Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A)
All private water systems that are not providing the
source of water for human consumption, as defined in paragraph (CCC) of rule
3701-28-01 of the Administrative
Code, shall either be sealed or decommissioned in accordance with this rule or
maintained in strict compliance with all applicable requirements of this
chapter.
(B)
Upon completion of testing, a test hole shall either be
permanently sealed or converted into a well with the minimum installation of
well casing, grout, and cap, and the construction shall comply with all
applicable requirements of this chapter.
(C)
All dry holes
that are not being used as a private water system shall be sealed in accordance
with the provisions of this rule within ten days or may be converted to a
geothermal system and meet the requirements of paragraph (B) of this
rule.
(1)
All
uncased boreholes to be converted for geothermal use shall be protected with
primary casing immediately upon determination that the borehole is a dry hole
in order to prevent surface water infiltration.
(2)
All dry holes or
test holes to be converted for geothermal use shall be completed as a
geothermal well within the remaining time period of the permit.
(D)
When a
replacement private water system, or a public water system is installed, or a
connection is made to a public water system, any private water system that is
not providing the primary source of water shall be sealed or decommissioned
pursuant to the provisions of this rule within thirty days, unless the
following conditions can be met:
(1)
The private water system owner demonstrates to the
satisfaction of the board of health that the private water system(s) will not
cause or contribute to contamination of the ground water supply, present a
safety hazard, or present a public health nuisance;
(2)
Except for
conditions cited in this rule, the private water system is, and will be
maintained in compliance with this chapter;
(3)
Demonstration of
compliance for a well must include an ability to be tested, a water sample, the
presence of an operational pumping system and one or more of the
following:
(a)
A well log;
(b)
A downhole camera video survey;
(c)
A dye test;
or
(d)
An assessment performed by a registered private water
systems contractor or the board of health that the system meets the
requirements of this chapter.
(4)
A rainwater
cistern or hauled water storage tank being kept to retain water as a nonpotable
water source must:
(a)
Include an operational pumping system;
(b)
Provide no
physical cross connection to another water system in accordance with paragraphs
(F) and (G) of rule
3701-28-08 of the Administrative
Code; and
(c)
A rainwater cistern or hauled water storage tank being
kept to retain water as a non potable water source that meets the requirements
of this paragraph is exempt from the requirements of rule
3701-28-15 of the Administrative
Code for continuous disinfection and cyst filtration.
(5)
Plastic tanks
shall not be re-purposed as a room. A concrete rainwater cistern or hauled
water storage tank to be retained as a complete structure shall be:
(a)
Emptied of all
accumulated water;
(b)
Disconnected from all water collection
systems;
(c)
Disconnected from the distribution systems for the
pressure tank, all water treatment, and plumbing and provide no physical cross
connection in accordance with paragraphs (F) and (G) of rule
3701-28-08 of the Administrative
Code; and
(d)
Compliant with local building codes as follows:
(i)
Be determined to
be acceptable as a structure under local building codes; or
(ii)
For a concrete
rainwater cistern or hauled water storage tank beneath the foundation of a
dwelling or building, be determined by local building codes sealing the
rainwater cistern or hauled water storage tank in compliance with this rule
could compromise the integrity of the foundation.
(6)
All
rainwater cisterns and hauled water storage tanks that are permanently out of
service and not being kept by the property owner shall be:
(a)
Disconnected from
the distribution systems, the pressure tank, all water treatment, and plumbing
and provide no physical cross connection in accordance with paragraphs (F) and
(G) of rule
3701-28-08 of the Administrative
Code;
(b)
Disconnected from all water collection
systems;
(c)
Emptied of all accumulated water;
(d)
Rendered
non-watertight by removing at least one wall of the cistern or hauled water
storage tank, all or in part, to prevent the accumulation of
water;
(e)
Removed when possible, if a plastic tank;
and
(f)
Completely filled with an inert solid material to
prevent collapse.
(7)
Springs and ponds
no longer providing the source of water for a private water system shall be
decommissioned by disconnecting distribution systems from the pressure tank,
all water treatment, and plumbing and provide no physical cross connection in
accordance with paragraphs (F) and (G) of rule
3701-28-08 of the Administrative
Code.
(a)
Springs and ponds retained by the property owner as a non-primary potable water
source are exempt from the water treatment disinfection and filtration
requirements of rule
3701-28-15 of the Administrative
Code;
(b)
Ponds retained by the property owner as a non-primary
potable water source are exempt from the requirements of rule
3701-28-14 of the Administrative
Code; and
(c)
Springs retained by the property owner as a non-primary
potable water source are exempt from the requirements of 3701-28-13 of the
Administrative Code.
