New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 7 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Chapter 9D - WELL CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE; SEALING OF ABANDONED WELLS › Subchapter 1 - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PERMITTING OF WELLS, AND FOR LICENSING OF WELL DRILLERS AND PUMP INSTALLERS, PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES OF THE STATE WELL DRILLERS AND PUMP INSTALLERS EXAMINING AND ADVISORY BOARD › Section 7:9D-1.5 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
As used in this chapter, the following words and terms shall
				  have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates
				  otherwise:
"Abandoned well" means any well as defined in this section
				  which is not in use, is not properly maintained, or no longer serves its
				  intended use as demonstrated by the permit issued for its construction, or any
				  well which endangers or threatens the subsurface and percolating waters by the
				  intrusion of salt water or from any other cause, or endangers life.
"Act" means
				  N.J.S.A.
				  58:4A-4.1 through 29, as amended and
				  supplemented.
"Administrative authority" means the agency certified
				  pursuant to the County Environmental Health Act,
N.J.S.A.
				  26:3A2-21
et seq., or the local board of health having jurisdiction.
				  When water systems serve county, State, or Federal facilities, the
				  administrative authority shall mean the Department.
"Annular space" means the space between the well casing/well
				  screen and the wall of the borehole or, in the case of a multiple cased well,
				  all space(s) between casing(s) and all space between the outer casing and the
				  wall of the borehole.
"Appurtenance" means the instrument or equipment that is used
				  to treat water or aid in the functioning of the well system including, but not
				  limited to, water conditioning and treatment equipment, pipes, tanks, pumps,
				  control devices, valves, filtration, circulatory systems, and flow
				  centers.
"Aquifer storage and recovery well" or "ASR well" means a
				  well that is used to store water in an aquifer during periods of low water
				  demand and then recover the water for use during periods of high demand.
"Board" means the State Well Drillers and Pump Installers
				  Examining and Advisory Board established pursuant to the Subsurface and
				  Percolating Waters Act,
				  58:4A-4.1 et seq.
"Borehole" means the hole made by driving, jetting, coring
				  drilling, augering or other means into the ground for the purpose of
				  constructing a well pursuant to this chapter.
"Boring" or "soil boring" means any hole, any temporarily
				  cased hole, or any other such installation using direct-push methods that is
				  decommissioned pursuant to this chapter within 72 hours of completion.
"Boring log" means a description of the boring including, but
				  not limited to, the depth and nature of the material that has been penetrated,
				  water zones and any other data or information required by the Department under
				  this chapter.
"Building sewer line" means the pipe extending from the outer
				  wall of a building to a septic tank or approved place of disposal including a
				  public sewer, and the lines to all parts of the subsurface sewage disposal
				  system, except those classified as distribution lines.
"Casing" means a pipe or tubing installed into a borehole
				  during or after drilling to support the sides of the holes and prevent caving
				  or the entrance of water, gas or other fluid into the hole.
"Cesspool" means a covered pit with open-jointed lining into
				  which untreated sewage is discharged, the liquid portion of which is disposed
				  of by leaching into the surrounding soil, the solids or sludge being retained
				  within the pit.
"Closed loop geothermal well" means a well or a borehole
				  drilled to a specific depth either singly or in a series into which a
				  continuous closed loop of pipe is inserted for the purpose of non-contact
				  thermal energy transfer from a fluid in the loop to or from the earth.
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the Department of
				  Environmental Protection or his or her designee.
"Confining layer" means a layer of natural earth materials
				  having very low hydraulic conductivity that inhibits the movement of water into
				  and out of a water bearing zone. A confining unit may consist of one of more
				  confining layers.
"Consolidated formation" means a geologic formation where the
				  sands, gravels, clays or other similar materials have been lithified. These
				  rock formations will commonly remain stable around an open borehole without
				  caving.
"Continuing education point" or "CEP" means the unit of
				  training a licensed well driller or licensed pump installer has received
				  through a seminar, workshop, training course, college course, or other means to
				  satisfy continuing education requirements as approved by the Department.
"Coring" means drilling with a hollow bit and core barrel in
				  order to obtain a representative sample of the geologic formation.
"Days" means calendar days, unless otherwise
				  specified.
