Utah Admin. Code 655-4-2
ABANDONED WELL - any well which is not in use and has been sealed or plugged with approved sealing materials so that it is made unproductive and shall prevent contamination of groundwater. A properly abandoned well will not produce water nor serve as a channel for movement of water from the well or between water bearing zones.
ADDRESS - the current residential or business address of a well driller as recorded in the Division's files.
ADJUDICATIVE PROCEEDING - means, for the purposes of this rule, an administrative action or proceeding initiated by the Division in conjunction with an Infraction Notice; or an administrative action or proceeding initiated in response to a well driller's appeal or a Cease and Desist Order or an appeal of a restriction or denial of a license renewal application.
AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS INSTITUTE (ANSI) - a nationally recognized testing laboratory that certifies building products and adopts standards including those for steel and plastic (PVC) casing utilized in the well drilling industry. ANSI standards are often adopted for use by ASTM and AWWA. Current information on standards can be obtained from: ANSI, 1430 Broadway, New York, NY 10018 (ANSI.org).
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS (ASTM) - an independent organization concerned with the development of standards on characteristics and performance of materials, products and systems including those utilized in the well drilling industry. Information may be obtained from: ASTM, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19013 (ASTM.org).
AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION (AWWA) - an international association which publishes standards intended to represent a consensus of the water supply industry that the product or procedure described in the standard shall provide satisfactory service or results. Information may be obtained from: AWWA, 6666 West Quincy Avenue, Denver CO 80235 (AWWA.org).
ANNULAR SPACE - the space between the outer well casing and the borehole or the space between two sets of casing.
AQUIFER - a porous underground formation yielding withdrawable water suitable for beneficial use.
ARTESIAN AQUIFER - a water bearing formation that contains underground water under sufficient pressure to rise above the zone of saturation.
ARTESIAN WELL - a well where the water level rises appreciably above the zone of saturation.
BACKFLOW PREVENTER - means a safety device, assembly, or construction practice used to prevent water pollution or contamination by preventing flow of a mixture of water or chemicals from the distribution piping into a water well or in the opposite direction of that intended. This includes check valves, foot valves, curb stops, or air gaps
BENTONITE - a highly plastic, highly absorbent, colloidal swelling clay composed largely of mineral sodium montmorillonite. Bentonite is commercially available in powdered, granular, tablet, pellet, or chip form which is hydrated with potable water and used for a variety of purposes including the stabilization of borehole walls during drilling, the control of potential or existing high fluid pressures encountered during drilling below a water table, well abandonment, and to provide a seal in the annular space between the well casing and borehole wall.
BENTONITE GROUT - a mixture of bentonite and potable water specifically designed to seal and plug wells and boreholes mixed at manufacturer's specifications to a grout consistency which can be pumped through a pipe directly into the annular space of a well or used for abandonment. Its primary purpose is to seal the borehole or well to prevent the subsurface migration or communication of fluids.
CASH BOND - A type of well driller bond in the form of a certificate of deposit (CD) submitted and assigned to the state engineer by a licensed driller to satisfy the required bonding requirements.
CASING - a tubular retaining and sealing structure that is installed in the borehole to maintain the well opening.
CATHODIC PROTECTION WELL - a well constructed for installing deep anodes to minimize or prevent electrolytic corrosive action of metallic structures installed below ground surface, such as pipelines, transmission lines, well casings, storage tanks, or pilings.
CEASE AND DESIST ORDER - means an order issued by the state engineer comprised of a red tag placed on a well rig at the well drilling location and a letter to the driller requiring that all well drilling activity at the well drilling location cease until the order is lifted.
CLOSED-LOOP HEATING-COOLING EXCHANGE WELL - means the subsystem of a geothermal heat pump system that consists of the drilled vertical borehole into the earth that is equipped with a heat exchange media conveyance loop tube, and is grouted from the bottom of the vertical borehole to the earth's surface at the drilling site. Construction of a geothermal heat pump loop well includes, in continuous order, drilling of the vertical borehole, placement of the loop tube to the bottom of the vertical borehole with the grout tremie, and grouting of the vertical borehole from the bottom of the vertical borehole to the earth's surface at the drill site. Closed-loop systems circulate a heat transfer fluid, such as water or a mixture of water and food grade, non-toxic anti-freeze, to exchange heat with the subsurface geological environment.
CONDUCTOR CASING - means the temporary or permanent casing used in the upper portion of the well bore to prevent collapse of the formation during the construction of the well or to conduct the gravel pack to the perforated or screened areas in the casing.
