, sanitary well seal, or cap if
temporarily abandoned"

Pour at continuous rate no faster than 3 min/50 lbs. Pour over wire mesh screen intermittently. Prevent bridging. Sealing material to be left a min of 12 hours to determine if settling has occurred. Hydrate periodically if dry well. Total volume of sealing materials to be ≥ 80% total volume of space to be filled. To be used if depth of aquifer is unknown.

Contact municipal authorities first to determine local regulations. Remove equipment, materials, debris, and any obstructions. Disinfect well using soln of calcium hypochlorite containing approx. 65-75% available chlorine. Common household bleach may be too weak. Calcium hypochlorite products containing fungicides, algicides, or other disinfectants should be avoided. Casing w/open annual space should be grouted or removed. Where grouted, cut casing off at least 24 inched below grade. If located in building, upon completion of grouting, casing should be filled to floor level with no <12 inches cement. Casing should be cut off not >3 inches from floor. If terminate in well pit, casing should be cut of not <12 inches below the grade established when the pit is filled. Top of casing should be sealed. Steel casings sealed with welded steel plate: PVC casings sealed w/permanently affixed PVC cap. Screened portion should be filled with clean sand or gravel, and should be no less permeable than formation around well screen, and should extend no >3ft above top of screen. Fill entire well and annular space w/grout. See NYSDEC Water Well Decommissioning for additional recommendations on materials and flowing wells http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/86955.html or contact NYDEC Bureau of Water Resources-Division of Water at 518-402-8086.

All repairs made to existing wells or pump systems, where wellhead terminates below ground, shall include extending casing above land surface and installing a pitless adapter. Extending casing by welding additional casing, or use of gasketed, water-tight casing adapter meeting WSC PAS 97 standard.

Wells to be decommissioned by a licensed New Hampshire water well contractor. Dug wells shall be filled and sealed with clean fill material free of organic matter. Upper 2 ft filled with impervious materials, like clay or hardpan. Contaminated drilled wells sealed by pressure grout with tremie pipe from bottom to top w/Portland cement of 2-10% high solids bentonite clay mix. Non-contaminated drilled wells seal with Portland cement (neat cement), mixed with 5-6 gallons of water to each 94 lb bag, Portland cement of 2-10% high solids bentonite clay mix, and bentonite chips. Bentonite chips sealing 6 inch diameter or greater shall be minimum 3/8 inch diameter and applied at rate meeting manuf. spec.

Only the portion(s) of a well being repaired must meet the same minimum standards as it would if it were within a new well with regard to design, construction, and material. Bored and dug wells must be repaired so that they meet the standards of a bored well.

All abandoned wells shall be sealed by restoring as far as possible the controlling geological conditions which existed before the wells were drilled.

Shall use a method that conforms to ANSI/AWWA Standard A100-97, Water Wells, and Appendix H to ANSI/AWWA Standard A100-97 (Decommissioning of Test Holes, Partially Completed Wells, and Abandoned Completed Wells), adopted by reference in 18 AAC 80.010(b); or an alternate method that has been presented to and approved by the department.

Abandoned wells & boreholes to be filled to prevent contamination. Fill with neat cement or in accordance with AWWA Standards. Top 20 ft. must be sealed with neat cement and no material that could impart taste, odor, or toxic components to water may be used in the sealing process.

Must file notice of intent. To be performed only by licensed well drilling contractor or a property owner who has obtained a single well license from ADWR. The well, which includes the annular space outside the casing, shall be filled from the bottom to a depth of 20 feet with cement grout, concrete, bentonite, clean sand with bentonite or cuttings from the well. A cement grout plug shall be set from the top of the well to minimum of 20 feet below the land surface and the annular space outside the casing (if applicable) shall be filled with cement from the land surface to a minimum of 20 feet below the surface. Materials containing organic or toxic matter shall not be used in the abandonment of a well. ADWR must be notified in writing no later than 30 days after abandonment has been completed. The notification shall include the well owner’s name, the location of the well, and the method of abandonment.

Abandon according to aquifer type, Rule 16 Well Construction Rules, 2 CCR 402-2. Can be plugged or sealed by licensed contractor, authorized individual, or well owner, but well owners must consult with contractor or Board staff. Materials must be clean, inert, and free from contaminants. Casing cut off below land surface, uppermost 5 ft of casing filled with grout or watertight cover permanently attached. Filling materials must not be more permeable than surrounding soils and adequately compacted.

Must be sealed by Delaware licensed well driller or driver. Report must be submitted within 30 days. If being replaced by another well, well must be sealed within 15 days of completion of replacement well. Only concrete, Portland cement, sodium-based bentonite clay, or combinations of these materials or other materials approved by the Department. Only drill cuttings, clay, silt, sand, gravel, and crusher run are considered acceptable fill material. Sealing Procedures section 10.3.

