Current through Register Vol. 24-06, March 15, 2024
In order to receive rule authorization, your well must meet the
nonendangerment standard (see WAC
173-218-080 and
173-218-090 ) and must be
registered with the department unless otherwise noted below. If your UIC well
is rule authorized, it does not need a state waste discharge permit to operate.
Rule authorization can be rescinded if a UIC well no longer meets the
nonendangerment standard of this chapter.
(1) Registering your UIC well:
(a) The UIC well owner or operator must
register the UIC well with the department and the wells only need to be
registered once. Registration forms are available for single and multiple sites
and can be found on the department's web site at
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/grndwtr/uic.
When completing the form, the following information must be included:
(i) Operator/owner information;
(ii) Site location;
(iii) Best management practices used to
protect groundwater quality;
(iv)
UIC well description;
(v) Other
information the department determines is necessary to meet the nonendangerment
standard.
(b) Owners of
UIC wells used to manage storm water must:
(i)
Complete a well assessment for existing wells (see WAC
173-218-090 ) except for UIC
wells authorized for use at CERCLA facilities; and
(ii) Provide to the department an annual
update on any well status changes, such as a change in the legal owner or if
the well has been closed, after the initial well registration is sent to the
department.
(c) Owners
of existing UIC wells that are not used for storm water management must
complete a survey provided by the department except for wells in WAC
173-218-100 and UIC wells
authorized for use at CERCLA facilities.
(d) UIC wells on tribal land must be
registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10. Tribal land
means the land within Indian reservations and federal land located
off-reservation which is held in trust for Indians, unless specifically
delegated by EPA.
(e) UIC wells at
single-family homes that only receive residential roof runoff, or are used to
control basement flooding, do not have to register with the
department.
(f) Septic systems that
serve twenty or more people per day or an equivalent design capacity of 3,500
gallons or larger per day that receive operating permits, meet the requirements
and are permitted in accordance with chapter 246-272B WAC Large on-site sewage
system regulations will be registered after the Washington state department of
health provides to the department:
(i)
Registration information for all systems with valid operating permits as of the
effective date of this chapter; and
(ii) Annual updates on newly permitted
systems and closed systems.
(g) The following types of Class V UIC wells
that require an associated permit still need to register with the department:
(i) Aquifer recharge wells that meet the
requirements and are permitted in accordance with chapter 173-157 WAC
Underground artificial storage and recovery;
(ii) Septic systems that serve twenty or more
people per day or an equivalent design capacity of 3,500 gallons or larger per
day that meet the requirements and are permitted in accordance with chapter
246-272A WAC On-site sewage systems;
(iii) UIC wells used for geothermal fluid
return flow into the same aquifer and that meet chapter 173-200 WAC Water
quality standards for groundwaters of the state of Washington and chapter
173-216 WAC State waste discharge permit program requirements; and
(iv) UIC wells that are used as part of a
reclaimed water project that meet the requirements of the water reclamation and
reuse standards as authorized by
RCW
90.46.042.
(2) The department will determine if the UIC
well is rule authorized based on the information provided in the registration
packet and will take one of the following actions within sixty days:
(a) Provide written notification that your
UIC well is registered and rule authorized;
(b) Contact you or conduct a site visit if
additional information is needed;
(c) Provide written notification if rule
authorization of your UIC well is denied. The denial letter will include one of
the following:
(i) Written notification that
improvements to your on-site practices are needed to meet the nonendangerment
standards for rule authorization;
(ii) Written notification indicating that you
must decommission the UIC well (see WAC
173-218-120 ); or
(iii) Written notification indicating that
you will have to apply for a state waste discharge permit to operate your UIC
well under chapter 173-216 WAC State waste discharge permit program.
(d) If you do not hear from the
department within sixty days, the well will be automatically
registered.
(3) Class IV
wells that are not prohibited (see WAC
173-218-040 ) are rule
authorized, after the UIC well is registered, for the life of the well if such
subsurface emplacement of fluids is authorized under the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act or the Resource
Conservation Recovery Act, 40 C.F.R.
144.23(c).
Statutory Authority:
Chapters
43.21A and
90.48 RCW. 06-02-065 (Order 01-10),
§ 173-218-070, filed 1/3/06, effective 2/3/06. Statutory Authority:
RCW
43.21A.445. 84-06-023 (Order DE 84-02),
§ 173-218-070, filed 2/29/84.