"Decommissioning" means the permanent closure or sealing of
				  any well in accordance with the procedures set forth in this chapter.
"Department" means the Department of Environmental
				  Protection.
"Dewatering system permit" means a permit to drill well(s)
				  for the installation, operation and abandonment of a dewatering well or
				  dewatering well point system for temporary construction dewatering projects
				  only.
"Dewatering well driller" means a person possessing a New
				  Jersey dewatering well driller's license pursuant to
N.J.A.C.
				  7:9D-1.7
and
1.8
.
"Dewatering well" or "dewatering wellpoint" means a well or
				  wellpoint installed for the removal of groundwater with the intent of
				  temporarily lowering the water table or aquifer level during construction
				  operations.
"Direct push" means the use of static force, hydraulic down
				  pressure, and percussion to advance a sampling tool into the subsurface for
				  collecting soil, soil gas, and groundwater samples or for injecting remediation
				  materials.
"Disposal field" means a disposal bed or a group of one or
				  more disposal trenches. The perimeter of the disposal field corresponds to the
				  perimeter of the disposal bed, or a line circumscribing the outermost edges of
				  the outermost disposal trenches and including the area between the disposal
				  trenches.
"Distribution box" means a watertight structure which
				  receives sanitary sewage effluent from a septic tank and distributes such
				  sewage effluent in equal portions to two or more pipelines leading to the
				  disposal field.
"Domestic well" means a Category 1 well as described in
				  7:9D-2.1(a)1, that
				  is used primarily to supply drinking and sanitary water supply for an
				  individual dwelling unit.
"Driven" means the action of driving or pounding of the well
				  casing vertically into the ground or the pounding of drive rods. This excludes
				  methods where the casing is rotating as it is being installed.
"Driving" means the pounding of the well casing into the
				  ground.
"Dry well" means a covered pit with open-jointed lining
				  through which drainage from roofs, basement floors or area-ways may seep or
				  leach into the surrounding soil.
"Elevator borehole well driller" means a person possessing a
				  New Jersey elevator borehole well driller's license pursuant to
N.J.A.C. 7:9D-1.7
and
1.8
.
"Environmental resource and geotechnical well driller" means
				  a person possessing a New Jersey environmental resource and geotechnical well
				  driller's license pursuant to
N.J.A.C.
				  7:9D-1.7
and
1.8
.
"Examination and CEP manager" means the Department or an
				  entity who has contracted with the Department to undertake the following tasks:
				  administration of the licensing exams required pursuant to this chapter;
				  development of study materials for licensing exams, maintenance of a database
				  that contains exam and licensing history; and a maintenance of continuing
				  education points for all licensees.
"Flowing well" means a well from which the water flows
				  upwards and out of the well without pumping due to natural or artificially
				  supplied underground pressure from air or other gas.
"Geologic log" means a description of the materials and
				  drilling conditions encountered during the drilling of a well or boring.
"Geophysical log" means the graphic or electronic record of
				  certain physical properties of material. Logs may include, but are not limited
				  to, measurement of spontaneous potential, resistivity, electro-magnetic
				  response, natural gamma radiation, temperature, caliper, water flow, velocity
				  (sonic) and induced nuclear methods such as gamma and neutron logs.
"GPM" means gallons per minute.
"Groundwater" means water below the land surface in a zone of
				  saturation.
"Grout" means any material approved by the Department for use
				  in sealing the annular space of a well during construction, or for sealing a
				  well during decommissioning.
"Hand dug well" means a manually excavated well of permanent
				  nature installed for water supply.
"Immediate on-site supervision" means that a New Jersey
				  licensed well driller of the proper class is present on-site during each entire
				  well drilling operation to oversee the work and performance of any person
				  engaging in or assisting with the operation of the well drilling machine or the
				  construction of any well. On site supervision does not include mobilization and
				  de-mobilization of the well drilling equipment.
"Injection well" means a well through which liquid or gas is
				  injected, under pressure or gravity flow, into the ground for the purpose of
				  disposing wastes, maintaining formation pressure, recharging the aquifer, or
				  environmental remediation.
"Jetting" means the use of a high pressure stream of air or
				  water to mobilize earth material in advance of penetrating, driving or lowering
				  of well casing into an aquifer.
