Water Systems CouncilState Well Codes
The State Well Codes database stores state standards for the construction of private water wells.
Included in the database is state-specific information on various codes related to well construction and siting. To find information on your state or other states, use the searchable database below.
Please note that this database is intended as a guide and occasionally standards change. WSC updates the database periodically, but we encourage you to obtain a full list of state well codes from your state environmental agency or contact the wellcare® Hotline for assistance.
If you have questions about the database, corrections or updates, please contact Charlene Bean.
Please click on the State Name in the list below for well code information. If you would like to alphabetize the table, click on the column name in blue.
| State | Category | Subcategory | Standard Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Caps | Caps - General |
Shall be securely capped and sufficiently tight to prohibit foreign objects and insects or other creatures from entering well, and unauthorized persons without tools or excessive physical exertion. Shall be installed immediately upon completion, if pump installed, shall be capped after pump installation. |
| Arkansas | Blasting | Blasting - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Arkansas | Additional Requirements | Additional Requirements - General |
Casing and bore hole shall be plumb and aligned. Construction reports to be filed for test holes. Construction water shall not result in contamination of well. Each well shall be tested for yield and draw down. Test holes to be plugged. Water well systems report to be filed for pumping eqpmt. |
| Arkansas | Abandonment | Abandonment - General |
Abandoned wells in consolidated formations shall be plugged for 50ft below the bottom of casing to a minimum depth of 100 ft below land surface, and remaining depth to be filled with clean sand or pea gravel. If more than one major aquifer, must have minimum seal of 50ft within each confining unit between aquifers, and between aquifer and surface. Wells in unconsolidated formations to be filled with sand or natural material to 12 ft. of surface, then filled with bentonite or cement from 12ft to 2ft. Abandoned well with no formation information is to be filled from bottom to 2 ft. of top with cement. Should be reported by the water well contractor to the AWWCC on a well abandonment form to be approved by the AWWCC within ninety (90) days of abandonment. |
| Alabama | Vents | Vents - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Alabama | Testing | Testing - General |
Yield test to be performed & reported. |
| Alabama | Screens | Screens - General |
Requires approval of NSF. See Alabama Department of Environmental Management Regulations, Chapter 335-9-1-.05 |
| Alabama | Pumps | Pumps - General |
See Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Regulation - Chapter 335-7-5 |
| Alabama | Pitless Adapters | Pitless Adapters - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Alabama | Permitting | Permitting - General |
Must file Notification of Intent to Drill form before drilling, and a Certification of Completion form within 30 days of completion. |
| Alabama | Packers | Packers - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Alabama | Location | Septic Tank |
At least 100 ft. away |
| Alabama | Location | Secondary Electrical Services |
At least 10 ft. away |
| Alabama | Location | Roofs |
At least 2 ft. away |
| Arkansas | Location | Location - General |
Casing shall not terminate in basement of any building. Locations subject to flooding to be avoided. Well to be on ground higher than source of contamination. Shall have ready access for repairs, maintenance, treatment and inspection. The lack of specific distances for other possible sources of contamination such as streams, refuse disposal sites, excavations, waste treatment facilities, buried oil and gasoline storage tanks, improperly constructed wells and cisterns, etc. does not minimize their potential hazard. These must be evaluated in each particular situation. When the upper formations are more pervious, the lateral distances shall be increased (i.e., double the distance for highly pervious gravel formations). |
| Arkansas | Location | Leaching Pit |
100 ft. |
| Arkansas | Location | Footing Drain |
10 ft. |
| Arkansas | Location | Cess Pool |
100 ft. |
| Arkansas | Licensing | Licensing - General |
