Standards for Wells and Boreholes

  1. Law
  2. Georgia Code
  3. Conservation and Natural Resources
  4. Water Resources
  5. Wells and Drinking Water
  6. Water Well Standards
  7. Standards for Wells and Boreholes

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The following standards shall apply to all wells and boreholes:

  1. In the case of individual and nonpublic water wells:
      1. The well should be located as far removed, and in a direction opposite to the ground-water flow, from known or potential sources of pollutants as the general layout of the premises and surroundings permits; however, prior to actual construction, the water well contractor shall notify the county health department of the intent to drill a water well, providing such information as is required on forms prepared by the council. The well shall not be located in areas subject to flooding unless the well casing extends at least two feet above the level of the highest known flood of record. Except as otherwise provided in division (ii) of this subparagraph, all new wells must be located at least the following horizontal distances from the following structures:
    2. Not less than ten feet from a sewer line;
    3. Not less than 50 feet from a septic tank;
    4. Not less than 100 feet from a septic tank absorption field;
    5. Not less than 150 feet from a cesspool or seepage pit; and
    6. Not less than 100 feet from an animal or fowl enclosure.
      1. Any property owner may apply to the health department for a variance of the distances cited in this subparagraph due to extenuating circumstances. The owner shall provide for the health department written information explaining the need for a variance. The health department, upon considering the information provided and any other information it deems necessary, may issue a variance;
    7. Every well shall be protected against surface runoff;
    8. Every well shall be located so it will be accessible for cleaning, treatment, repair, testing, inspection, and such other maintenance as may be necessary;
    9. Water-bearing formations that are or are likely to be polluted shall be sealed off;
    10. No material shall be used in the well that will result in the delivered water being hazardous, toxic, or having objectionable taste or odor;
    11. Materials that are to be a part of the permanent well shall be durable and sufficient to protect the well against structural deficiencies during and after the construction and against the entrance of pollutants during the expected life of the well;
    12. The casing and liner pipe joints shall be watertight to the point of maximum drawdown in bored or driven wells and the entire length of the casing in drilled wells;
    13. The alignment in a drilled well shall be such that the installation and operation of the pump will not be impaired;
    14. All drill cuttings and other materials shall be removed from the entire depth of the well and the well shall be disinfected;
    15. The upper terminal of the well shall be protected by a sanitary seal or cover to prevent entrance of pollutants to the well;
    16. Any existing abandoned well or borehole shall be filled, sealed, and plugged by the present owner;
    17. The drilling contractor shall maintain in his or her office and shall furnish the owner a copy of the well construction data within 30 days of the well completion. The data shall include: name of the owner of the well, location of the well, size of pump installed if pump is installed by the drilling contractor, total depth of well, borehole diameter, casing depth, size and type of casing material, grouting information, static water level, pumping water level and yield if test pumped, confirmation of well disinfection and description of method used for disinfection, dates of well construction, name and address and state certificate number of pump installer if the contractor does not install the pump, name and address of contractor, and water well contractor's license number. Any estimate of gallons per minute of water that the well is expected to produce shall not be considered under any circumstances to be a guarantee of the quantity of the water produced by the well. The failure of any water well contractor to provide any of such written information shall subject such contractor to any applicable penalty by the council;
    18. A well having an open annular space between the casing and borehole shall be grouted and shall be filled with neat or sand-cement grout or other impervious material to prevent the entrance of pollutants or contaminants to the well. The following shall be considered minimum depths of seal below ground surface:
      1. Individual wells - ten feet;
      2. Nonpublic wells - 25 feet in igneous or metamorphic rock; and
      3. Nonpublic wells - 50 feet in sedimentary rock.

      For large diameter water wells cased with concrete pipe or other acceptable casing material, if the casing joints are not sealed, the annular space shall be grouted as specified above, and the annular space below the grout shall be filled with sand or gravel;