"Journeyman (Class B) well driller" means a well driller
				  possessing a New Jersey journeyman (Class B) well driller's license pursuant to
N.J.A.C. 7:9D-1.7
and
1.8
.
"Journeyman well driller" means a well driller possessing a
				  New Jersey journeyman well driller's license pursuant to
N.J.A.C.
				  7:9D-1.7
and
1.8
.
"License of the proper class" or "license" means a document
				  issued to a person pursuant to
				  58:4A-11 authorizing the
				  individual to engage and perform work in the trade, business, or calling of
				  well drilling, or pump installing.
"Licensee" means a driller or pump installer validly licensed
				  pursuant to the Act and this chapter.
"Liner" means a well casing that is inserted into an existing
				  cased borehole for the purpose of repairing a well or protecting the
				  groundwater from contamination.
"Maintenance casing" means an inner casing which can be
				  removed to repair or replace the screen which is attached to it.
"Monitoring well" means a well used to observe the elevation
				  of the water table or potentiometric surface, or to measure the water quality
				  of a water-bearing zone.
"Master well driller" means a well driller possessing a New
				  Jersey master well driller's license pursuant to
N.J.A.C.
				  7:9D-1.7
and
1.8
.
"Monitoring well driller" means a well driller possessing a
				  New Jersey monitoring well driller's license pursuant to
N.J.A.C.
				  7:9D-1.7
and
1.8
.
"Multiple cased well" means any well that contains more than
				  one casing or liner including, but not limited to, temporary, surface,
				  maintenance, starter, or driven casings.
"Non-public well" means a well that provides potable water to
				  a non-public water system as defined at
N.J.A.C.
				  7:10-1.3
.
"Observation well" means a well that is used to conduct
				  aquifer pump tests for the purpose of applying for a water allocation permit or
				  water use registration pursuant to
N.J.A.C. 7:19
.
"Open loop geothermal well" means a well designed and
				  installed specifically for use of the earth as a source for heat
				  extraction/rejection.
"Oversized borehole" means a borehole which is at least four
				  inches greater than the inside diameter of the casing which is to be
				  inserted.
"Person" means any individual, responsible corporate
				  official, corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, owner or
				  operator of a water supply facility, political subdivision of the State, and
				  any state, interstate, or Federal agency.
"Pitless well adapter" means a manufactured device designed
				  for attachment to one or more openings through a well casing, and constructed
				  so as to prevent the entry of contamination into the well, to conduct water
				  from the well, to protect the water from freezing or extremes of temperature,
				  and to provide access to water system components within the well.
"Pitless well unit" means a preassembled device which extends
				  the upper end of a well casing to above grade, provided with a pitless well
				  cap, and constructed so as to prevent the entry of contamination into the well,
				  to conduct water from the well, to protect the water from freezing or extremes
				  of temperature, and to provide access to the well and to the water system
				  components within the well.
"Pitless well cap" means a gasketed, watertight, sanitary
				  device that covers and encloses the upper termination of a pitless well unit or
				  the well casing, and is provided with watertight connections for electrical
				  power lines and well vent.
"Potable water" means water used, or intended to be used, for
				  drinking and culinary purposes, which is free from impurities in amounts
				  sufficient to cause disease or harmful physiological effects, with the
				  bacteriological and chemical quality conforming to applicable standards.
"Pump" means a mechanical device used to remove or emplace
				  gases, water or fluids from or into a well.
"Pump installer" means a person possessing a New Jersey
				  license as a pump installer pursuant to
N.J.A.C.
				  7:9D-1.7
and
1.8
.
"Pump installing" means the installation, removal,
				  alteration, or repair of well pumping equipment and appurtenances thereto in
				  connection with any well including connecting lines between a well and storage
				  tank or appurtenance thereto.
"Sanitary well seal" means a manufactured device or approved
				  arrangement which is used to cap a well or to establish or maintain a
				  watertight junction between the well casing and the piping or equipment
				  installed therein.
"Seepage pit" means a covered pit with open-jointed lining
				  material through which septic tank effluent may seep or leach into the
				  surrounding soil.
"Septic tank" means a watertight receptacle which receives
				  the discharge of sanitary sewage from a building sewer or part thereof, and is
				  designed and constructed so as to permit settling of settleable solids from the
				  liquid, partial digestion of the organic matter, and discharge of the liquid
				  portion into a disposal field or seepage pit.