Shall hold or be employed by a person holding an Arkansas Water Well Contractor License. Contractor shall hold the proper license, certificates, and permits for the type of construction engaged and shall meet continuing education requirements. |
| Arkansas | Grout | Sand & Cement |
Proportion of 1 bag of cement (94 lb.) & = volume of sand and no more than 6 gal. clean water. |
| Arkansas | Grout | Neat Cement |
1 bag of cement (94 lbs) to no more than 6 gal. clean water. Additives up to 6% by weight to increase fluidity may be used. |
| Arkansas | Grout | Metal-Cased Wells |
Cement seal at least 2 in. thick from ground level to distance at least 10 ft. below ground surface. |
| Arkansas | Grout | Curbed Wells |
Shall be concreted at least 6 in. thick to at least 10 ft. below surface. |
| Arkansas | Grout | Concrete |
1 bag of cement & = amount of dry sand, gravel, & clean water Aggregate to be no > than 1/5 of dimension between outside casing and face of bore hole. Concrete can be used in top 10 ft. of annular space in large diameter wells if space is > 2 in. from wall. |
| Arkansas | Grout | Bentonite |
Make viscosity thick enough to seal out all contaminants. |
| Arkansas | Gravel/Sand-Packed Wells | Gravel/Sand-Packed Wells - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Arkansas | Fracturing | Fracturing - General |
50 mg/L chlorine prior to injection. A driller catagory 1-3 can use explosives or acid w/o registering in 4. A driller in category 4 shall supervise hydrofracturing. Water used must be free of contaminants and chlorinated with 50 mg/L chlorine prior to injection. Water wells located closer than 100 ft. from potential contamination shall not be fractured. In consolidated formations, fracturing PSI shall not be excessive. Process outlined on pg 19 under 5.9.4 http://www.arkansas.gov/awwcc/AWWCC%20March%208%20CLEAN.pdf |
| Arkansas | Dry Holes | Dry Holes - General |
Shall be cased, sealed, and capped. |
| Arkansas | Disinfection | Disinfection - General |
Every new well, or existing water supply system that has been disrupted for service or repair, should be disinfected before it is returned to use and prior to capping. System shall be chlorinated to a minimum concentration of 50 ppm for a minimum of 24 hours. Treat with strong chlorine to destroy disease organisms. Water shall not be allowed to back siphon or be used for backwash. |
| Arkansas | Development | Development - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Arkansas | Casing | Upper Terminal |
Terminated no less than 8 in. above ground surface or 24 in. above maximum high water level. |
| Arkansas | Casing | Steel |
Minimum 11 lb. black steel pipe may be used in consolidated formations. ASA Galvanized Standard Weight Schedule 40 pipe, 1-4 in. I.D. pipe size and weight are covered in Section 11. 4.090 inch I. D. galvanized pipe, 9-1/2 pound (schedule 30) may be used on a statewide basis with the provision that any failure of this weight pipe within 5 yrs be replaced by the contractor at no cost to the landowner. Additional sizes covered in Table 1. |
| Arizona | Casing | Steel |
Shall be in new or like-new condition. Shall conform to ASTM A53-89a (1989), A139-89b (1989), or A312/A312M-89a (1989). |
| Arizona | Casing | Casing - General |
May be terminated below ground level when installing a pitless adapter. Must be able to hold borehole open & survive grouting. Must be watertight. Must extend at least 1 ft. above ground level. Shall use steel or thermoplastic unless variance is obtained. Casing made of, or which has been exposed to, hazardous or potentially harmful materials, such as asbestos, shall not be used. Minimum length of casing shall be 20 ft. |
| Arizona | Caps | Caps - General |
Must make cap tamper resistant. Must notify Dept. within 5 days after capping well. |
| Arizona | Blasting | Blasting - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Arizona | Access Ports & Tubes | Access Ports & Tubes - General |
Needed for wells with casing 4 in. or > in diameter. Port min. diameter to be 1/2 in. If a gravel tube is installed, it shall be sealed with a cap. |
| Arizona | Abandonment | Abandonment - General |
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. |
| Arkansas | Vents | Vents - General |
All wells in consolidated areas will be vented with insect proof vents. If the well is located inside a building it shall be vented to the outside. |
| Arkansas | Testing | Testing - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Arkansas | Seals | Seals - General |
Install immediately upon well completion. Must prohibit foreign objects, creatures, and entrance. |