(E)
Except when a
private water system well is sealed, a completion form for decommissioning or
retaining a private water system no longer providing water for human
consumption as defined in paragraph (CCC) of rule
3701-28-01 of the Administrative
Code shall be filed with the board of health.
(F)
When the private
water system is no longer a source of water for human consumption as defined in
paragraph (CCC) of rule
3701-28-01 of the Administrative
Code due to the connection to a public water supply, installation of a backflow
prevention device containing a dual check valve assembly meeting the
requirements of American society of sanitary engineering (ASSE) standards 1013
or 1015 is required.
(G)
Except as provided in paragraph (I) of this rule, the
owner of property on which a permanently out of service well or other private
water system is located shall be responsible for the sealing of the well or
decommissioning of the other private water system, unless a written contract
between the property owner and a registered contractor provides
otherwise.
(H)
If the department determines that a registered
contractor has improperly located or constructed a private water system, the
water system contractor shall be responsible for sealing the well or
decommissioning the other private water system or bringing the private water
system into compliance.
(I)
Information regarding the construction characteristics
of the well or dry hole shall be obtained by the registered contractor
intending to perform the work prior to the sealing of the well or dry hole.
This information may be obtained from one or more of the following:
(1)
The well log and
drilling report filed in accordance with section
1521.05 of the Revised Code;
or
(2)
Surveys of the well or dry hole completed by using a
borehole video camera, casing depth indicator, or caliper
log.
(J)
Sealing materials approved for use in rule
3701-28-09 of the Administrative
Code shall be used to seal private water systems, test wells and dry
holes.
(K)
Except for shallow sand point wells where the entire
casing is removed, all wells to be sealed, dry holes, or test wells shall be
sealed in accordance with the following requirements, as applicable:
(1)
To the extent
possible, all obstructions should be removed from the well including pumps and
related equipment, drop pipes, pitless adapters, suction lines, trash or other
debris. Pumps that cannot be removed shall be pushed to the bottom of the well
if possible, or left in place if it is not possible to push it to the bottom of
the well.
(2)
Well casing may be left in place, or may be removed,
ripped or perforated to allow for sealing of the annular space. Unless
permanently attached, all liner pipe should be removed from the well prior to
placement of sealing materials. If the well casing or liner pipe is left in
place, the private water systems contractor must ensure that grout materials
are able to penetrate all annular spaces.
(3)
If there is water
flowing from around the outside of the well casing or there is gravel packing
connecting two or more hydraulic zones the well shall be over
drilled.
(4)
Sealing materials authorized in rule
3701-28-09 of the Administrative
Code shall be placed in the well in accordance with the following
requirements:
(a)
During the placement of grout slurry by pressure
grouting methods, grout shall be placed from the bottom of the well or dry hole
upwards in one continuous operation until cement or bentonite based grout of
approximately the same density as the grout being pumped is coming out of the
top of the well or dry hole.
(b)
Cement and
concrete grout slurries may be gravity poured into a dry hole where no water is
present in the well or borehole.
(c)
Where the
borehole conditions, including depths at which water was encountered during the
drilling process, and geologic formations are known via a well log or a down
hole camera video recording, clean sand, gravel, or fire clay may be placed
adjacent to screened or aquifer zone(s) greater than ten feet below the bottom
of the casing and no closer than twenty-five feet below ground surface. If the
depth to the aquifer is unknown, then the entire well or borehole shall be
filled with concrete, coarse grade or pelletized bentonite. Well sealing must
ensure that no mixing of water between aquifers will occur.
(d)
When dry pouring
using course grade or pelletized bentonite the following requirements shall be
met:
(i)
Coarse
grade or pelletized bentonite shall be poured slowly into the top of the well
or dry hole to prevent bridging in the casing or borehole, in accordance with
the following procedures:
(a)
Coarse grade or pelletized bentonite shall be poured
over a wire mesh screen to keep the fine bentonite powder from entering the
well or dry hole.
(b)
Screened coarse grade or pelletized bentonite shall be
poured at a continuous rate no faster than the manufacturer's recommendation or
two minutes per fifty pounds.
(c)
The pouring
process shall be halted intermittently to lower a weighted measuring tape into
the well to determine the top of the sealing products and confirm that bridging
has not occurred. A tamping device shall be used where possible to break any
bridges that may form.
(d)
Where the borehole or well is dry, the bentonite must
be periodically hydrated with water in accordance with the manufacturer's
requirements.
(ii)
Fine bentonite particles that accumulate in the
shipping container shall not be used.