CONFINING UNIT - a geological layer either of unconsolidated material, usually clay or hardpan, or bedrock, usually shale, through which virtually no water moves.
CONSOLIDATED FORMATION - bedrock consisting of sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic rock such as shale, sandstone, limestone, quartzite, conglomerate, basalt, granite, or tuff.
DEFAULT ORDER - means an order issued by the Presiding Officer after a well driller fails to attend a hearing in a well driller adjudicative proceeding. A Default Order constitutes a Final Judgment and Order.
DEWATERING WELL - a water extraction well constructed for lowering the water table elevation, either temporarily or permanently, around a man-made structure or construction activity.
DISINFECTION - or disinfecting is the use of chlorine or other disinfecting agent or process approved by the state engineer, in sufficient concentration and contact time adequate to inactivate or eradicate bacteria such as coliform or other organisms.
DIVISION - means the Division of Water Rights. The terms Division and state engineer may be used interchangeably in this rule.
DRAWDOWN - the difference in elevation between the static water level and the pumping water level in a well.
DRILL RIG - any power-driven percussion, rotary, boring, coring, digging, jetting, or augering machine used in the construction of a well or borehole.
EMERGENCY SITUATION - any situation where immediate action is needed to protect life or property. Emergency status would also extend to any situation where life is not immediately threatened but action is needed immediately and it is not possible to contact the state engineer for approval. For example, it would be considered an emergency if a domestic well needed immediate repair over a weekend when the state engineer's offices are closed.
FILES - means information maintained in the Division's public records, which may include both paper and electronic information.
FINAL JUDGMENT AND ORDER - means a final decision issued by the Presiding Officer on the whole or a part of a well driller adjudicative proceeding. This definition includes "Default Orders."
GRAVEL PACKED WELL - a well in which filter material such as sand or gravel is placed in the annular space between the well intakes, such as screen or perforated casing, and the borehole wall to increase the effective diameter of the well and to prevent fine-grained sediments from entering the well.
GROUNDWATER - subsurface water in a zone of saturation.
GROUT - a fluid mixture of Portland cement or bentonite with water of a consistency that can be forced through a pipe and placed as required. Upon approval, various additives such as sand, bentonite, and hydrated lime may be included in the mixture to meet different requirements.
HEATING-COOLING EXCHANGE SYSTEM - also known as GeoExchange, ground source heat pump, geothermal heat pump, and ground-coupled heat pump; a heat pump that uses the earth itself as a heat source, for heating, and heat sink, for cooling. It is coupled to the ground by a closed-loop heat exchanger installed vertically underground or by physically pumping water from a well with an open-loop systems and utilizing the thermal properties of the water to heat or cool.
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING - the process whereby water or other fluid is pumped with sand under high pressure into a well to fracture and clean-out the rock surrounding the well bore thus increasing the flow to the well.
INFRACTION NOTICE - means a notice issued by the Division to the licensee informing the licensee of an alleged act or acts violating this rule and the infraction points that have been assessed against the licensee.
ISSUED - means a document executed by an authorized delegate of the state engineer or by the Presiding Officer, in the case of a Hearing Notice, Final Judgment and Order or other order related to a well driller adjudicative proceeding, and deposited in the mail.
LICENSE - means the express grant of permission or authority by the state engineer to carry on the activity of well drilling.
LICENSED PUMP INSTALLER - means a qualified individual who has obtained a license from the Division and who is engaged in the installation, removal, alteration, or repair of pumps and pumping equipment for compensation.
LOG - means an official document or report that describes where, when, and how a regulated well was drilled, constructed, deepened, repaired, renovated, cleaned, developed, tested, equipped with pumping equipment, or abandoned. A Log shall be submitted to the Division by a licensee on forms provided by the Division including a Well Driller's Report, Well Abandonment Report, or Pump Installer's Report.
MONITOR WELL - a well, as defined under "well" in this section, that is constructed for determining water levels, monitoring chemical, bacteriological, radiological, or other physical properties of ground water or vadose zone water.
NATIONAL SANITATION FOUNDATION (NSF) - a voluntary third party consensus standards and testing entity established under agreement with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop testing and adopt standards and certification programs for all direct and indirect drinking water additives and products. Information may be obtained from: NSF, 3475 Plymouth Road, P O Box 1468, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 (NSF.org).
