Nebraska Administrative Code
Topic - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SYSTEM
Title 178 - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Chapter 12 - WATER WELL CONSTRUCTION, PUMP INSTALLATION, AND WATER WELL DECOMMISSIONING STANDARDS
Section 178-12-005 - NON-POTABLE WELLS
Universal Citation: 178 NE Admin Rules and Regs ch 12 ยง 005
Current through September 17, 2024
12-005.01 Construction of a Non-Potable Well
12-005.01A Driven sandpoint wells are
permitted only for temporary use and must be decommissioned within 90 days of
installation. They must meet the requirements specified in 178 NAC
12-003.
12-005.01B Observation
wells must be located as required in 178 NAC 12-003.01C item
1.
12-005.02 Casing a Non-Potable Well: A non-potable water well must be cased with unused watertight casing in the following manner:
12-005.02A
Cased wells with an
outside diameter (OD) of 6-5/8 inches or less
12-005.02A1 The top of the well must extend
at least 12 inches above the grade of the land surface. The earth surrounding
the well must slope away from the well and must be firmly tamped to prevent
settling around the casing.
12-005.02A2 Non-steel cased wells must be
fitted with a watertight connection to 0.237 inch wall minimum steel casing or
fitted inside a metal sleeve secured and cemented in the borehole through the
frost zone. The annular space between the metal sleeve and the casing must be a
minimum of 2 inches and must be filled with an approved grout (178 NAC
12-003.06) or annular fill (12-003.08B). (See Figures 6 and 7)
12-005.02A3
Above Ground
Protection for Observation Wells: Non-steel cased wells completed
above ground must be enclosed with a 5-5/8 inch minimum metal casing/sleeve,
buried a minimum of 2-1/2 feet below the ground surface, and covered with an
overlapping, vandal-resistant secured metal cap.
12-005.02B
Cased Wells with an OD
Larger than 6-5/8 Inches
12-005.02B1 The casing must extend a minimum
of 6 inches above the grade of the land surface. (See Figure 8)
12-005.02B2 The well must have a concrete pad
a minimum of 40 inches by 40 inches by 8 inches thick. Prefabricated slabs are
acceptable. The concrete must contact the entire circumference of the casing.
(See Figure 8)
12-005.02C
The earth surrounding the well must slope away from the well and must be firmly
tamped to prevent settling around the casing. (See Figure 8)
12-005.02D Watertight steel casing must be a
minimum of 0.188 inch wall thickness.
12-005.02E Watertight non-steel casing must
be manufactured expressly for well casing and must meet the following specific
requirements:
1. Casing strength must not be
less than 160 pounds per square inch or Standard Dimension Ratio (SDR) 26 for
8-5/8 inch or less OD casing. Casing strength must not be less than schedule 40
for casing larger than 8-5/8 inches OD; and
2. Non-steel casing must bear the National
Sanitation Foundation (NSF) 61 stamp of approval.
12-005.02F Special Engineered (SE) plastic
piping systems must meet the requirements of 178 NAC 12-005.02E item
2.
12-005.02G Packaging of thread
compounds, sealants, and lubricants must bear the NSF 61 stamp of
approval.
12-005.03 Bored (Seep or Cistern) Wells must be constructed to the same minimum standards for non-potable wells with the following exceptions: (See Figure 3.)
12-005.03A Casing may be
concrete, tile, or other material approved in 178 NAC 12-003.04C;
12-005.03B The annular space must be filled
with gravel;
12-005.03C Watertight
casing is required and grout must be placed from 10 feet below the surface or
the static water level, whichever is less, to the surface or the bottom of the
pitless unit.
12-005.04 Open Hole Wells must be constructed to the same minimum standards for non-potable wells and in the following manner. (See Figure 4.)
12-005.04A The casing must extend
at least 2 feet into the open borehole. A seal must be created between the
casing and the lower borehole to ensure that the annular fill material remains
in the upper borehole. This can be accomplished by using a collar attached to
the casing, a drive shoe, or other sealing device.
12-005.04B A minimum 5 foot primary aquifer
seal must be placed in the annular space directly above the collar, drive shoe,
or other sealing device.
12-005.04C
Open Hole Wells in Multiple Aquifers must be
constructed to the same minimum standards for non-potable wells and must comply
with 178 NAC 12-005.04A and 12-005.04B. The screened section must be gravel
packed. The area of gravel pack must extend both above and below the screen for
a length equal to 2.5 times the diameter of the well. A minimum 5 foot primary
aquifer seal must be placed directly above the gravel pack. (See Figure
5.)
12-005.05 Wells Located in the Arikaree Formation Subject to Subsidence must be constructed to the same minimum standards as non-potable wells with the following exceptions. (See Figure 9)
12-005.05A The borehole for the surface
casing must allow for a uniform annular space of 4 inches or larger than the
surface casing;
12-005.05B A
minimum 6 inch annular space must exist between the surface casing and the well
casing to provide for gravel placement.
12-005.05C The metal surface casing must be a
minimum of 20 feet in length.
12-005.05D A minimum of 5 feet of concrete
must be placed between the borehole wall and the surface casing and allowed to
set, encasing the bottom 5 feet of surface casing.
12-005.05E A minimum layer of 5 feet of
non-slurry bentonite must be placed between the borehole wall and the surface
casing above the concrete, with an additional 5 feet of concrete placed on top
of the non-slurry bentonite. The concrete must be set prior to drilling inside
the surface casing.
12-005.05F The
metal gravel chute must be straight and a minimum of 6-5/8 inches OD. The top
of the chute must extend a minimum of 6 inches above the concrete pad and be
equipped with a vandal resistant, secure cover or cap. The bottom of the gravel
chute must extend from the surface casing a minimum of 2 feet below grade. The
gravel chute and the upper 5 feet of surface casing must be encased in
concrete.
12-005.05G The concrete
pad must extend a minimum of 12 inches beyond the surface casing borehole and
be a minimum of 5 feet by 5 feet which surrounds the gravel chute. The
thickness must be a minimum of 12 inches above grade and an additional minimum
of 12 inches below grade within the boreholes.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Nebraska may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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