"Service line" means a pipe for the transmission or
				  conveyance of potable water under pressure either from an individual well or
				  from a distribution main to a single realty improvement.
"Site-wide permit" means a permit to drill 10 or more wells
				  for the same use in a single municipality that are on a single lot, easement
				  right-of-way, or multiple contiguous lots of common ownership, where:
1. The boreholes and any annular space remaining after the
				  installation of equipment necessary for the intended use of the wells are
				  sealed during construction; or
2. The wells are installed to function in a series as part of
				  a system restricted to a single lot and block or an easement right-of-way
				  within a single municipality, or a contiguous property of common ownership
				  consisting of multiple lots or blocks within a single municipality.
"Sodium-based bentonite" means bentonite that has a high
				  swell potential, such as Wyoming bentonite.
"Soil borer" means a person possessing a New Jersey soil
				  borer's license pursuant to
N.J.A.C.
				  7:9D-1.7
and
1.8
.
"Standing column well" means a well installed as part of an
				  open loop geothermal well system where water is pumped from the well, passed
				  through a heat pump, and returned to the same well.
"Sub-account" means a special dedicated non-lapsing account
				  established pursuant to
				  58:4A-14.1(b) 
				  that may be used by a licensed well driller or licensed pump installer to cover
				  permit or license renewal fees.
"Suction line" means a pipe which conveys water at less than
				  atmospheric pressure from a well to a pump.
"Test well" means any well which is drilled, bored, cored, or
				  otherwise constructed for temporary use in obtaining data for engineering or
				  for geophysical or geological exploration or evaluating aquifer potential or
				  quality for a specific use.
"Unconsolidated formation" means a geologic formation where
				  the sands, gravels, clays or other similar materials are loosely arranged.
				  These formations will commonly not remain stable around an open
				  borehole.
"Undersized borehole" means a borehole which is no larger
				  than the inside diameter of the well casing and is constructed for emplacement
				  of a well.
"Vertical closed loop geothermal well driller" means a well
				  driller possessing a New Jersey vertical closed loop geothermal well driller's
				  license pursuant to
N.J.A.C. 7:9D-1.7
and
1.8
.
"Water bearing unit" means a geologic unit, which is a
				  formation of similar characteristics that can be distinctly mapped from over
				  and underlying units, that is capable of producing water and is separated from
				  other geologic units by a confining layer.
"Well" means a hole or excavation larger than four inches in
				  diameter or a hole or excavation deeper than 10 feet in depth that is drilled,
				  bored, cored, driven, jetted, dug, or otherwise constructed for the purpose of
				  removal or emplacement of, or investigation of, or exploration for, fluids,
				  water, oil, gas, minerals, soil, or rock, or for the installation of an
				  elevator shaft.
"Well development" means the removal of sands and drilling
				  materials from the water bearing zones of any well to produce water that is
				  free of visible sand and/or silt and increase its productivity.
"Well driller" means a person possessing a New Jersey license
				  as a well driller of the proper class, including, but not limited to, test
				  borers and such other classifications as the Department establishes by
				  regulation, who engages in well drilling or pump installing.
"Well drilling" means any operation or activity involving the
				  drilling, constructing, installing, repairing, replacing, modifying,
				  stimulating or sealing of any well.
"Well permit" means a written approval issued by the
				  Department to a licensed well driller and a property owner which authorizes a
				  licensed well driller of the proper class to construct a well or wells.
"Well pit" means a below ground chamber or vault for the
				  purpose of enclosing and providing access to a wellhead which terminates below
				  grade.
"Well record" means the form to be completed by the well
				  driller, depicting the construction details of any well provided by the
				  Department at the time of well permit issuance.
"Well stimulation" means the stimulation of a well to
				  increase its productivity. Stimulation techniques include, but are not limited
				  to, blasting, hydro-fracturing, chemical treatment, surging, and
				  dry-icing.
"Well system" means a system, including all appurtenances
				  thereto, that cannot function in the absence of the well and circulates,
				  removes, or injects fluid or water through a well for any purpose.
"Well water system" means a system which derives water from a
				  well to supply potable or non-potable water for any purpose.