REGULATIONS FOR WATER WELL AND RELATED DRILLING

1 NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES Office of the State Engineer REGULATIONS FOR WATER WELL AND RELATED DRILLING Revised and adopted June 2006 and 2009 Nevada Revised Statutes RELATED to Underground WATER and Wells Jason King, State Engineer NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES Office of the State Engineer REGULATIONS FOR WATER WELL AND RELATED DRILLING Revised and adopted June 2006 and 2009 Nevada Revised Statutes RELATED to Underground WATER and Wells Jason King, State Engineer Published 6-2010 Order of Contents Foreword REGULATIONS Chapter 534 of Nevada Revised Statutes Answers to Frequently Asked Questions PVC Casing wall casing specification Glossary of RELATED Terms Illustrations Typical WATER well with sanitary seal and permanent conductor casing for gravel pack Typical WATER well with sanitary seal and underground adapter Typical WATER well with sanitary seal and without underground adapter or conductor pipe Typical cross section of a cathodic protection well Illustration for plugging APPENDICES A Copy of intent to drill card Copy of well

2 Log report form Copy of well plugging report form Copy of Affidavit to Abandon a WATER Well form Copy of Affidavit to Abandon a Monitor Well form B Suggestions for Lithology Description C Child Support Statement D Public Survey E Sample Topographic Map Test F Hydrographic Basin Map G Hole Volumetric Table H Formula for Solids Content Forms can downloaded from the Forms Room on our website at A complete copy of this publication can be downloaded from our website. FOREWORD Protecting ground WATER from waste and contamination is essential to Nevada s future.

3 In a normal year, ground WATER is the source of 40 percent of Nevada s WATER withdrawals. Ground WATER is used for agricultural, industrial, domestic and public supply purposes. Some surface- WATER right holders also have supplemental ground WATER rights that can be used when surface WATER is not available. Proper construction of wells and sealing of abandoned boreholes will help to insure the quality and quantity of Nevada s ground WATER . The State Engineer is authorized and directed by the Legislature to develop the REGULATIONS necessary to administer the WATER law and protect the ground WATER of the state.

4 The REGULATIONS for WATER well DRILLING were first promulgated in 1947. The REGULATIONS in this booklet are the minimum requirements for the construction, alteration and plugging of WATER wells, monitoring wells, exploratory boreholes and cathodic protection wells in Nevada. These REGULATIONS supersede all REGULATIONS previously adopted. These REGULATIONS are the result of a cooperative effort between the State Engineer and industry and are the product of substantial comment from the public, industry and other state, federal and local agencies. Jason King, State Engineer REGULATIONS 534-1 12-06 CHAPTER 534 UNDERGROUND WATER AND WELLS GENERAL PROVISIONS NAC Definitions.

5 3 NAC Abandon 3 NAC Annular space 3 NAC Aquifer defined.. 3 NAC Artesian well defined.. 3 NAC Bentonite grout 3 NAC Blast hole 3 NAC Board 3 NAC Borehole defined.. 3 NAC Bridge defined.. 4 NAC Casing 4 NAC Cement grout defined.. 4 NAC Concrete grout 4 NAC Conductor casing defined.. 4 NAC Contaminant 4 NAC Contamination 4 NAC Division defined.

6 4 NAC Domestic use defined.. 4 NAC Drill rig 4 NAC Drive point well defined.. 5 NAC Exploratory well 5 NAC groundwater defined.. 5 NAC Monitoring well defined.. 5 NAC Neat cement defined.. 5 NAC Nominal size 5 NAC Observation well 5 NAC Permit 5 NAC Piezometer defined.. 5 NAC Pitless adapter defined.. 5 NAC Plug 6 NAC Public land survey 6 NAC Reconditioning defined.

7 6 NAC Seal defined.. 6 NAC Seismic shot hole defined.. 6 NAC Sodium bentonite defined.. 6 NAC Static WATER level defined.. 6 NAC Vapor extraction well defined.. 6 NAC Waste 6 NAC Well defined.. 7 NAC Well bore 7 NAC Well driller 7 NAC Well DRILLING and DRILLING a well defined.. 7 LICENSE TO DRILL WELL NAC Application for 7 NAC Qualifications of applicant; denial of application.

8 7 NAC Oral examination of applicants.. 8 NAC Board not required to conduct oral examination of certain applicants.. 8 NAC Revocation or denial of license.. 8 NAC Notice to renew license; notice of change in mailing address.. 8 NAC Renewal of license: Application for renewal. [Effective through June 30, 2008.].. 8 NAC Renewal of license: Application for renewal. [Effective July 1, 2008.] .. 9 NAC Renewal of license: Processing of and action on application.. 9 NAC Continuing education of well 10 NAC Additional requirements for license if prior license has expired or been suspended or revoked.

9 11 NAC Scope of authority under license; issuance of restricted 11 NAC Temporary license: Issuance and reissuance; expiration; termination of employment of temporary licensee.. 11 NAC Temporary license: Period of validity; authorized activities; transferability.. 12 12-06 534-2 DUTIES OF WELL DRILLERS NAC Designated basins; replacement wells.. 12 NAC Nondesignated basins.. 13 NAC Wells for domestic 13 NAC Notice of intent to drill: Submission; contents; correction; forms.. 14 NAC Notice of intent to drill: Lapse; new 15 NAC Responsibilities of licensed well driller at DRILLING site.

10 15 NAC Log and record of work: Form; contents.. 15 NAC Log and record of work: Completion; execution; submission; correction.. 16 NAC Identification of well rig.. 16 NAC Reporting of improper construction or plugging of well.. 16 DRILLING , CONSTRUCTION AND PLUGGING OF WELLS AND BOREHOLES NAC Construction of well: Casing.. 17 NAC Construction of well: Thermoplastic casing.. 17 NAC Construction of well: Prevention of contamination; securing against unauthorized entry; suspension of 18 NAC Construction of well: Measures required if contaminant or contaminated WATER is encountered.