| Arkansas | Screens | Screens - General |
Opening shall permit maximum transmitting w/o clogging. |
| Arkansas | Pumps | Pumps - General |
Design & install to prevent contamination. Installation shall be by a licensed Water Well Contractor and registered pump installer. Pump capacity shall be consistent with intended use and yield characteristics of the well. |
| Arkansas | Pitless Adapters | Pitless Adapters - General |
Shall exclude entrance of water and other materials. |
| Arkansas | Permitting | Permitting - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Arkansas | Packers | Packers - General |
Should be emplaced in wells overlying flowing artesian aquifers, or aquifers with more than seventy five (75) feet hydrostatic head to curtail flow prior to plugging. |
| Arkansas | Location | Subsurface Seepage Tile |
100 ft. |
| Arkansas | Location | Sewers |
50 ft. |
| Arkansas | Location | Septic Tank |
100 ft./ min 50 ft. for vertical closed loop systems/wells. |
| Arkansas | Location | Pump House Floor Drain |
2 ft. |
| Arkansas | Location | Power Lines |
10 ft. |
| Arkansas | Location | Pit Privy |
100 ft. |
| Arizona | Screens | Screens - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Arizona | Pumps | Pumps - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Arizona | Pitless Adapters | Pitless Adapters - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Arizona | Permitting | Permitting - General |
Must file notice of intention to drill. |
| Arizona | Packers | Packers - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Arizona | Location | Wastewater System, Cleanout |
100 ft. |
| Arizona | Location | Septic Tank, Sewer Manhole |
100 ft. |
| Arizona | Location | Petroleum Lines, Storage Tanks |
100 ft. |
| Arizona | Location | Landfill |
100 ft. |
| Arizona | Location | Hazardous Facility Or Wastes |
100 ft. |
| Arizona | Location | Community Sewer Line |
100 ft. |
| Arizona | Location | Cess Pool |
100 ft. |
| Arizona | Licensing | Licensing - General |
Must pass an exam & be a licensed well driller. |
| Arizona | Grout | Grout - General |
Minimum standard of 1.5 inches of cement grout poured in the space between the borehole wall and the casing in one continuous application from a minimum depth of 20 feet to the land surface. |
| Arizona | Gravel/Sand-Packed Wells | Gravel/Sand-Packed Wells - General |
If installed, annular space between outer and inner casing shall be sealed. Either by welding a cap at the top or by filling with cement grout from the bottom of the outer casing to the surface. If a gravel tube is installed, it shall be sealed with a cap. |
| Arizona | Disinfection | Disinfection - General |
To disinfect a well, chlorine must be added. Various methods can be used to do this, but the concentration of chlorine in the well should be at least 50 milligrams per liter. |
| Arizona | Development | Development - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Arizona | Cleaning | Cleaning - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Arizona | Casing | Thermoplastic |
Shall conform to ASTM Standard F480-89 (1989). To be installed only in an oversized drillhole without driving. Rivets or screws used in the casing joints shall not penetrate the inside of the casing. |
| California | Licensing | Licensing - General |
Must pass exam administered by contractors state license board, Dept. of Consumer Affairs; C-57 license is required. The construction, alteration, or destruction of wells shall be performed by contractors licensed in accordance with the provisions of the Contractors License Law (Chapter 9, Division 3, of the Business and Professions Code) unless exempted by that act. |
| California | Grout | Neat Cement |
Ratio to be 1, 94-lb. Sack Type I or II of Portland cement per 5 to 6 gallons of clean water. Additives may require more water. |
| California | Grout | Grout - General |
Shall meet the requirements of ASTM C150. Special field additives for Portland cement mixtures shall meet the requirements of ASTM C49. |
| California | Grout | Concrete |
Ratio of 6, 94-lb. Sacks of Portland cement per cubic yard of aggregate; aggregate less than 1/5 the radial thickness of the annular seal. |
| California | Grout | Cement |
Ratio 2:1 sand to cement by weight (188 lb sand to 94 lb sack of Portland cement) and approx. 7 gals clean water for Type I & II Portland cement (equal to 10.3 sack mix). Less water may be used if less than 2:1 sand to cement weight is used. Additional water may be required with special additives. |
| California | Grout | Bentonite |
