N.J. Admin. Code § 7:9D-2.2

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 8, April 15, 2024

Section 7:9D-2.2 - General construction and maintenance requirements for all wells

(a) The following general construction requirements shall apply to the construction of all categories of wells pursuant to the Act:

1. A New Jersey licensed well driller shall be on-site and directly supervise each well drilling operation, and there shall be one licensed well driller of the proper class on site for each well drilling rig on site;

2. All water used in the construction, alteration, repair or decommissioning of any well shall be of potable quality;

3. All well drilling rigs, tools, pipe and other drilling equipment shall be maintained in a clean and operational state to prevent contamination to the well or work site;

4. The Department may prohibit for use in the construction or maintenance of any well any material or equipment that may pose a hazard to public health or the environment;

5. Any hazardous waste, including, but not limited to, contaminated casing, cuttings, sediment, displaced water, or free product, generated during the drilling procedure shall be handled in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26G;

6. No existing well shall be built over by any realty improvement that would inhibit access to the well for any repair, replacement or decommissioning;

7. When permanent casing is to be driven into an undersized borehole, the borehole diameter shall be less than the inside diameter of the casing;

8. A drive shoe shall be placed on casing that is to be driven, and granular or powdered sodium-based bentonite shall be hydrated and pooled around the outside perimeter of the casing to create a protective barrier while drilling;

9. When casing is to be installed into an oversized borehole, the borehole diameter shall be at least four inches greater than the inside diameter of the well casing to be installed, except for the following:

i. Category 3 environmental resource and geotechnical wells, which must be constructed in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:9D-2.4(d); and

ii. Category 5 closed loop geothermal wells, which must be constructed in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:9D-2.5;

10. Where applicable, all annular space between well casings, and the annular space between any casing and borehole, shall be sealed immediately following the setting of the well casing, but no later than 24 hours after the well casing has been set in place. In unconsolidated formations, a head of drilling fluid shall be maintained in the borehole and the well driller shall ensure that the entire annular space to be sealed is clear of obstruction(s);

11. A temporary outer casing of the same inner diameter as the oversized borehole may be installed to prevent cave-in provided the temporary casing is removed, if possible, during the sealing of the annular space;

12. A well shall not be screened or gravel packed in more than one water bearing unit as determined by the Department or across a confining unit unless explicitly authorized in a permit issued pursuant to this chapter in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:9D-2.8;

13. Until construction of the well is completed, adequate protection shall be provided for the top of the borehole and/or the top of the well casing to prevent surface contamination from entering the well and to prevent a safety hazard during the drilling operation and when the well driller is not at the drilling site;

14. When the drilling of a borehole for any well is suspended, the borehole shall be considered abandoned and subject to the decommissioning requirements in N.J.A.C. 7:9D-3.

i. Boreholes or partially constructed wells that are deemed to be inadequate for the intended use by the driller shall be immediately decommissioned in accordance with the requirements of N.J.A.C. 7:9D-3.

ii. Removal of the drilling rig from the borehole or incomplete well shall be allowable to conduct geophysical and hydraulic testing, to change or repair drilling equipment, to enable the driller to accommodate changes in material or drilling methods, or to allow for the curing of grout.

15. Once the well has been installed, the well casing shall be securely capped until the well is placed in service or until the well is properly decommissioned. The cap shall be threaded onto the casing, or be a friction type device which locks onto the outside of the casing, or a blank sanitary well seal, or any other equivalent type of cap as may be approved by the Department;

16. All flowing wells shall be equipped with a water-tight cap which is threaded, slip-on or welded, and a control valve or necessary appurtenances to protect the integrity of the well construction and/or wellhead.

i. There shall be no overflow of water from the well which may become a public nuisance or violate any other New Jersey State law or regulation;

17. Unsuitable or non-productive wells that cannot be used for their intended purpose shall be decommissioned in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:9D-3. These include, but are not limited to, wells which are abandoned during construction, are contaminated, exhibit a loss of supply or are damaged;

18. If the Department determines that any well system, or any appurtenance thereto, is not being properly maintained, or has deteriorated to such an extent that contamination might enter the well or enter the groundwater or constitute a physical hazard, the Department may order the property owner to hire a well driller to perform work on the well system or appurtenances thereto as is deemed necessary to prevent contamination of the groundwater or mitigate the physical hazard;

19. When permanent well pumping equipment is required for any well, all installation or replacement work shall be performed by a pump installer or master journeyman, or journeyman (Class B) well driller. All such work shall conform with the standards set forth at N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.16 and 13:31-3;

20. Any portion of a borehole that is drilled into a confining layer or through a confining layer where the deeper aquifer will not be used, or any portion of a borehole that will extend 20 feet or more below the bottom of the completed well, shall be considered abandoned and that portion of the borehole shall be decommissioned prior to the completion of the well in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:9D-3; and

21. The State well permit number shall be prominently displayed and permanently affixed to each Category 1, 2, and 3 well, in addition to the site-specific well identification number set forth on the approved well permit application (for example, MW-1).

(b) The following additional construction requirements shall apply to the construction of any well pursuant to the Act that is installed in an area of known or suspected contamination or where there is known or suspected salt water intrusion:

1. Wells that will traverse through a known or suspected contaminated area into a lower water bearing unit shall be double-cased. The outer-most well casing shall be constructed into the first significant confining layer which separates the water supply from any such contamination. This casing shall extend at least 20 feet into the confining layer or to the base of the confining layer;

2. All wells with casing that extends through known or suspected salt water into fresh water shall be double-cased; and

3. The annular space between the casing and borehole shall be sealed in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:9D-2.9 and 2.10. The annular space between all subsequent well casings installed shall also be permanently sealed to protect all underlying aquifers.

N.J. Admin. Code § 7:9D-2.2

Amended by 50 N.J.R. 171(a), effective 1/2/2018

Amended by 53 N.J.R. 1489(a), effective 9/7/2021