Pitless Units or adapters to be approved by NSF, Water Systems Council, or the Department. Shall be installed on all potable wells having a submersible pump or deep well ejector jet pump. A standard plumbing tee connector and extension pipe with cap may be used in place of a pitless well adapter or pitless well unit on suction lift systems if extension meets requirements of subsection 5.11. Connections must be watertight. Shall be installed in conformance with depth of water service piping requirements pursuant to subsection 3.21.

Plug by filling well from bottom to top with neat cement grout or bentonite and capped with a minimum of one foot of neat cement grout.

Shall project at least 12 inches above finished grade. May be placed in an appropriate enclosure terminating at finished grade where traffic, physical, or public health hazards exist, enclosure must allow access for maintenance and inspection and provide for gravity drainage. Must be watertight.

Abandoned wells to be properly plugged as required.

Disinfect with 100 ppm chlorine to water. Individual may make request to seal their own well when it is on their land. Seal with neat cement or bentonite grout. Well to be sealed by licensed water well driller. Well to be sealed within 30 days after abandonment or when it poses a threat. Neat cement grout or bentonite to be applied through tremie pipe, or bailer. Materials to be disinfected. To prevent exchange of water from one aquifer to another. Specifical sealing requirements by formation type IL Water Well Construction Code 920.120 (b).

Casing to be cut off 3 ft. below ground surface & removed. For dug wells lining material removed to at least 5 ft. below ground surface then sealed at 5 ft. with minimum of 6 in. of concrete or other approved materials. Compacted clays or grout used to plug all wells from static water level to 6 ft. below surface. Grout plug to be placed 3-6 ft. below surface for cased wells. Plugged well to be covered with compacted surface silts or clays from 3 ft. below ground level to level. Sand & gravel to be disinfected before placement. To be plugged from bottom to top.

Cement-bentonite slurry is the preferred material for plugging. If permitted, heavy drilling mud or bentonite slurry weighing no less than 9 lb./gal. may be used to fill or plug. It is preferable for plugging to be applied using the pump-down method, in one continuos operation. Neat cement may also be used. Obstructions in well to be removed prior to plugging. Plugging & filler material to be free of foreign & organic additives. Pouring or dropping the material through water is not permitted. Top of casing to be cut off a min of 3 ft. below surface in areas subject to subsidence and/or farming.

All materials and construction practices used in the maintenance, repair, or alteration of any well should be the same as those required for the construction of a new well. All maintenance, repair, and reconstruction work should be done only by a registered well driller, or by a licensed plumber or electrician.

Materials to meet requirements of new installation. If extending casing for above-grade terminal, shall install a pitless unit, solvent weld plastic casing, thread or weld metal casing. Install mechanical compression coupling or pipe coupling approved by Approving Authority.

An abandoned well or dry hole shall be plugged using bentonite chips or pellets. Neat cement, concrete grout, or bentonite grout shall be placed through tremie pipe from bottom of well to ground surface. Plugging dug wells: 6 inch thick layer of bentonite chips or pellets shall be placed at bottom of well. Remainder of well plugged with clean soil backfill in layers not more than 20 ft thick, with layer of bentonite chips or pellets not more than 6 inches thick on top of each clean soil layer. Dry granular bentonite may be used in place of, or in combination with, bentonite chips or bentonite pellets, and neat cement or concrete grout may be poured if the well has been dewatered before plugging.

Bentonite or cement grout to be used. All abandoned wells to be plugged through approved methods described in 10 CSR 23-3.110 Plugging of Wells. Contact The Division if there is a question of proper procedure. A permitted well or pump installation contractor must be used to plug the well. A report of the method of plugging shall be filed with the division on a registration report form that is provided by the division.

Casing & screen materials to be removed prior to initiation of abandonment. Cement grout to fill wells in unconsolidated formations. Well shall be disinfected and sounded prior to sealing. In gravel-packed well where casing & screens have not been removed, neat cement to be injected into well filling from bottom to top. Wells in consolidated rock may be filled w/ sand, gravel, or drill cuttings. Top of sand, gravel, or cutting fill to be at least 10 ft. below top of consolidated rock. or 5 ft below bottom of casing to ensure complete filling of casing and extend up to land surface. For any well in which the depth of casing or the depth of the bedrock is not known or cannot be confirmed, the entire length of the well shall be filled with grout up to land surface. Well to be sealed w/ watertight cap or seal. Bored or hand dug wells in unconsolidated materials, shall be disinfected according to Rule .0111(b)(1)(A) through .0111(b)(1)(C). All plumbing or piping, and upper 3 ft of casing to be removed. All soil or other subsurface material down to top of remaining well casing to be removed, including all materials to a width of at least 12 inches outside of the casing. Well filled to top of remaining casing with grout, dry clay or material excavated during construction. Temporarily abandoned wells to be protected w/ casing and water-tight cap that cannot be removed .