Must be specific for use and commercially prepared, powdered, granulated, pelletized, or chipped/crushed sodium montmorillonite clay, with pellets/chips with radius <1/5 of annular space. Mixture approx. 1 gal water to 2 lbs bentonite, water must be of suitable quality. |
| California | Gravel/Sand-Packed Wells | Gravel/Sand-Packed Wells - General |
Disinfected during placement |
| California | Fracturing | Fracturing - General |
Using disinfected water only |
| California | Disinfection | Disinfection - General |
REQUIRED |
| California | Development | Development - General |
Methods include overpumping, surging or swabbing with plungers, surging with compressed air, chemicals, hydrofracturing, and jetting. Other means include backwashing & introducing specifically-formulated chemicals into the well. |
| California | Casing | Thermoplastic: |
Shall meet NSF 14 including ASTM F480 requirements, as well as ABS Pipe- ASTM D1527, PVC Pipe-ASTM D1785, Pressure-Rated PVC Pipe-ASTM D2241 |
| California | Casing | Casing - General |
Centralizers to be metal, plastic, or non-degradable. Ensure that 2-in. min. radial thickness of annular seal is maintained. Shall be equipped with centering guides or centralizers.\"\" |
| California | Caps | Caps - General |
Must be water tight & animal proof |
| California | Blasting | Blasting - General |
Only by experts in that field. |
| California | Bases | Bases - General |
Shall be constructed at ground surface, contact annular seal, slope away from well casing in all directions, min. 4 in. thick, and extend >2 ft. from well boring. Where annular seals do not extend above ground surface or into a pit or vault, concrete base shall be 3 ft. long on each side of well, and have a lift out section to allow access to the well for inspection and repair. |
| California | Access Ports & Tubes | Access Ports & Tubes - General |
Must be sealed when not in use |
| California | Abandonment | Abandonment - General |
A well is abandoned if it has been inactive for one year. Area around well should be clear of brush, debris, & waste materials. Top of well casing or well should have a cover and be secured by a lock or other means. Well should be marked for easy identification. Must be destroyed if not used for one year and there is no documented intent to reuse it. |
| Arizona | Vents | Vents - General |
Shall open downward & be screened. |
| Arizona | Testing | Testing - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Arizona | Seals | Seals - General |
Annular space to be sealed. Cement grout will be applied continuously from bottom of zone to be grouted. Cement grout may terminate at bottom of pitless adapter. Minimum length of surface seal shall be 20 ft. One ft. will extend above ground level. Surface seal shall consist of steel casing. |
| Colorado | Annular Space | Annular Space - General |
At least one inch |
| Colorado | Additional Requirements | Additional Requirements - General |
none specified |
| Colorado | Access Ports & Tubes | Access Ports & Tubes - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Colorado | Abandonment | Abandonment - General |
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. |
| California | Well Pits or Vaults | Well Pits Or Vaults - General |
Highly discouraged, use pitless adapters where appropriate. Upon approval of enforcing agency, shall extend from top of annular seal to at least ground surface, where annular surface seal can be no more than 4 ft below ground surface. Must extend from top of annular seal to at least ground surface, must be watertight and structurally sound, and strong enough to support vehicular traffic where it occurs. Lid must allow venting of gases and fitted with security device to limit access. Outside of lid must be clearly and permanently labeled "WATER WELL". Top of vault must be graded so drainage is away from vault. Acceptable sealing methods described in Section 10 Subsection B Page 23 of Bulletin 74-90. |
| California | Vents | Vents - General |
Recommended for larger wells |
| California | Testing | Testing - General |
Determined by Health Department |
| California | Seals | Seals - General |
Minimum 20 ft. depth and 2 in. thickness to be placed continuously, unless >100 ft. in length, where deepest portion shall be sealed first and <10 ft. in length. Use methods that prevent freefall, bridging, or dilution/separation of sealing materials. Volume of sealing materials must equal or exceed volume to be sealed, and pressure maintained to properly set. |
| California | Screens | Screens - General |
This is recommended |