(5)
After the grout
slurry sealing material has been placed into the well, dry hole or test hole
the sealing material shall assessed a minimum of twelve hours after placement
to determine whether any settling has occurred. If settling has occurred, then
additional grout shall be placed into the remaining void space.
(6)
The total volume
of sealing materials used to seal a well shall be not less than eighty per cent
of the total volume of the space to be filled.
(7)
Any remaining
casing shall be cut off to a minimum depth of two feet below grade where
possible. If a casing is terminated in a cement floor or structure, the casing
may be cut off level to the grade of the cement floor or structure and finished
with a level concrete pour.
(8)
Well pits shall
be removed by collapsing at least one wall, breaking up the floor, and removing
or disconnecting all drains, and backfilling the remaining void space with
native clay soils and graded to ensure water drains away.
(9)
The remaining
hole shall be filled with clean soil and graded to ensure that water drains
away from the sealed well or dry hole.
(10)
A well sealing
report as required under section
1521.05 of the Revised Code
shall be filed with the board of health, the department of natural resources
division of geological survey, a copy provided to the well owner, and a copy
retained by the registered contractor.
(L)
Shallow sand
point wells where the entire casing is removed, and the resulting formation
collapse will restore the aquifer to its natural state shall be sealed in
accordance with the following requirements:
(1)
The entire length
of casing shall be removed,
(2)
A minimum of a
one-foot radius around the location of the well casing shall be excavated to a
minimum depth of two feet below grade and a one foot thick layer of coarse
grade or pelletized bentonite or concrete grout shall be added. The bentonite
shall be hydrated with five gallons of water per fifty pounds of bentonite if
the excavation is dry.
(3)
The remainder of the excavation shall be filled with
clean clay or native soils as appropriate for the site and graded to ensure
drainage away from the area.
(4)
A well sealing
report as required under section
1521.05 of the Revised Code
shall be filed with the board of health, the department of natural resources
division of geological survey, a copy provided to the well owner, and a copy
retained by the registered contractor.
(M)
In addition to
the requirements of paragraphs (B) to (K) of this rule, wells drilled through
multiple unconsolidated and consolidated aquifers that are not flowing at the
surface shall be sealed in accordance with one of the following requirements,
as applicable:
(1)
The well shall be pressure grouted using concrete grout
in accordance with paragraph (F) of rule
3701-28-09 of the Administrative
Code or bentonite grout in accordance with paragraph (G) of rule
3701-28-09 of the Administrative
Code.
(2)
If the well is less than two hundred feet deep and
greater than or equal to four inches in diameter or if the well is less than
one hundred feet in depth and less than four inches in diameter, coarse grade
bentonite may be poured into the well in accordance with paragraph (H) of rule
3701-28-09 of the Administrative
Code.
(3)
If detailed construction and geologic data is
available, then clean sand, gravel, or fire clay may be placed adjacent to the
aquifer zones with grout placed adjacent to the confining units. The well shall
then be sealed from the top of the uppermost aquifer to the surface with cement
grout in accordance with paragraph (F) of rule
3701-28-09 of the Administrative
Code or bentonite grout in accordance with paragraph (G) of rule
3701-28-09 of the Administrative
Code.
(N)
For purposes of this rule "dug or bucket drilled well
or dry hole" means a well consisting of a large diameter hole, deeper than it
is wide, constructed into the ground, usually by hand, but if by mechanical
means, by methods other than drilling, jetting, auguring or boring, and within
which the side walls are supported by stone, brick, tiles or other similar
materials. In addition to the requirements of paragraphs (B) to (K) of this
rule, dug wells shall be sealed in the following manner.
(1)
All loose debris,
drop pipes, pumps or other foreign materials shall be removed from the well as
practical.
(2)
Notwithstanding paragraph (K)(2) of this rule, the top
three feet of casing, wall or liner material shall be removed and the area
shall be excavated six inches beyond the original borehole;
(a)
The entire depth
of the dug well shall be filled with concrete, concrete mixes with aggregate
sizes greater than medium sand up to 3/4 inch gravel may be used for the
purposes of sealing a dug well; or,
(b)
the dug well
shall be sealed in the following manner:
(i)
The well or hole
shall be filled with gravel adjacent to the producing zone in the well. The
remainder of the well shall be filled with concrete, coarse grade or pelletized
bentonite, fire clay, clay, or cuttings to within fifteen feet of the natural
ground surface.
(ii)
A one foot thick layer of concrete, coarse grade or
pelletized bentonite shall be placed from fourteen to fifteen feet below the
natural ground surface.
(iii)
A one foot thick layer of coarse grade or pelletized
bentonite or concrete grout shall be added at the level at which the casing,
wall, or liner material was removed and shall extend beyond the outside
diameter of the well. The bentonite shall be hydrated with five gallons of
water per fifty pounds of bentonite if the well is dry.
