Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers
- At their meeting held October 18, 2006, the Texas Commission of Licensing
and Regulation adopted amendments to 16 Texas Administrative
Code, Chapter 76, §§76.10, 76.204, 76.205, 76.206, 76.1000, 76.1004, and
76.1005; new rule §76.250; and the repeal of §76.220 and §76.910
regarding the water well drillers and water well pump installers program.
The amendments, new rules, and repeals update statutory references, conform rule requirements to current law; reorganize certain provisions for greater clarity and readability; delete unnecessary provisions, and add continuing education requirements that are consistent with 16 TAC, Chapter 59 regarding continuing education providers and courses.
The rule adoption was filed with the Texas Register on November 9, 2006, and will be published in the November 24, 2006, issue of the Texas Register. The effective date of the rules is December 1, 2006.
- The Clearwater Groundwater District has created a cost sharing program for the plugging of abandoned wells (read more)
- Report an Abandoned Well
- Review the Status of an Abandoned Well Complaint
- Abandoned Well Determination Checklist
- TDLR fined a Springtown water well driller $1,000 for failing to file required water well drilling reports for two Azle-area water wells for which the driller accepted payment but later denied that he had drilled
- Abandoned or Deteriorated Wells
- Rules Reminder
- Continuing Education on Videotape
The Water Well Drillers/Pump Installers
(WWD) program staff of TDLR's Compliance Division are being
temporarily relocated to
the 10th floor of the Stephen F. Austin state office building. The
Stephen F. Austin Building is located in downtown Austin at 1700 North
Congress in the capitol complex and just a few blocks north of the
State Capitol.
All correspondence, plans, well and plugging reports should continue
to be sent to TDLR headquarters located at 920 Colorado, P.O. Box 12157,
Austin, TX 78701. Contact phone numbers and e-mail will remain the same.
NOTE: If you have trouble reaching persons from the WWD program
during this transition, please contact TDLR Customer Service at (800)
803-9202.
Rules Reminder
Remember if your plugging a well that is high in chlorides (salt) you need to use cement instead of bentonite. Bentonite will not set up properly in water high in chlorides. (76.1001. Technical Requirements - Standards of Completion for Water Wells Encountering Undesirable Water or Constituents)
TDLR is making the switch from paper to plastic. All electricians, auctioneers and water well drillers or pump installers who renew their licenses will receive, instead of a traditional paper license, an embossed plastic license of the same size and shape as a credit card. The new card will go only to individuals who renew. Certificates issued to businesses, which typically are displayed in an office rather than carried in a wallet, will remain unchanged. (read more)
A Water Well Driller drills, bores, cores, or constructs a water well. It includes an owner, an operator, a contractor, and a drilling supervisor. A Pump Installer installs or repairs well pumps and equipment.
Abandoned and/or Deteriorated Wells
Abandoned and/or deteriorated wells not only serve as conduits or channels for contamination to reach groundwater, but these wells can also be a hazard to human and animal life.
What is an abandoned well? Below is the definition of an abandoned and a deteriorated well pursuant to Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1901, 255(a):
(1) "Abandoned well" means a well that is not in use. A well is considered to be in use if:
(A) the well is not a deteriorated well and contains the casing, pump, and pump column in good condition;
(B) the well is not a deteriorated well and has been capped;
(C) the water from the well has been put to an authorized beneficial use, as defined by the Water Code;
(D) the well is used in the normal course and scope and with the intensity and frequency of other similar users in the general community; or
(E) the owner is participating in the Conservation Reserve Program authorized by Sections 1231-1236, Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. Sections 3831-3836), or a similar governmental program.
(2) "Deteriorated well" means a well that, because of its condition, will cause or is likely to cause pollution of any water in this state, including groundwater.
More information about abandoned or deteriorated wells is available on the Frequently Asked Questions page. For more information about the Abandoned Well Notification Program, e-mail TDLR at abandoned.well@license.state.tx.us.
TDLR to Offer WWD/PI Continuing Ed On Videotape
All well drillers and pump installers in Texas who are regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) are required to obtain four hours of continuing education every year, and one hour of that training must be dedicated to the Water Well Driller/Pump Installer Statutes and Rules.In the past, this requirement has meant that drillers and installers were required to attend a presentation given by a member of TDLR’s staff, sometimes traveling great distances at inconvenient times.
Soon, TDLR will be able to make it much easier for licensees to get the training they need.The Department is producing a presentation on videotape that licensees can view to meet their statute and rules continuing education requirement. The tape will be in VHS format and made available to all TDLR-approved continuing education providers.
“This will allow much more flexibility for our licensed well drillers and pump installers,” said William Kuntz, TDLR’s executive director. “Now, continuing education providers can offer a statute and rule course in conjunction with any TDLR-approved presentation, rather than waiting until TDLR staff can attend. This should make it much more convenient both for our providers and our licensees.”
The continuing education requirements help licensees to better serve consumers and the public by providing them with the opportunity to learn new technologies, products, drilling and pump installation procedures, troubleshooting, regulatory updates, business practices, and on-the-job safety guidelines.
The tape will be available only to TDLR-approved providers. To obtain a copy, contact TDLR’s Water Well Driller/Pump Installer Program at 512-463-7880 or water.well@license.state.tx.us, or the Education and Examination Division at education@license.state.tx.us.
For more information about the Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers program, e-mail TDLR at water.well@license.state.tx.us.