Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Natural Resources › NR 100-199 - Environmental Protection General › Chapter NR 146 - Water Well Driller, Heat Exchange Driller, and Pump Installer Licensing and Registration; Drilling Rig Operator License › Section NR 146.02 - Definitions

Current through June 24, 2024
As used in this chapter:
(1e) "Advance notification" means
				notification to the department via fax, e-mail or telephone at least one
				working day before commencing any work.
(1g) "Certificate of supervision" means a
				department form, signed by the owner of a water well drilling, heat exchange
				drilling or pump installing business and by the licensed supervisory individual
				water well driller, heat exchange driller or pump installer, which assigns
				supervisory, legal, financial and compliance responsibilities for a registered
				water well drilling, heat exchange drilling or pump installing
				business.
(1s) "Competent sanitary
				engineer" means a professional engineer registered by the Wisconsin department
				of safety and professional services who practices in the discipline of civil,
				sanitary and structural engineering.
(2) "Department" means the department of
				natural resources.
(3) "Direct
				supervision" means actual physical presence and supervision by a Wisconsin
				licensed individual water well driller during all water well drilling
				activities, by a Wisconsin licensed individual heat exchange driller during all
				heat exchange drilling activities, or by a Wisconsin licensed individual pump
				installer during all pump installing activities.
(3m) "Driven point well" means a well
				constructed by joining a drive point with lengths of pipe, and driving the
				assembly into the ground with percussion equipment or by hand, but without
				first removing material below the 10-foot depth.
Note:
A "driven point" is also known as a sand
				  point well.
(4) "Engage in
				the business of" includes advertising, bidding, contracting, preparing plans
				and specifications, supervising, performing, billing or receiving payment for
				water well drilling, heat exchange drilling [or] pump installing, filling and
				sealing or property transfer well inspection activities.
Note:
"Or" in brackets was inserted by CR
				  13-096, but should be replaced by a comma to accommodate the insertion by CR
				  13-099 of the material following. Future rulemaking will address any
				  inconsistencies.
(4b)
				"Experience period" means the two or three years during which a water well
				drilling rig operator gained experience toward obtaining a water well drilling
				license.
(4c) "Filling and sealing"
				means to fill a well, drillhole, pit or reservoir with a material or materials
				so the well, drillhole, pit or reservoir will not act as a vertical conduit to
				contaminate another well, groundwater or an aquifer.
(4d) "Heat exchange drillhole" has the
				meaning specified in s.
				280.01(2b),
				Stats.
Note:
Section
				  280.01(2b),
				  Stats., defines "heat exchange drillhole" to mean "an excavation or opening in
				  the ground that is deeper than it is wide, that extends more than 25 feet below
				  the ground surface, and that is made for the purpose of installing a geothermal
				  closed-loop heat exchange system."
(4e) "Heat exchange drilling" has the meaning
				specified in s.
				280.01(2c),
				Stats.
Note:
Section
				  280.01(2c),
				  Stats., defines "heat exchange drilling" to mean "the industry and procedure
				  employed in making heat exchange drillholes."
(4f) "Heat exchange drilling rig operator"
				means an individual registered with the department to operate a drilling rig
				for the construction of heat exchange drillholes under the general or direct
				supervision of a licensed individual heat exchange driller.
(4g) "Heat exchange registrant" means a
				person registered to engage in the business of heat exchange in Wisconsin under
				the supervision of a licensed individual heat exchange driller.
(4h) "Licensed heat exchange driller" means
				an individual who has obtained a license pursuant to s.
				280.15(2m),
				Stats., and s.
				NR
				146.04, as a heat exchange driller and has paid the
				annual license fee under s.
				280.15(2m)
				(c) 1, Stats.
(4j) "Licensed pump installer" means any
				individual who has obtained a license under s.
				280.15(2m),
				Stats., and s.
				NR
				146.04, as a pump installer and has paid the annual
				license fee under s.
				280.15(2m)
				(c) 2, Stats.
(4k) "Licensed water well driller" means any
				individual who has obtained a license under s.
				280.15(2m),
				Stats., and s.
				NR
				146.04, as a water well driller and has paid the
				annual license fee under s.
				280.15(2m)
				(c) 1, Stats.
(4l) "Person" means an individual, firm,
				business, corporation, limited liability corporation, company, association,
				cooperative, trust institution, partnership, state, public utility,
				municipality, or federal, state or interstate agency.
(4m) "Place of business or retail outlet"
				means every place for which a person would be required to have a seller's
				permit from the department of revenue.
(4n) "Potable water" means water supplied for
				human consumption, or water supplied for sanitary use or for the washing or
				preparation of food or pharmaceutical products.
Note:
The term "water for human consumption" is
				  used interchangeably with the term "potable water."
(4p) "Property transfer well inspection"
				means an inspection, for compensation, for the purpose of locating or
				evaluating wells that need to be filled and sealed and water supply wells or
				pressure systems on real property in contemplation of a transfer of the real
				property.
(4r) "Property transfer
				well inspector" has the meaning specified in s.
				NR
				812.07(79t).