It is recommended that the well casing be removed during well abandonment, and when doing so, the abandonment materials shall be placed from the bottom of the well or borehole progressively upward as the casing is removed. The well shall be sealed with sand cement grout, neat cement grout, bentonite abandonment products, or bentonite grout. In the case of gravel packed wells, the entire gravel section shall be pressure grouted. The uppermost ten feet of the well shall be abandoned as required in Subsection R655-4-14(14.5.3).

All gravel packed wells shall be pressure grouted throughout the perforated or screened section of the well. The remainder of the well shall be filled with sand cement grout, neat cement grout, bentonite abandonment products, or bentonite grout. The uppermost ten feet of the well shall be abandoned as required in Subsection R655-4-14(14.5.3).

Large hand dug and bored wells ≥36-inches diameter to 100 ft depth plugged by back filling with compacted clay or caliche to surface. All removable debris shall be removed from the well. If the well contains standing water, it shall be chlorinated by adding chlorine bleach at a rate of 1 gal. bleach for every 500 gal. standing water. The backfill material shall be mounded above the surrounding surface to compensate for settling.

The sealing of flowing wells shall be accomplished only after the wells have been treated to reduce the flow to zero. This may be accomplished by introducing high specific gravity fluids which are approved for use in potable water systems into the bottom of the well bore and continuing until the flow ceases.

Well to be sealed w/ watertight cap or seal when it is temporarily abandoned, any well removed from service for longer than 36 months shall be permanently abandoned. Any well that acts as a source of contamination shall be repaired or permanently abandoned immediately after receipt of notice. To be filled by forced injection of grout or pouring through tremie pipe from bottom to surface in one continuous operation, unless compacted clay is used. The bored well shall be abandoned immediately upon being permanently taken out of service.

Must be approved by Dept. before work begins.

Casing to be perforated or removed from bottom to 20 ft below land surface, and upper 20 ft of casing removed. Then plug with cement grout from bottom to w/in 4 ft of land surface. If total well depth exceeds 20 ft below surface, cement grout shall be placed by pumping from bottom of hole to w/in 4 ft of land surface.

If well in alluvium and terrace deposits authorized by the Board, fill well w/clean uncontaminated silica sand to w/in 16 ft of land surface, then 2 ft of bentonite pellets or granules placed on silica sand, and finally min. of 10 ft of cement grout installed in annular space and interior of casing to at least 4 ft below land surface.

Water pumped from well to ensure all debris removed, total depth of well sealed with cement-based sealing materials, or filled with sand or gravel to 3 ft of surface and thoroughly tamped. Remainder of well filled with topsoil Additional topsoil shall be mounded over the well to allow for settlement.

Cement-bentonite slurry is the preferred material for plugging. If permitted, heavy drilling mud or bentonite slurry weighing no less than 9 lb./gal. may be used to fill or plug. It is preferable for plugging to be applied using the pump-down method, in one continuous operation from bottom to top. Neat cement may also be used. Obstructions in well to be removed prior to plugging. Plugging & filler material to be free of foreign & organic additives. Pouring or dropping the material through water is not permitted. Top of casing to be cut off a min of 3 ft. below surface in areas subject to subsidence and/or farming. After filling well with slurry, excavation above top of plug shall be filled with compacted soil. Seal annular space if not already sealed. If part or all of casing has already been removed from well, determine amount of cave-in if any, ream or drill out cave-in portion and then filled entire hole with slurry from bottom to top using pump-down method.

Casing severed at least 2 ft. below ground surface and a cement plug larger in diameter than borehole constructed over borehole and covered with natural clay material to surface. To be plugged with neat cement with >5% by weight bentonite additive, bentonite slurry which can include polymers to retard swelling, pelletized medium or coarse grade crushed bentonite, or other approved materials. Bentonite slurry to be pumped into place with continuous operation with grout pipe from bottom to 2 ft below ground surface. Shall measure periodically through plugging process to ensure bridging does not occur.

Shall be disconnected from water system, and chlorinated before abandonment. Must notify the division of abandonment in writing within 30 days after plugging completed. Plugging procedures specified by drilling date and well type detailed 312 IAC 13-10-2 Permanent abandonment of wells.

Cover over w/ compacted surface silts or clays from 3 ft. below surface to surface. If hole penetrates aquifer w/ > 1,000 mg/L of total dissolved solids, entire hole to be plugged. Plug within 3 ft. of ground surface .

All wells to be equipped w/ access port or w/ pressure gauge. Vent opening, observation port, or air-line equipment to extend at lest 6 in. above surface.