Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 12, March 20,
2024
(a) Each water well
or borehole shall be considered abandoned if at least one of the following
conditions exists:
(1) The water well or
borehole was not completed.
(2)
The water well or borehole threatens to contaminate fresh groundwater.
(3) The water well or borehole
poses a safety or health hazard.
(4) Uncontrolled fluid flow is encountered or
present in the water well or borehole.
(5) The use of the water well or borehole has
ceased.
(6) The borehole testing,
sampling, or other operations are completed within 30 days of completion of the
borehole drilling.
(7) The water
well or borehole owner has not demonstrated the intention to use the water well
or borehole.
(8) The water well
can not be maintained in an active or inactive status.
(9) The water well or borehole is not
operational or functional for the intended use.
(b) Each water well or borehole owner or the
landowner of the property shall plug or cause an abandoned water well or
borehole to be plugged as required in subsection (c) of this regulation.
(c) Except as specified in
subsection (e), the minimum plugging operations for an abandoned water well or
borehole shall include the following:
(1)
Before plugging operations begin, the following water well or borehole data
shall be recorded as follows:
(A) The legal
description of the water well or borehole location, to the nearest 10-acre
tract and, if available, the geographic coordinates consisting of the latitude,
longitude, and base datum;
(B) the
diameter of the water well or borehole;
(C) the static water level; and
(D) the total depth of the water well or
borehole.
(2) The
materials used to plug a water well or borehole shall be clean, free of
defects, properly prepared, and installed according to the manufacturer's
specifications.
(3) All plugging
material that forms a bridge, entraps air or other fluids, or forms a blockage
in the water well or borehole shall be freed or removed before continuing
plugging operations.
(4) All
pumping, sampling, logging, and related equipment and any other material or
debris in the water well or borehole shall be removed from the water well or
borehole.
(5) The annular space of
the water well shall be grouted as specified in K.A.R. 28-30-203.
(6) Before plugging operations begin and when
plugging operations are suspended or interrupted, the opening of the water well
or borehole shall be secured to prevent fluids from entering the water well or
borehole.
(7) Before placement of
any plugging material, the water well or borehole shall be disinfected as
specified in K.A.R. 28-30-205.
(8)
Except as specified in subsection (d) of this regulation, all of the following
minimum grouting requirements shall be met:
(A) The water well or borehole shall be
grouted from the bottom to three feet below ground level.
(B) Each water well meeting the requirements
of subsection (d) shall be grouted from the top of the sand or gravel plugging
material to three feet below ground level.
(C) Grout shall be placed in the water well
or borehole using one of the following:
(i) A
grout tremie pipe;
(ii) free-fall;
or
(iii) a grouting procedure
recommended by the grout manufacturer.
(D) Grout shall be allowed to cure as
recommended by the grout manufacturer.
(9) Except as required by K.A.R. 28-30-203,
the water well casing shall be cut off at a minimum of three feet below land
surface and removed.
(10) From
three feet below land surface to land surface, the water well or borehole shall
be backfilled with clean, compacted topsoil and sloped so that drainage or
runoff is directed away from the plugged water well or borehole.
(d) Any water well or borehole
owner, landowner of the property, water well contractor, licensed geologist, or
licensed professional engineer may utilize coarse sand or fine gravel to plug a
water well by filling the water well casing to the static water level or six
feet below ground level, whichever is the greater distance below ground level,
if both of the following water well conditions are present:
(1) The water well is cased.
(2) The water well is completed in a single
unconfined aquifer.
(e)
Drill cuttings from the original borehole may be used to plug a borehole that
meets all of the following conditions:
(1)
The depth of the borehole is less than the highest historical groundwater
level.
(2) The depth of the
borehole is 25 feet or less below ground level.
(3) The borehole is not located in a
contaminated area.
