Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Natural Resources
NR 800 - Environmental Protection - Water Supply
Chapter NR 812 - Well Construction And Pump Installation
Subchapter III - Requirements for New Pump Installations and Water Treatment
Section NR 812.31 - Pitless adapters and pitless units

Universal Citation: WI Admin Code ยง NR 812.31

Current through August 26, 2024

Pump installers or persons installing pumps shall use pitless adapters or pitless units approved for use under s. NR 812.091 to make subsurface connections to wells. Nonpressurized conduits may not be used.

(2) GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.

(a) A pitless subsurface pipe connection to a well casing pipe shall be made with a weld-on, clamp-on, bolt-on or bolt-through pitless adapter or with a pitless unit, except that a bolt-through adapter may only be installed for a well constructed with polyvinyl chloride well casing pipe that has a permanently attached well screen. A weld-on adaptor or pitless unit shall be welded or threaded to the well casing pipe according to sub. (3) or (4). All welding shall be performed in accordance with s. NR 812.18. A pitless adapter or pitless unit shall be installed according to any approval conditions and according to the manufacturer's instructions.

(b) The inside diameter of a pitless unit may not be smaller than the inside diameter of the well casing pipe. No part of a pitless adapter may extend into the inside of the well casing pipe, except that a bolt-through pitless adapter may be installed for a well with polyvinyl chloride well casing pipe having a permanently attached screen.

(c) An above-ground discharge shall be provided for all school and high capacity wells except that a pitless unit or a weld-on pitless adapter may be installed if the welded or threaded joints are pressure tested for leakage using a packer and pressure gauge or by a comparable testing procedure. The adapter or unit joints shall be tested and proven watertight under a pressure of not less than 14 psi. A soap and water solution shall be applied to welds to identify any leaks, and all leaks shall be repaired with additional welding prior to starting the pressure test. The pressure shall be maintained for at least 30 minutes. The pump installer shall notify the department at least 24 hours before testing, so that a department employee may witness the test.

(d) An above-ground discharge shall be provided for crystalline (granite) bedrock wells approved for installation of 25 or less feet of well casing pipe. When installing the above-ground discharge, the required neat cement grout surrounding the well casing pipe may not be removed.

(3) PITLESS UNIT CONNECTIONS TO STEEL WELL CASING PIPE.

(a) When a well casing pipe is not terminated at the desired depth for the installation of a factory assembled pitless unit, the well casing pipe shall be cut off at the desired height, and the pitless unit may be welded or threaded and coupled to the top of the well casing pipe by one of the following methods as depicted in Figure 1 of ch. NR 812 Appendix:
1. Cutting off the well casing pipe squarely, providing a bevel for the top of the well casing pipe and welding the beveled end of the unit to the beveled end of the well casing pipe.

2. Cutting threads on the top of the well casing pipe with a pipe die and threading a full-standard recessed coupling watertight to the threaded end of the unit and to the top of the well casing pipe.

3. Welding a pipe nipple, having threads on one end, beveled on the other end and meeting the requirements specified in s. NR 812.11 (6), to the cut off top beveled end of the well casing pipe and threading a full-length standard recessed coupling watertight to the threaded end of the unit and to the nipple. The top of the well casing pipe and the bottom of the pipe nipple to be welded shall both have beveled ends. If the pitless unit has female threads, the unit may be threaded watertight directly to the threaded end of the nipple.

4. Reaming out the threads of a full standard recessed coupling, at least 1/3 the length of the coupling, and welding the coupling to the top of the cut-off well casing pipe with a fillet weld on the inside or the outside contact surface of the coupling.

(b) When installing a factory assembled pitless unit, the following restrictions shall be followed:
1. The threaded lower end of a pitless unit may not be welded to the cut-off end of a well casing pipe.

2. The threaded ends of a short model, factory-assembled pitless unit may not be welded to the top of a cut-off well casing pipe nor to the section of riser pipe extending from the unit to ground grade, except that the unit may be welded to the cut-off well casing pipe and to the riser pipe if the ends of the unit, the well casing pipe, and the riser pipe are cut and beveled according to par. (a) 1.

3. Factory-assembled pitless units, including those fabricated with pitless receiver tanks, may not be connected to the well casing pipe by means of a compressible joint.

(4) PITLESS UNIT AND PITLESS ADAPTER CONNECTIONS TO THERMOPLASTIC WELL CASING PIPE.

(a) Steel well casing pipe, pitless units or pitless adapters may not be welded after they are attached to thermoplastic well casing pipe. The thermoplastic coupling shall be threaded onto the pitless unit before it is solvent cemented to the top of the thermoplastic well casing pipe. Pitless unit connections for thermoplastic well casing pipe are depicted in Figure 2.

(b) Only approved lubricant specifically intended for use with thermoplastic well casing pipe may be used with threaded couplings used for pitless units and pitless adapters. A threaded joint shall be tightened no more than one full turn using a strap wrench.

(c) Threaded couplings may only be used for installation of pitless units or pitless adapters after placement of the well casing pipe.

(d) The portion of the well casing pipe above a short length pitless unit shall be steel or thermoplastic well casing pipe meeting the requirements specified in s. NR 812.11.

(e) When thermoplastic well casing pipe is extended above the ground surface, the thermoplastic pipe shall be of the type with inhibitors recommended for use in direct sunlight or shall be contained in a pumphouse or in an oversized steel pipe extending from below the frost depth to the top of the thermoplastic pipe.

(f) A permanent tag bearing the message "plastic well casing pipe" shall be attached to the top of the well.

(5) PITLESS RECEIVER TANKS. Pitless receiver units shall be approved for use under s. NR 812.091.

(a) Steel buried tanks that are part of a pitless unit shall have a minimum wall thickness of 1/4-inch and shall have an identifying seal, label, or plate showing the manufacturer's name and model number.

(b) An approval under s. NR 812.09 shall be obtained for the installation of a buried pitless receiver tank having a gross volume greater than 1,000 gallons.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Wisconsin 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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