State Well Codes

When rotary drilling mud and cuttings or clay slurry are used to seal the annular space of a well as specified by Tables I and II, a mud balance shall be used to determine that the mud weight is at least 11 pounds per gallon.

Not permitted since 1953.

8 ft.

Must be at least 3/4 of the vertical clearance of the conductors, including overhead power lines to the ground, between open conductors and wells.

Wells shall be located in sanitary locations and meet the minimum separation requirements specified in s. NR812.08. Separation distance requirements to possible sources of contamination will not be waived because of property lines. Variances require approval.

50 ft.

25 ft.

100 ft.

100 ft.

8 ft.

100 ft, either well, drill hole or water system used for underground placement of any waste defined in s. 160.01 (8)

Shall be tested for coliform bacteria, nitrate and any water tests required when performing well construction or reconstruction in a special well casing depth area, and shall be tested by a certified water testing laboratory. Yield test shall be performed upon completion, may be conducted using air-rotary equipment.

Grout from bottom to ground surface using tremie pipe and pump. For large pressure head, may be necessary to control flow while placing sealing material with the u se of inflatable packer.

Shall not be driven, shall meet ANSI/NSF Standard 14 and 61 and meet ASTM Standard F480. Min wall thickness specified in Table 64-46 B of Rule 64CSR46.

Any additive used in drilling, development, or grouting shall meet ANSI/NSF Standard 61.

Shall have a continuous watertight lining of steel casing from above ground surface to a depth of at least 10 ft below ground surface. If more than one water-bearing formation, the lower formation should be used. Develop and submit construction plans to the Commissioner for approval. Open space between excavation and lining to be sealed w/grout. If first 10 ft of casing is jointed and allow surface water to seep in to cracks, grout shall continue from 10 ft seal to ground level.

Initial construction, water must come from public water system, water well or protected spring box and must be treated to retain free chlorine residual of at least 2 ppm. If additional water is needed, water shall come from best available potable source near drill site. If not available, may obtain water from surface supply other than a farm pond, open ditch or waste lagoon and shall be dosed w/50 ppm chlorine (i.e. 2 gals sodium hypochlorite of approx 5% avail chlorine per 1000 gals of drilling water).

50 ft. or 100 ft. when well is at lower elevation than contaminant.

10 ft.

50 ft. or 100 ft. when well is at lower elevation than contaminant.

Seal depth shall be at least 18 ft from land surface or to w/in 3 ft of the bottom if less than 21 ft in depth. May be sealed with cement, neat cement, bentonite, or neat cement grout.

When flowing conditions, operator will have a written sealing plan prepared prior to construction. Plan shal identify sealing material and method to be used, at least one alternative sealing method, and emergency contingency section to identify steps taken if flow cannot be controlled. To be sealed into confining stratum, and equiped with a control valve if flowing at surface. To be completed w/seals, packers or grout that eliminates leakage around the casing.

Must be watertight. Either "bell" type, threaded joints, or coupling hubs are approved.

Shall be grouted unless native materials such as drill cuttings can achieve the following:
(a) when placed are at least as impervious, competent and compact as the surrounding materials;
(b) completely fill the annular space from the bottom of the casing to land surface;
(c) do not allow the accumulation of water around the well or artesian flow in the annular space; and
(d) securely support the casing so that it cannot be moved by manual means.
Under most conditions, driven steel casing shall be considered to have no annular space provided no pilot hole larger than the casing has been drilled below the depth of the pitless adaptor or the frost line.

Should be constructed and finished in a manner to prevent unreasonable depletion of the aquifer, loss of artesian pressure, and erosion of the aquifer confining materials or the land surface. Flow shall be controlled. If erosion of confining be appears likely, special protective construction may be required.

Where annular opening is > 6 inches, clay seal of clean local clay mixed with at least 10% swelling benontite may be used when approved by the Secretary.

Shall conform to ASTM standard C150, w/not more than 5 gallons of water/94 lb sack of cement.