Note:
Section
				  NR
				  812.07(79t) defines "property
				  transfer well inspector" as an individual authorized under s.
				  NR
				  812.44(1) to conduct a property
				  transfer well inspection.
(4t) "Pump installation" means the pump and
				its associated pressure system including any equipment and material needed to
				withdraw, obtain, discharge and store water from a well or a spring. The pump
				installation includes the spring box, reservoir, pump, pump drop pipe, check
				valves, well cap or seal, pitless adapter, pitless receiver tank, pitless unit,
				above-ground discharge unit, associated discharge piping and associated
				connections, valves and appurtenances, pressure tank, sampling faucet, water
				storage or pressure vessel or structure, the electrical wiring and controls
				needed to operate the pump or pressure system, and any chemical addition, water
				treatment device or yard hydrant upstream of the water storage or pressure
				vessel or building control valve.
(4v) "Pump installer registrant" means a
				person registered to engage in the business of pump installing in Wisconsin
				under the supervision of a licensed individual pump installer.
(5) "Pump installing" has the meaning
				specified in s.
				280.01(5),
				Stats., and includes installing, repairing, replacing or reinstalling a: spring
				box, reservoir, pump, pump drop pipe, check valve, well cap or seal, pitless
				adapter, pitless receiver tank, pitless unit, above-ground discharge unit,
				associated discharge piping and associated connections, valves and
				appurtenances, pressure tank, sampling faucet, water storage or pressure vessel
				or structure, the electrical wiring and controls needed to operate a pump or
				pressure system, and any chemical addition, water treatment device or yard
				hydrant upstream of the water storage or pressure vessel or building control
				valve; attaching well casing pipe to extend the well casing pipe to a complying
				height above grade, or up and out of a pit or a subsurface pumproom or alcove;
				or bailing or chemically conditioning a well to return it to its original
				capacity, production capability or water quality. Pump installing does not
				include installation of a temporary test pump by a water well driller for the
				purpose of determining well capacity or water quality and does not include the
				installation, by a well driller, of a well cap or seal. Opening a well cap or
				well seal to inspect or chlorinate a well is not considered pump installing
				unless the well cap or seal is replaced with a different cap or seal, or unless
				the well has a hand pump installed on it.
Note:
Section
				  280.01(5),
				  Stats., defines "Pump installing" to mean the industry and procedure employed
				  in the placement and preparation for operation of equipment and materials
				  utilized in withdrawing or obtaining water from a well for consumption or use,
				  including all construction involved in making entrance to the well and
				  establishing such seals and safeguards as are necessary to protect such water
				  from contamination.
(6)
				"Registrant" means a person, firm, corporation, or partnership registered to
				engage in the business of well drilling or pump installing in
				Wisconsin.
(7) "Regulation" means
				the laws, rules, and conditions under which any registration, license or
				variance is issued or plans and specifications are approved by the
				department.
(7g) "Under the
				supervision" means employed by a licensed individual or by a registered person,
				employing or contracting with a licensed supervisory individual, who is legally
				and financially responsible for compliance with all applicable laws and rules
				and any plans, specifications, variances and approvals approved by the
				department, and who has advance and specific knowledge of water well drilling,
				heat exchange drilling, pump installing, or well filling and sealing
				activities.
(7r) "Water well
				drilling rig operator" means an individual registered with the department to
				operate a drilling rig to construct potable wells under the general or direct
				supervision of a licensed individual water well driller.
(8) "Water system" means the water supply,
				storage, treatment facilities and all structures and piping by which water is
				provided.
(9) "Well" has the
				meaning specified in s.
				280.01(6),
				Stats.
Note:
Section
				  280.01(6),
				  Stats., defines "well" to mean an excavation or opening into the ground made by
				  digging, boring, drilling, driving or other methods for the purpose of
				  obtaining groundwater for human consumption.
(9g) "Well and pressure system" means the
				water supply and pump installation upstream of a building control valve or
				pressure tank and including any pressure tank.
(9r) "Well driller registrant" means a person
				registered to engage in the business of water well drilling in Wisconsin under
				the supervision of a licensed individual water well driller.
(10) "Well drilling" has the meaning
				specified in s.
				280.01(8),
				Stats., and includes any activity which requires the use of a well drilling rig
				or similar equipment; or any activity which is conducted using a well drilling
				rig or similar equipment with the exception of the driving of points having
				pipe and casing smaller than three inches in diameter. Well drilling also
				includes constructing a well or performing any activity which changes the
				characteristics of a drilled well including constructing, reconstructing or
				deepening a well, sealing the annular space of a well, joining or welding
				together lengths of well casing pipe or liner pipe, installation of a liner,
				installing or replacing a screen, well rehabilitation, hydrofracturing,
				blasting and chemical conditioning.
Section
					 280.01(8),
					 Stats., defines "Well drilling" to mean the industry and procedure employed in
					 obtaining groundwater from a well by digging, boring, drilling, driving or
					 other methods but not including the driving of points for the purpose of
					 obtaining ground water. It shall also include all construction work and
					 installation of well casings in said well involved therein for the protection
					 of such well water against pollution.