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Underground Injection Control in the Southeast
National Information
Underground Injection Control (UIC) was established to protect the nation's fresh water aquifers from contamination by injection operations.
What is an injection well?
UIC regulations define a well as "a bored, drilled, or driven shaft whose depth is greater than the largest surface dimension; or, a dug hole whose depth is greater than the largest surface dimension; or, an improved sinkhole; or, a subsurface fluid distribution system." Well injection is then defined as " the subsurface emplacement of fluids through a well.
There are five classes of injection wells which are identified by the type of waste they inject and where the waste is injected.
Which underground waters are protected?
The UIC Program protects any aquifer or portion of an aquifer which supplies a public water system or contains a sufficient quanitity of groundwater to supply a public water system, is currently supplying drinking water for human consumption, or which contains fewer than 10,000 mg/L total dissolved solids. An aquifer protected under the UIC Program is called an underground source of drinking water.
Who regulates injection wells in southeastern States?
UIC programs are direct implementation programs
that are federally administered by EPA Regional Offices or primacy
programs that are administered by State agencies which have been delegated
primary enforcement authority. In some cases, the UIC program may consist
of a State-administered program applicable to some classes of injection wells,
and a federally administered program applicable to other classes of wells.
Federal regulations establish requirements for federally administered programs,
and establish minimum requirements for State-administered programs. EPA has
oversight responsibility for delegated programs.
The UIC programs for Kentucky, Tennessee, and all Indian
lands are direct implementation programs administered by EPA Region 4.
UIC Programs in Alabama, Georgia,
Mississippi, North Carolina,
and South Carolina are primacy programs administered
by one or more State agencies. Florida Class II wells
are regulated by EPA Region 4. All other well classes
in Florida are regulated by the State of Florida.
| State | Class I | Class II | Class III | Class V |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama (primacy) | 243 | 4 | 365 | |
| Florida (shared) | 180 | 64 | 54,700 | |
| Georgia (primacy) | 7,300 | |||
| Kentucky (direct implementation) | 1 | 3,425 | 11,400 | |
| Mississippi (primacy) | 5 | 904 | 1,025 | |
| North Carolina (primacy) | 19,000 | |||
| South Carolina (primacy) | 13,600 | |||
| Tennessee (direct implementation) |
13 | 1,720 | ||
| Indian Lands (direct implementation) |
72 |
| Note: Class IV wells were banned on July 18, 1980. |
Do you conduct an activity which is regulated by the UIC Program?
Operators of businesses which use Class I, Class II, or Class
III wells should be aware of the underground injection component of their
business operation. However, operators of Class V wells may not realize their
activity is regulated under the UIC program. Generally, any dug hole or well
that is deeper than its largest surface dimension, with the principal function
of the hole being the emplacement of fluids, is covered by UIC regulations.
Specifically included are septic systems with the capacity to serve more than
20 persons per day and which receive sanitary wastes from multiple family
residences or non-residential establishments. Specifically excluded are individual
or single family residential waste disposal systems such as domestic cesspools
or septic systems. More information about Class
V wells is available from the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
If you are unsure whether your well or injection activity is covered under
UIC regulations, please contact the specific UIC program identified above.