"For permitted wells, screen shall be constructed of materials capable of withstanding structural loads imposed and resistant to damage by chemical action of groundwater or cleaning operations, and shall(a) have size of openings based on sieve analysis of formation and/or gravel pack materials;
(b) have sufficient diameter to provide adequate specific capacity and low aperture entrance velocity. The entrance velocity should not exceed 0.1 feet per second;
(c) be installed so that the pumping water level remains above the screen under all operating conditions;
(d) where applicable, be designed and installed to permit removal or replacement without adversely affecting watertight construction of the well;
(e) be provided with a bottom plate or washdown bottom fitting of the same material as the screen; and
(f) be reviewed and approved by the Secretary before installation. "

If confining units are at least 6 ft thick, surface seal to be placed in 2-inch annular space to min. depth of 30 ft and at least 5 ft into confining unit above water-bearing formation. Unperforated casing shall extend from ground surface to at least 30 ft and to bottom of confining unit. Annular space to be sealed w/grout, bentonite, or mechanical packer. Add'l casing placed in open borehole below required depths shall meet casing requirements of Subsection 11.2 unless casing is installed as a liner.

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).

Must not be organic, or present a potential medium for bacterial growth or contamination. Only non-organic LCM's may be used, including paper/wood products, brans, hulls, grains, starches, hays/straws, and proteins. All polymers and additives used shall be certified by NSF/ANSI or equivalent standards and shall be clearly labeled as meeting these standards, and must meet industry standards to be nondegrading and must not act as a medium which will promote growth of microorganisms.

Artesian wells flowing naturally at the surface shall be equipped with a control valve, which must be available for inspection at all times.

In a screened or perforated well, the well pump setting and suction inlet shall be located so that the pumping level of the water cannot be drawn below the top of the screen.

Permanent casing should be unperforated and sealed to standards subsection 11.4. If hole is created for pitless adapter, annular space of at least 2 inches between conductor casing and well casing to be sealed to depth of at least 30 ft with neat cement grout, sand cement grout bentonite grout, or unhydrated bentonite. Waterproof cap or weld ring sealing the two casings at the surface by itself is unacceptable when pitless adapter is installed in this fashion.

If a well is not adequately sealed, each licensed driller or licensed pump installer shall inform the landowner that the well is considered to be a deteriorated well and must be re-completed when repairs are made to the pump or well. Cashing to be excavated to min. depth of 4 ft and annular space to be filled from ground level to ≥4 ft below land surface w/cement. In areas of shallow, unconfined aquifers w/artesian head, cement need not be placed below top of water bearing strata. Cement slab to be placed above cement around well at ground surface, except with pitless adapter or steel/plastic sleeve. Slab to extend laterally min. 2 ft from well in all directions w/min. thickness of 4 inches, and surface of slab to be sloped to drain away from well. Top of casing to extend a min. of 12 inches above ground level or 36 inches above known flood-prone areas, unprotected openings in casing above ground are to be sealed water-tight.

Plugged by backfilling w/drill cuttings from total depth to surface. Backfill material shall be mounded above surrounding surface to compensate for settling.

Annular space shall be pressure grouted w/cement or bentonite grout to land surface. Bentonite grout may not be used if water zone contains chloride water above 1,500 ppm or hydrocarbons are present.

With the exception of jet pumps, a check valve or an air gap shall be installed in a water line between the well casing and the pressure tank.

Shall be capable of supporting a min. of 400 lbs and constructed in such a way that they cannot be easily removed by hand.

Unless well is drilled in Edwards Aquifer, separation distance may be decreased to 50 ft minimum, provided the well is cemented with positive displacement technique to a minimum of 100 ft to surface, or the well is tremie pressure filled to the depth of 100 ft to the surface, provided the annular space is 3 inches larger than casing. For wells less than 100 ft deep, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column shall be placed to the top of the production zone. In areas of shallow, unconfined groundwater aquifers, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column need not be placed below the production zone. In areas of shallow, confined groundwater aquifers having artesian head, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column need not be placed below the top of the water-bearing strata.