NEAT CEMENT GROUT -- cement, including types I, II, III, V, high-alumina, or a combination conforming to the ASTM C150-07 Standard Specification for Portland Cement, as incorporated by reference into this rule, or equivalent standard, with no more than six gallons of water per 94 pound sack, one cubic foot, of cement of sufficient weight density of not less than 15 lbs per gallon. One cubic yard of neat cement grout contains about 1993 pounds of Portland cement and not more than 127 gallons of clean water. Bentonite, controlled density fill, or fly ash shall not be added to neat cement grout unless state engineer approval is received.
NOMINAL SIZE - means the manufactured commercial designation of the diameter of a casing. An example would be casing with an outside diameter of 12 3/4 inches which may be nominally 12-inch casing by manufactured commercial designation.
OPEN-LOOP HEATING-COOLING EXCHANGE WELL - means a well system in which groundwater is extracted from a typical water production well and pumped through an above ground heat exchanger inside the heat pump system. Heat is either extracted or added by the primary refrigerant loop, which does not come into contact with the pumped water, and then the water is returned to the same aquifer by injection through the original extraction well or through a separate injection well.
OPERATOR - a drill rig operator or pump rig operator is an individual who works under the direct supervision of a licensed Utah Water Well Driller or Pump Installer and who can be left in responsible charge of regulated well drilling or pump installation or repair activity using equipment that is under the direct control of the licensee.
PARTY means the state engineer, an authorized delegate of the state engineer, the well driller, the pump installer, or the affected well owner.
PIEZOMETER - a tube or pipe, open at the bottom in groundwater, and sealed along its length, used to measure hydraulic head or water level in a geologic unit.
PITLESS ADAPTER - a commercially manufactured devise designed for attachment to a well casing which allows buried pump discharge from the well and allows access to the interior of the well casing for installation or removal of the pump or pump appurtenances, while preventing contaminants from entering the well. Such devices protect the water and distribution lines from temperature extremes, permit extension of the casing above ground as required in Subsection R655-4-11 (11.3.2) and allow access to the well, pump or system components within the well without exterior excavation or disruption of surrounding earth or surface seal.
PITLESS UNIT - a factory-assembled device with cap that extends the upper end of a well casing to above-grade and is o constructed as to allow for buried pump discharge from the well and allows access to the interior of the well casing for installation or removal of the pump or pump appurtenances, while preventing contaminants from entering the well. Such devices protect the water and distribution lines from temperature extremes, permit extension of the casing above ground as required in Subsection R655-4-11 (11.3.2) and allow access to the well, pump or system components within the well without exterior excavation or disruption of surrounding earth or surface seal.
POLLUTION - the alteration of the physical, thermal, chemical, or biological quality of, or the contamination of, any water that renders the water harmful, detrimental, or injurious to humans, animals, vegetation, or property, or to public health, safety, or welfare, or impairs the usefulness or the public enjoyment of the water for any or reasonable purpose.
POTABLE WATER - water supplied for human consumption, sanitary use, or for the preparation of food or pharmaceutical products which is free from biological, chemical, physical, and radiological impurities.
PRESIDING OFFICER - means an authorized delegate of the state engineer who conducts a well driller adjudicative proceeding.
PRESSURE GROUTING - a process by which grout is confined within the drillhole or casing by the use of retaining plugs or packers and by which sufficient pressure is applied to drive the grout slurry into the annular space or zone to be grouted.
PRIVATE WATER PRODUCTION WELL - a privately owned well constructed to supply water for any purpose which has been approved by the state engineer, such as irrigation, stockwater, domestic, commercial, industrial wells.
PROBATION - A disciplinary action that may be taken by the state engineer that entails greater review and regulation of well drilling activities but which does not prohibit a well driller from engaging in the well drilling business or operating well drilling equipment.
PROVISIONAL WELL - authorization granted by the state engineer to drill under a pending, unapproved water right, change or exchange application; or for determining characteristics of an aquifer, or the existence of a usable groundwater source. Water from a provisional well cannot be put to beneficial use until the application has been approved.
PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM SUPPLY WELL - a well, either publicly or privately owned, providing water for human consumption and other domestic uses which has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves an average of at least 25 individuals daily for at least 60 days out of the year. Public Water System Supply Wells are also regulated by the Division of Drinking Water in the Utah Department of Environmental Quality found in Title R309.
PUMP-PUMPING EQUIPMENT - means any equipment or materials utilized or intended for use in withdrawing or obtaining groundwater for any use.
PUMP INSTALLATION OR REPAIR - means the procedure employed in the placement and preparation for operation of pumps and pumping equipment at the water well location, including all construction or repair involved in making entrance to the water well, which involves the breaking of the well seal.
PUMPING WATER LEVEL - the water level in a well after a period of pumping at a given rate.
