Groundwater Advisory Unit

Effective December 16, 2013, the Surcharge listed in Statewide Rule 78 will apply to the Groundwater Advisory Unit (GAU) Expedite Fee.  The basic Expedite Fee is $75. The 150 percent surcharge is $112.50. The GAU Expedite Fee with Surcharge is a total of $187.50.

The GAU provides tthree types of letters of groundwater determination letters.

Groundwater Protection Determination

• This type of groundwater protection determination letter, where possible, provides top and bottom of fresh water [less than 1,000 mg/L total dissolved solids (TDS)] and
• Base of usable-quality groundwater (3,000 mg/L TDS and other waters known to be used or identified as sources of desalinization water).
• This type of groundwater protection determination is used for new drills, cathodic protection, re-entry, well integrity test, microseismic boreholes, injection into a producing zone, plug and abandon,  and conversion of an oil and gas well to a water well.

Groundwater Protection Determination for Saltwater Disposal Wells

• This type of groundwater protection determination letter provides the base of the underground source of drinking water (less than 10,000 mg/L TDS) and
• Verifies geologic isolation from the base of usable-quality groundwater.

Groundwater Protection Determination for Seismic Survey

• This type of groundwater protection determination letter provides a range of depths for the base of usable-quality groundwater across the seismic survey.