    19. All permanent casing, liners, and other manufactured material used in the well installation shall be new, unless otherwise approved in writing by the owner, and adequate to protect the well against entrance of pollutants or contaminants during the expected life of the well. The casing material shall be of steel, plastic, or concrete and meet nationally accepted standards for well casing. Sewer pipe shall not be used for individual or nonpublic water supply wells;
    20. The well screen, when used, shall be of a standard design and manufactured specifically for the purpose of the well construction, shall be of a strength to satisfactorily withstand chemical and physical forces applied to it during and after installation, shall be designed to permit optimum development of the aquifer with minimum head loss consistent with the intended use of the well, shall have openings designed to prevent clogging or jamming, and multiscreened wells shall not connect aquifers or zones which have differences in water quality that would result in deterioration of the water quality in any aquifer or zone;
    21. All gravel placed in a well to be used as a source of drinking water shall be clean, washed, free of organic matter, disinfected prior to emplacement, or provisions made for disinfection in place. The gravel pack material should consist mainly of silicious, well-rounded, smooth, uniform grain particles and of such size to prevent the formation material from entering the well;
    22. All individual and nonpublic wells producing water for drinking or food processing shall be disinfected following construction, repair, or when work is done on the pump, before the well is placed in service. The well and pumping equipment shall be disinfected with chlorine applied so that a concentration of at least 50 parts per million of chlorine shall be obtained in all parts of the well with a minimum contact period of two hours before pumping the well; and
    23. All individual and nonpublic wells shall be curbed at the surface by the owner with a watertight curbing of concrete at least four inches thick and extending at least two feet in all directions from the well casing and sloping away from the casing;
  2. All water wells constructed as sources of public water supply for a public water system as defined in Part 5 of this article, the "Georgia Safe Drinking Water Act of 1977," shall be constructed in accordance with the standards and rules and regulations established pursuant to said part;
  3. Irrigation wells shall be constructed in accordance with the standards established for individual and nonpublic wells except that the well does not require disinfection. The minimum depth of the grout seal shall be at least 20 feet below ground surface. Irrigation wells having casing of internal diameter of more than four inches and capable of producing 100,000 gallons of water per day or more shall be constructed only after the division has issued a letter of concurrence or a permit to the landowner;
  4. Industrial wells shall be constructed in accordance with the standards established for individual and nonpublic wells. The minimum depth of the grout seal shall be the same as for nonpublic wells;
    1. Wells and boreholes other than water wells shall be constructed:
      1. So that no toxic or hazardous material is used in or introduced to the borehole;
      2. So that water-bearing formations that are, or are likely to be, polluted shall be sealed off; and
      3. To prevent water of different qualities from migrating between zones or aquifers.
    2. Engineering boreholes shall be constructed under the direction of a professional engineer.
    3. Geologic boreholes shall be constructed under the direction of a professional engineer or a professional geologist.
    4. Monitoring wells shall be constructed under the direction of a professional engineer or a professional geologist and shall be constructed in accordance with the following minimum requirements:
      1. Well casing and well screens that are part of the monitoring well shall be durable and sufficient to protect the well against structural deficiencies during the construction and during the expected life of the well;
      2. The upper terminal of the monitoring well shall be protected by a sanitary seal or cover to prevent entrance of pollutants to the well;
      3. All casing and liner pipe joints shall be watertight for the entire length of the casing;
      4. The annular space around the well casing shall be grouted with impervious materials to prevent the entrance of interformational pollutants after due consideration of the local soil conditions, local geology, and the intended use of the well;
      5. The alignment of the well is such that the well may be pumped or sampled;
      6. All drilling equipment and tools shall be washed and steam cleaned immediately upon completion of any monitoring well located within 1,000 feet of any operating or abandoned sanitary landfill or hazardous materials facility or within 1,000 feet of any area where hazardous materials are known or believed to have been deposited, spilled, or discharged; and
      7. At least once every five years, the owner of the property on which a monitoring well is constructed shall have the monitoring well inspected by a professional engineer or professional geologist, who shall direct appropriate remedial corrective work to be performed if the well does not conform to standards.
    5. Dewatering wells to be constructed for the purpose of withdrawing 100,000 gallons or less of ground water on any one day shall be constructed under the direction of a professional engineer or a professional geologist and shall be constructed in accordance with the following minimum requirements:
      1. Well casing and well screens that are a part of the dewatering well shall be durable and sufficient to protect the well against structural deficiencies during the construction and against entrance of pollutants during the expected life of the well;
      2. The upper terminal of the dewatering well shall be protected by a sanitary seal or cover to prevent entrance of pollutants to the well;
      3. All casing and liner pipe joints shall be watertight for the entire length of the casing;
      4. The annular space around the well casing shall be grouted with impervious materials to prevent the entrance of interformational pollutants after due consideration of the local soil conditions and local geology; provided, however, that such grouting shall not be required if dewatering is to be accomplished by well points or a well point field;
      5. The alignment of the well shall be such that the installation and operation of the pump will not be impaired; and
      6. The dewatering well shall be pumped in a manner and rate to prevent significant loss of strength of nearby soil and rock.
    6. Seismic shot holes shall be constructed under the direction of a professional engineer or a professional geologist and shall be constructed in accordance with the following minimum requirements:
      1. Exclusive of explosives, no toxic or hazardous materials shall be used in or introduced to the shot hole;
      2. Materials that are to be a part of the seismic shot hole shall be durable and sufficient to protect the seismic shot hole against structural deficiencies during the construction and against entrance of pollutants during the expected life of the seismic shot hole;
      3. Prior to being charged with explosives, seismic shot holes shall contain temporary seals adequate to prevent the entrance of pollutants to any aquifer;
      4. Seismic shot holes shall not be charged with explosives more than 24 hours prior to detonation; and
      5. In the event explosives are not detonated within one year after reaching total depth, the seismic shot hole shall have all temporary seals removed and be completely plugged with impervious materials to prevent the entrance of pollutants to any aquifer.
    7. Geothermal boreholes that penetrate into ground water shall be grouted from bottom to top by forced injection using impervious grouting material designed for such purpose. Geothermal boreholes shall be constructed or located at a safe distance from any potential source of contamination. The minimum safe distance from the following sources of contamination shall be:
      1. Ten feet from sewer lines;
      2. Twenty-five feet from septic tanks;
      3. Fifty feet from septic drain fields;
      4. Ten feet from a connection between a house and a septic tank; and
      5. Ten feet from a connection between a house and a sewer line;
    1. A water well shall be considered as temporarily abandoned when its use has been interrupted for a period of more than one year and not more than three years. Such a well shall be sealed and the well maintained whereby it is not a source or a channel of contamination or pollution when not in service.
    2. A water well shall be considered as permanently abandoned when its service has been interrupted for a period of more than three years or it meets the definition of abandoned well as defined in this part. Such a well shall be filled, sealed, and plugged.
    3. Whenever a well or borehole is excavated for the exploration, testing, or use as a source of water supply but is no longer used for that purpose, it shall be the owner's responsibility to have the borehole filled, sealed, and plugged within 30 days of the excavation or disuse to protect against the entrance of pollutants into the subsurface.
    4. No abandoned water well or borehole shall be used for the purpose of disposing of any wastes or pollutants that may contaminate the ground water.
    5. All engineering boreholes, regardless of the depth limitations defined in paragraphs (3) and (8) of Code Section 12-5-122, which are located on property which is being used or is proposed to be used for the storage, manufacture, or processing of petroleum products, hazardous materials, hazardous wastes, industrial or municipal waste water, brines, or any other chemical substances, must be completely filled, sealed, and plugged within 30 days after the total depth is reached. Engineering boreholes which are in locations scheduled to be excavated, covered with pavement, or covered by the concrete foundation or basement of a building within two years after drilling need not be filled, sealed, and plugged. All other engineering boreholes must be filled, sealed, and plugged within 90 days after the total depth is reached. It shall be the responsibility of the person in charge of the borehole construction to ensure proper abandonment.
    6. Geologic boreholes which are in locations scheduled to be mined within two years after drilling need not be filled, sealed, and plugged. Other geologic boreholes shall be filled, sealed, and plugged within 30 days after drilling. It shall be the responsibility of the person in charge of borehole construction to ensure proper abandonment.
    7. Monitoring wells shall meet the requirements of abandonment as defined by this part unless they are declared temporarily abandoned. A monitoring well that is temporarily abandoned shall have a cap placed on it within 15 days of its temporary abandonment. It shall be the responsibility of the owner of the property on which the monitoring well is constructed to ensure proper abandonment of the well.
    8. Seismic shot holes shall be filled, sealed, and plugged within 60 days after the explosives have been detonated. It shall be the responsibility of the person in charge of the shot hole construction to ensure proper abandonment.
    9. Abandoned individual, nonpublic, public, irrigation, and industrial wells shall be filled, sealed, and plugged by a water well contractor licensed by the council.
    10. Abandoned engineering boreholes, geologic boreholes, dewatering wells, monitoring wells, and seismic shot holes shall be filled, sealed, and plugged under the direction of a registered professional geologist or registered professional engineer; and
  7. No well or borehole shall be drilled or used for the purpose of injecting any surface water into the Floridan aquifer in any county governed by the Georgia coastal zone management program provided by Code Section 12-5-327 before July 1, 2014.