(iv)
The remainder of
the borehole shall be filled with clean clay or native soils as appropriate for
the site and graded to ensure drainage away from the well.
(O)
In addition to the requirements of paragraphs (B) to
(K) of this rule, wells constructed using a bucket auger shall be sealed in the
following manner:
(1)
The well shall be sealed in accordance with paragraphs
(B) to (K) of this rule to within fifteen feet of the natural ground
surface.
(2)
All well casing, liner pipe and gravel pack shall be
removed to a depth of fifteen feet from the natural ground
surface.
(3)
The remaining borehole shall be filled with concrete,
coarse grade or pelletized bentonite or a two foot layer of concrete, coarse
grade or pelletized bentonite may be placed from thirteen to fifteen feet from
the natural ground surface and the remainder of the borehole filled with clean
clay or native fill material as appropriate for the site.
(4)
The surface shall
be graded to ensure drainage away from the well.
(P)
In addition to
the requirements of paragraphs (B) to (K) of this rule, wells that are flowing
shall be sealed in accordance with the following requirements, as
applicable:
(1)
If possible, the casing shall be extended until the flow of water over the top
of the casing stops.
(a)
The well shall be pressure grouted using concrete or
cement grout in accordance with paragraph (F) of rule
3701-28-09 of the Administrative
Code; or
(b)
When the flow can be controlled by extending the casing
and if the well is less than two hundred feet deep, a sufficient weight of
coarse grade or pelletized bentonite to permanently inhibit the natural flow
may be poured into the well in accordance with paragraph (H) of rule
3701-28-09 of the Administrative
Code.
(c)
If the casing was extended and is intended to be cut
off at the surface when the well has been sealed, then the concrete or cement
shall be allowed to setup, or the coarse grade or pelletized bentonite allowed
to fully hydrate prior to cutting off the casing extension.
(d)
Bentonite
slurries shall not be used for sealing flowing wells.
(2)
If the
hydrostatic head is too high to permit casing extension, one of the following
requirements shall be met:
(a)
An inflatable packer shall be installed at the top of
the producing formation to stop or restrict the flow of water. The well shall
then be pressure grouted using cement or concrete grout in accordance with
paragraph (F) of rule
3701-28-09 of the Administrative
Code through the packer from the bottom of the hole to the bottom of the
packer. The packer shall then be deflated and pressure grouting shall continue
to the surface;
(b)
A shut-in device shall be installed at the top of the
well to prevent flow.
A conductor pipe shall be inserted
through the shut-in device and the well shall be pressure grouted using cement
grout in accordance with paragraph (F) of rule
3701-28-09 of the Administrative
Code from the bottom of the well to the ground surface;
(c)
Clean, washed
gravel may be poured into the well to reduce the flow of water to a point where
an adequate weight of concrete or cement can still be placed to control the
flow. The well shall then be pressure grouted using cement grout in accordance
with paragraph (F) of rule
3701-28-09 of the Administrative
Code from the top of the gravel to the ground surface; or
(d)
Cement grout
slurries shall be used. Additives to increase the density of the cement may be
used to control the flow of water. Cement grout shall be placed in accordance
with paragraph (F) of rule
3701-28-09 of the Administrative
Code and appropriate placement techniques shall be used to ensure that
separation of the cement does not occur during the grouting
process.
(Q)
In addition to
the requirements of paragraphs (B) to (K) of this rule, wells drilled through
fractured or cavernous formations where the size of the fracture or cavern is
greater than one foot in thickness, or mine shafts shall be sealed in
compliance with the following requirements:
(1)
The depth and
thickness of the fractured, cavernous zone or mine shaft shall be determined,
if possible:
(a)
Where the fractured, cavernous zone or mine shaft is
greater than twenty-five feet from the ground surface, the borehole or well
below the fractured zone shall be sealed in accordance with this rule and a
plug consisting of a packer, shale basket, or other similar device shall be
installed above the fractured or cavernous formation, with grout materials
placed above the plug to the ground surface, or the intersection of the
borehole or well and the fractured or cavernous zone shall either be filled
with clean disinfected gravel, or left open, and the remainder of the borehole
sealed to the ground surface.
(b)
Where the
fractured, cavernous zone or mine shaft is less than or equal to twenty-five
feet from the ground surface, then the borehole or well shall be filled with
cement grout with additives that promote bridging across the fractured,
cavernous zone or mine shaft.
(2)
The remainder of
the well or borehole shall then be grouted in accordance with this
chapter.
Replaces: 3701-28-17