RECORD - means the official collection of all written and electronic materials produced in a well driller adjudicative proceeding, including Infraction Notices, pleadings, motions, exhibits, orders and testimony produced during the adjudicative proceedings, as well as the files of the Division.
RED TAG - is a component of a "CEASE AND DESIST ORDER" in the form of a red colored tag placed on a well at a well drilling location
REGISTRATION - means the express grant of permission or authority by the state engineer to carry on the activity of well drilling or pump installation under the supervision of a licensed well driller or pump installer.
REPAIRING, RENOVATING, AND DEEPENING -means the deepening, hydrofracturing, re-casing, perforating, re-perforating, installation of packers or seals, and any other material change in the design or construction of a well. Material changes include casing installation or modification including casing extensions, installation or modification of liner pipe, reaming or under reaming of the borehole, pitless unit installation or re-sealing.
REVOCATION - A disciplinary action that may be taken by the state engineer that rescinds the well driller's Utah Water Well Driller's License
SAND - a material having a prevalent grain size ranging from two millimeters to 0.06 millimeters.
SAND CEMENT GROUT - a grout consisting of equal parts by volume of cement conforming to ASTM C150-07, or equivalent standard, and clean sand or aggregate with no more than six gallons of water per 94 pound sack, one cubic foot, of cement.
SHALLOW WATER WELL - a horizontal or vertical excavation or opening into the ground at a depth of 30 feet or less made by digging, boring, excavating, drilling, jetting, augering, or driving or any other artificial method and left cased or open for pumping and utilizing adjacent shallow groundwater.
SHALLOW WATER WELL CONSTRUCTOR - any person who is licensed by the state engineer to construct and equip shallow water wells for compensation or otherwise. The licensed shallow water well constructor has total responsibility for the construction and equipping work in progress at the well drilling site.
STANDARD DIMENSION RATIO (SDR) - the ratio of average outside pipe diameter to minimum pipe wall thickness.
STATE ENGINEER - the director of the Utah Division of Water Rights or any employee of the Division of Water Rights designated by the state engineer to act in administering this rule. The terms Division and state engineer may be used interchangeably in this rule.
STATIC LEVEL - stabilized water level in a non-pumped well beyond the area of influence of any pumping well.
SURETY BOND - an indemnity agreement in a sum certain and payable to the state engineer, executed by the licensee as principal and which is supported by the guarantee of a corporation authorized to transact business as a surety in the state of Utah.
SUSPENSION - A disciplinary action that may be taken by the state engineer that prohibits the well driller from engaging in the well drilling business or operating well drilling equipment as a registered operator for a definite period or until certain conditions are met.
TEST WELL - authorization granted by the state engineer to drill under a non-production well approval for determining characteristics of an aquifer, or the existence of a usable groundwater source. Water from a test well cannot be put to beneficial use.
TREMIE PIPE - a device that carries materials such as seal material, gravel pack, or formation stabilizer to a designated depth in a drill hole or annular space.
UNCONSOLIDATED FORMATION - loose, soft, incoherent rock material composed of sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic rock which includes sand, gravel, and mixtures of sand and gravel. These formations are widely distributed and can have good water storage and transmissivity characteristics.
UNHYDRATED BENTONITE - dry bentonite consisting primarily of granules, tablets, pellets, or chips that may be placed in a well or borehole in the dry state and hydrated in place by either formation water or by the addition of potable water into the well or borehole containing the dry bentonite. Unhydrated bentonite can be used for sealing and abandonment of wells.
VADOSE ZONE - the zone containing water under less than atmospheric pressure, including soil water, intermediate vadose water and capillary water. The zone extends from land surface to the zone of saturation or water table.
WATERTIGHT - a condition that does not allow the entrance, passage, or flow of water under normal operating conditions.
WELL - a horizontal or vertical excavation or opening into the ground made by digging, boring, drilling, jetting, augering, or driving or any other artificial method and left cased or open for utilizing or monitoring underground waters.
WELL DRILLER - any person who is licensed by the state engineer to construct water wells for compensation or otherwise. The licensed driller has total responsibility for the construction work in progress at the well drilling site.
WELL DRILLER BOND - A financial guarantee to the state engineer, in the form of a surety bond or cash bond, by which a licensee binds to pay the penal sum of $5,000 to the state engineer in the event of significant noncompliance with this rule.
WELL DRILLING - the act of drilling, constructing, deepening, replacing, repairing, renovating, cleaning, developing, or abandoning a well.
Utah Admin. Code R655-4-2