New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 19 - NATURAL RESOURCES AND WILDLIFE › Chapter 27 - UNDERGROUND WATER › Part 4 - WELL DRILLER LICENSING; CONSTRUCTION, REPAIR AND PLUGGING OF WELLS › Section 19.27.4.29 - WELL DRILLING - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
All wells shall be constructed in such a manner as to
				  prevent contamination from entering the well or subsurface, to prevent
				  commingling or inter-aquifer exchange of groundwater, to prevent loss of
				  hydraulic head between hydrogeologic units, and to prevent unintended flood
				  waters or surface water from entering the well and contaminating the aquifer.
				  All well plugging shall be accomplished through filling or sealing the well in
				  such a manner as to prevent the well, including the annular space outside the
				  casing, from being a channel allowing the vertical movement of water. A well
				  driller shall ensure that the appropriate permits, approval, or emergency
				  authorization has been granted by the state engineer prior to the well drilling
				  activities, or ensure that the state engineer has been properly notified in
				  accordance with 72-12-22 NMSA 1978. While conducting well drilling activities,
				  the well driller shall have a copy of the approved permit and plan of
				  operations on site and available for inspection upon request. A well driller
				  shall ensure that well drilling activities are conducted in accordance with the
				  appropriate sections of
				  19.27.4.30
				  NMAC through 19.27.4.33 NMAC, and the following requirements:
A.
On-site supervision of well
				drilling:
A well driller or drill rig supervisor shall be present at the
				drilling site during well drilling activities.
B.
Materials:
Materials and
				processes used in well drilling shall conform to industry standards acceptable
				to the state engineer. Acceptable standards include, but are not limited to,
				standards developed by the national ground water association (NGWA), the
				American water works association (AWWA), the American standard for testing
				materials (ASTM), the American petroleum institute (API), the American national
				standards institute (ANSI), and the national sanitation foundation (NSF). The
				state engineer shall make the final determination of applicability of standards
				if any of the acceptable standards are different from one another. Materials
				used in well construction shall be in new or good condition. No materials or
				substances shall be introduced during the drilling process that may cause water
				contamination or contamination to the subsurface. Drilling fluids, additives,
				sealants, treatment chemicals, and materials as applicable must be designated
				for potable water well use and be NSF/ANSI standard 60 certified.
C.
Cleaning of drilling
				equipment:
All equipment used in the borehole shall be maintained in a
				clean and sanitary condition to prevent contamination and to protect the public
				health. When drilling multiple boreholes on the same site in areas of known or
				presumed contamination, the equipment will be sanitized between
				boreholes.
D.
Well setbacks:
All wells shall be set back a minimum of 50 feet from an existing well
				of other ownership, unless a variance has been granted by the state engineer.
				All wells shall be set back from potential sources of contamination such as,
				but not limited to, septic tanks and sewage leach fields, cemeteries, livestock
				lagoons and sewage lines, in accordance with applicable federal, state, or
				local requirements.
E.
Requirement to cover or cap well during construction stoppage:
During construction stoppage, a well shall be securely covered or capped unless
				a well driller or drill rig supervisor is on-site tending to the well and takes
				all steps to protect public welfare.
F.
Casing height:
The top of
				the completed well casing shall extend a minimum of 18 inches above the ground
				and appropriate steps shall be taken to prevent damage to well
				casings.
G.
Flush mount
				completion:
Flush mount completions, such as monitor wells located
				within traffic areas or in areas where security risks call for discreet
				completion, shall be completed in a manner that appropriately seals against
				entry of foreign material and fluids, and with the well casing extending above
				bottom of the monitoring well vault, and with a monitoring well vault that
				incorporates a securely fastened lid designed to withstand traffic.
H.
Subsurface vault:
If a well
				is completed within a subsurface vault, the casing shall extend a minimum of 18
				inches above the floor of the subsurface vault, and be appropriately sealed
				against entry of foreign materials and fluids.
I.
Surface completion:
Surface
				well completions shall be completed in a manner that appropriately seals
				against entry of foreign material and fluids.
J.
Annular space:
The annular
				space between borehole and casing or between casings shall be dimensioned and
				sealed in accordance with
				19.27.4.30
				through 19.27.4.33 NMAC. At well completion, the top of any annular space shall
				be sealed, or fitted with an appropriate cover, preventing entry of foreign
				materials and fluids and disallowing the upward escape of
				groundwater.
K.
Requirement
				to cover or cap completed wells and for measurement ports:
A permanent
				well cap or cover shall be securely affixed to the well casing upon completion,
				unless an installed pump assembly provides secure coverage of or a secure cover
				for the wellhead. All wellheads shall have a securable opening of at least a
				1/2" diameter that allows convenient access for water level measurement. An
				artesian well that flows (or capable of flowing) at ground surface shall be
				equipped with a valve to which a pressure gauge may be connected for
				hydrostatic pressure measurement.
L.
Wellhead venting:
Vents
				installed in the wellhead shall be protected against the entrance of foreign
				materials or fluids by installation of down-turned and screened fittings. All
				other openings in wellheads shall be sealed to prevent entrance of foreign
				material and flood waters.
M.
Well identification tag:
Any well constructed to divert water
				shall be tagged with a well identification tag in plain view. For above-grade
				wells, the well identification tag shall be affixed to the exterior of the well
				casing or cap using an aluminum or stainless steel band or other method
				approved by the state engineer. For wells finished below-grade, the well
				identification tag shall be clearly placed inside the well vault next to the
				well riser or on the first exposed discharge pipe from the well. The state
				engineer will provide a well identification tag when a permit is issued. The
				permit holder is responsible for maintaining the well identification tag and
				replacing missing, damaged, or illegible well identification tags with a
				duplicate well identification tag.
N.
Well record:
The well driller
				shall keep a record of each well drilling activity as the work progresses.
(1)
Time for filing:
The well
				driller shall file a complete well record with the state engineer and the
				permit holder no later than 30 days after completion of the drilling project or
				well repair.
(2)
Form -
				content:
The well record shall be on a form prescribed by the state
				engineer and shall include the name and address of the permittee, the well
				driller's name and license number, the state engineer file number, the name of
				each drill rig supervisor that supervised well drilling activities, the
				location of the well (reported in latitude and longitude using a global
				positioning system (gps) receiver capable of five meters accuracy), the date
				when drilling or other work began, the date when drilling or other work
				concluded, the depth of the well, the depth to water first encountered, the
				depth to water upon completion of the well (measured by a method approved by
				the state engineer), the estimated well yield, the method used to estimate well
				yield, the size and type of casing, the location of perforations, the location
				of the annular seal, the location of centralizers, the intervals and types of
				all annular fill and sealant material, and any other information required by
				the state engineer. The well record shall include a completed lithologic log.
				The lithologic log shall include detailed information on the depth, thickness,
				and lithology of all strata penetrated, including whether each stratum was
				water bearing.
(3)
Forms -
				Incomplete:
Well records deemed incomplete by the state engineer may be
				returned to the well driller for proper completion and shall be refiled within
				30 days of the date of notification.