Rules for water wells vary from state to state (and sometimes from municipality to municipality). If you own residential, commercial or industrial property and are considering installing a well, a reputable well contractor who’s licensed and familiar with your region can be a great help. They know all of the local and state regulations, how to prepare your land for the area and can walk you through a process that — in some cases — can tie you up in red tape. In Utah, the Division of Water Rights (DWR) oversees all water distribution in the state, including well water.
The most recent changes to state well drilling rules were made in September 2010, which is why you need a well contractor who keeps up to date on the latest changes. The state engineer at the DWR regulates drilling for any well deeper than 30 feet. These deeper wells require all work to be completed by a Utah well driller who holds a current license (although it’s in your best interest to make sure your contractor is licensed even for shallower wells). The drilling must be performed by this type of licensed pro, but the installation and any pump repairs on personal, residential property may also be completed by a Utah licensed pump installer.
What Does the DWR Cover?
DWR handles all state licensing requirements, rules for well construction and managing the Administrative Rules for Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers. Every well detail is regulated, including construction, renovation, cleaning, abandonment, pump management, drilling, repairs and deepening. If a well is 30 feet or deeper, additional paperwork must be completed, and more stringent rules must be abided by. However, you will also need a Utah licensed pump installer for any type of private water production well deeper than 30 feet, including stock water, commercial, industrial, domestic and irrigation; all recharge/recovery wells; all heating and cooling exchange wells; public water system supply wells; cathodic protection wells; test wells/monitoring wells; and dewatering/inclinometer wells if they should impact an aquifer.
If this sounds Greek to you, don’t worry — that’s why you want a qualified well service contractor in your corner. These experts know the handbook from the state engineer well. These regulations guarantee a certain level of well construction standards, require pristine record keeping and stop aquifer pollution. All well and pump installation/repair contractors are required to submit their work details to the state engineer for wells deeper than 30 feet, and this information becomes public property available in the Salt Lake City DWR office.
You can find information on geologic strata impacted during drilling, water-bearing strata locations, pump data, pumping water levels and water qualify information in these documents. In some cases, like well rehab, this is critical data for your contractor.
Contact Mike Zimmerman Well Services today for a free estimate on your well water project.
