Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 12,
March 20, 2024
(a) Each
water well shall be constructed to minimize the potential for contamination of
the delivered or obtained groundwater and to protect groundwater aquifers from
pollution and contamination.
(b)
The following requirements for grouting shall be met:
(1) Each constructed water well and each
reconstructed water well shall be sealed by grouting the annulus between the
casing and the boring from ground level to at least 20 feet or to at least five
feet into the first clay or shale layer if one is present, whichever is
greater. If a pitless well adapter or unit is being installed, the grouting
shall start below the point at which the pitless well adapter or unit attaches
to the casing and shall continue at least 20 feet below this point or to at
least five feet into the first clay or shale layer, whichever is
greater.
(2) The diameter of the
drilled boring shall be at least three inches greater than the maximum outside
diameter of the casing.
(3) Water
from two or more separate aquifers shall be separated from each other in the
boring by sealing the annulus between the aquifers with grout.
(c) If groundwater is encountered
at a depth less than the minimum grouting requirement, the grouting requirement
may be modified by the secretary to meet local conditions.
(d) A well vent shall be used and shall
terminate at least one foot above the ground surface. The well vent shall be
screened with brass, bronze, copper screen, or other screen materials approved
by the secretary that are 16-mesh or greater and turned down in a full
180-degree return bend to prevent the entrance of contaminating
materials.
(e) Before the
completion of a constructed water well or a reconstructed water well, the water
well shall be cleaned of mud, drill cuttings, and other foreign matter to make
the water well suitable for pump installations.
(f) Casing shall meet the following
requirements:
(1) Each water well shall have
durable watertight casing from at least one foot above the finished ground
surface to the top of the producing zone of the aquifer. The watertight casing
shall extend at least 20 feet below the ground level. Exceptions to either of
these requirements may be granted by the secretary if warranted by local
conditions.
(2) Each water well
shall be an above-grade surface completion, except that an at-grade surface
completion may be used if all requirements of subsection (s) are met. Casing
may be cut off below the ground surface to install a pitless well adapter or
unit.
(3) No opening shall be made
through the casing, except for the installation of a pitless well adapter or
unit designed and fabricated to prevent soil, subsurface, and surface water
from entering the water well.
(4)
The casing shall meet the requirements of the department's document titled
"approved water well casing: water well casing for water wells other than
public water-supply wells," dated November 7, 2012, which is hereby adopted by
reference. Used, reclaimed, defective, or contaminated pipe shall not be used
for casing any water well.
(g) Each water well, when unattended during
construction, reconstruction, treatment, or repair or during use as a cased
test hole or as an observation or monitoring well, shall have the top of the
casing securely capped in a watertight manner.
(h) During construction, reconstruction,
treatment, or repair and before its first use, each water well producing water
for human consumption or food processing shall be disinfected according to
K.A.R. 28-30-10.
(i) The top of the
casing shall be sealed by installing a sanitary well seal when the water well
is completed.
(j) Each
groundwater-producing zone that is known or suspected to contain natural or
man-made pollutants shall be cased and grouted in accordance with subsection
(b) during construction of any water well to prevent the movement of
groundwater to either overlying or underlying fresh groundwater
zones.
(k) Toxic material shall not
be used in the construction, reconstruction, treatment, or plugging of a water
well, unless the material is flushed from the water well before use.
(l) The pipe from the pump or pressure tank
in the pump pit to the water well shall be sealed in a watertight manner where
the pipe passes through the wall of the pump pit.
(m) A water well shall not be constructed in
a pit, basement, garage, or crawl space. Each existing water well that is
reconstructed, abandoned, or plugged in a basement shall conform to the
requirements specified in this article, except that the finished grade of the
basement floor shall be considered ground level.
(n) Drilling fluid used during the
construction or reconstruction of each water well shall be initially
disinfected by mixing sodium hypochlorite with water to produce at least 100
milligrams per liter (mg/1) of available chlorine.
(o) Natural organic or nutrient-producing
material shall not be used during the construction, reconstruction, or
treatment of a water well, unless this material is flushed from the water well
and the groundwater aquifer or aquifers before the water well is completed.
Natural organic or nutrient-producing material shall not be added to a grout
mix used in the annulus to grout the water well.
(p) Each water well pump shall meet the
following requirements:
(1) Each pump
installed directly over the casing shall be installed to form an airtight and
watertight seal between the top of the casing and the gear or pump head, pump
foundation, or pump stand.
(2) A
sanitary well seal shall be installed between the pump column pipe or pump
suction pipe and the casing if the pump is not mounted directly over the casing
and the pump column pipe or pump suction pipe emerges from the top of the
casing.
(3) An airtight and
watertight seal shall be provided for the cable conduit if submersible pumps
are used.
(q) Each sand
point constructed, replaced, or reconstructed shall meet the following
requirements:
(1) Each sand point shall be
constructed by drilling or boring a pilot hole at least three feet below ground
surface. The pilot hole shall be at least three inches greater in diameter than
the maximum outside diameter of the drive pipe or blank casing if the casing
method is used.
(2) Each sand point
shall be completed using one of the following methods:
(A) Casing method.
(i) Water well casing that meets the
requirements of the department's document titled "approved water well casing:
water well casing for water wells other than public water-supply wells," as
adopted by reference in paragraph (f)(4), shall be set from at least three feet
below the ground surface to at least one foot above the ground surface. The
casing shall be sealed between the casing and the pilot hole with grouting
material approved by the secretary from the bottom of the casing to ground
surface.
(ii) The drive pipe shall
be considered the pump drop pipe and shall be capped with a solid
cap.
(iii) For underground
discharge completions, a "T" joint shall be used.
(iv) A sanitary well seal and a well vent
shall be installed on the top of the casing in accordance with subsections (d)
and (i).
(B) Drive pipe
method.
(i) A sand point may be installed
without a casing for aboveground discharge completions only. In these
completions, the drive pipe shall terminate at least one foot above finished
ground level.
(ii) The annulus
between the drive pipe and the pilot hole shall be sealed from the bottom of
the pilot hole to ground surface with grout. The top of the drive pipe shall be
sealed airtight and watertight with a solid cap of the same material as that of
the drive pipe.
(iii) A well vent
shall not be required.
(C) Other methods. Other methods may be
approved by the secretary on a case-by-case basis using the appeal procedure
specified in K.A.R. 28-30-9.
(r) Upon abandonment of a sand point, the
contractor or landowner shall pull the drive pipe or leave it in place.
(1) If the drive pipe is left in place, the
sand point shall be plugged from the bottom of the well to three feet below the
ground surface with approved grouting material. The sand point constructed by
the drive pipe method shall be cut off three feet below the ground surface, and
the remaining three-foot-deep hole shall be backfilled with surface
soil.
(2) If the drive pipe is
completely pulled, the remaining hole shall be plugged with approved grouting
material from the bottom of the remaining hole to three feet below the ground
surface. The hole shall be backfilled with surface soil from three feet to
ground surface.
(s) Each
monitoring well shall be an above-grade surface completion, unless the
monitoring well is located on a roadway, sidewalk, driveway, parking lot, or
other heavily trafficked area that requires an at-grade surface completion
monitoring well. The following requirements shall be met for each at-grade
surface completion:
(1) The location of each
monitoring well shall be identified by a unique well number marked on a scaled
map that shows latitude and longitude coordinates. The water well contractor
shall submit the scaled map and coordinates to the department with the water
well record form provided by the department.
(2) The construction method for each
monitoring well shall meet the requirements of the department's procedure
document titled "flush-mount well construction detail," dated May 23, 2012,
which is hereby adopted by reference.