150 ft. Alternative Siting Methods-Unless well is drilled in Edwards Aquifer, separation distance may be decreased to 50 ft minimum, provided the well is cemented with positive displacement technique to a minimum of 100 ft to surface, or the well is tremie pressure filled to the depth of 100 ft to the surface, provided the annular space is 3 inches larger than casing. For wells less than 100 ft deep, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column shall be placed to the top of the production zone. In areas of shallow, unconfined groundwater aquifers, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column need not be placed below the production zone. In areas of shallow, confined groundwater aquifers having artesian head, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column need not be placed below the top of the water-bearing strata.

150 ft. Alternative Siting Methods-Unless well is drilled in Edwards Aquifer, separation distance may be decreased to 50 ft minimum, provided the well is cemented with positive displacement technique to a minimum of 100 ft to surface, or the well is tremie pressure filled to the depth of 100 ft to the surface, provided the annular space is 3 inches larger than casing. For wells less than 100 ft deep, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column shall be placed to the top of the production zone. In areas of shallow, unconfined groundwater aquifers, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column need not be placed below the production zone. In areas of shallow, confined groundwater aquifers having artesian head, the cement slurry, bentonite grout, or bentonite column need not be placed below the top of the water-bearing strata.

50 ft.

The steel sleeve shall be a minimum of 3/16 inches in thickness and minimum of 24 inches in length. The plastic sleeve shall be a minimum of Sch-80 sun resistant or SDR-17 sun resistant and 24 inches in length, and either sleeve used shall extend 12 inches into the cement, except when steel casing or a pitless adapter is used. The casing shall extend to a minimum of 12 inches above the land surface, and the sleeve’s inside diameter shall be 2 inches larger in diameter than the outside diameter of the plastic casing being used and filled entirely with cement; or a slab or block is required above the cement slurry except when steel casing or a pitless adapter is used. Pitless adapters may be used in such wells, provided that: (A) the adapter is welded to the casing or fitted with another suitably effective seal; (B) the annular space between the borehole and the casing is filled with cement to a depth ≥20 feet below the adapter connection; and (C) in lieu of cement, the annular space may be filled with a solid column of granular sodium bentonite to a depth of ≥20 feet below the adapter connection.

Must clear any building projection by at least 5 ft.

Water source must be at least 19 ft below ground surface. If no other source available, may be < 19 ft below ground surface if 1) Division of Water Resources Central Office is notified 2) minimum of 10 ft of casing is installed below ground, 3) sealed from land surface a minimum of 10 ft below ground surface w/cement grout or bentonite 4) homeowner is notified in writting by driller about possible need for chlorinator to treat potential problems with microbiological contamination, increased potential for contamination and possible reduction in yield through time, and homeowner should provide copy of the report to new homeowner upon resale of property.

Plastic pipe approved by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) and rated at 160 psi (SDR= 26) may be used for liner casing. The liner casing shall be installed with centering guides to insure proper centering in the well and the annular space around the liner casing shall be completely sealed at both ends to repel the inflow of extraneous material from the lined
interval.

Thoroughly chlorinate well prior to sealing with liquid bleach or dry hypochlorite granules for a free chlorine residual of 25ppm in entire well. Cement grout or bentonite must be used from 5 ft to 2 ft below land surface. Remaining annular space from 2 ft to land surface may be filled w/native soil or cement, must remain level with land surface. Construction debris, trash or wood ar prohibitive materials and must never be used during the well closure process. Native soil material, gravel less than one inch or less in diamter, cement or bentonite may be used as well closure material from 5 ft below land surface to the total depth of the well.

Well construction prohibited along sections of Whitewood Creek and sections of Belle Fourche River -- Variance. Alternative well construction may be used to construct wells which are completed into the Dakota aquifer in the Kennedy Basin, Sioux Ridge, the Canadian Shield, and the eastern portion of the Williston Basin if the following requirements are met, see 74:02:04:35, and for alternative construction requirements for Inyan Kara wells see 74:02:04:36. No well may be constructed to allow production from more than one aquifer unless approved by the chief engineer or the water management board.