(Code 1981, §12-5-134, enacted by Ga. L. 1985, p. 1192, § 1; Ga. L. 1986, p. 10, § 12; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1373, § 3; Ga. L. 2000, p. 458, § 2; Ga. L. 2001, p. 315, § 10; Ga. L. 2003, p. 607, § 7; Ga. L. 2009, p. 330, § 1/HB 552; Ga. L. 2010, p. 254, § 3/HB 1206.)

The 2010 amendment, effective July 1, 2010, substituted a period for a semicolon at the end of subparagraph (5)(F), and added subparagraph (5)(G).

Code Commission notes.

- Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 1985, "well" was substituted for "wells" following "abandonment of the" in the last sentence of subparagraph (6)(G).

Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 1986, a hyphen was inserted between "well" and "rounded" in subparagraph (1)(P).

Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 1992, "ground-water" was substituted for "ground water" in division (1)(A)(i) and "waste water" was substituted for "wastewater" in subparagraph (6)(E).

Editor's notes.

- Ga. L. 2009, p. 330, § 3/HB 552, not codified by the General Assembly, provides, in part, that the amendment to this Code section shall apply to wells or boreholes and drilling wells or boreholes on or after April 30, 2009.

Law reviews.

- For note on 2000 amendment of this Code section, see 17 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 29 (2000).

JUDICIAL DECISIONS

Jury instruction on duty to fill in wells properly denied.

- Trial court properly refused defendant's request for a jury charge on the duty to fill in abandoned wells since the requested charge was not accurate and was not adjusted to the evidence. McCoy v. State, 262 Ga. 699, 425 S.E.2d 646 (1993).

RESEARCH REFERENCES

ALR.

- Validity, construction, and application of lead limitations and "lead and copper" rule of Safe Drinking Water Act, 16 A.L.R. Fed. 3d 3.

Citizen's cause of action under Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C.A. § 300j-8, 16 A.L.R. Fed. 3d 4.


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