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Responsibilities of the Project Applicant for Approval of a New Well Source

New Source Approval: New Well or Existing Well with Documentation of Grouted Well Casing

Below is a list of important steps that the water supplier (project applicant) must take in order to get their new source approved. These steps and details are intended when the project applicant proposes use of a groundwater source that falls under one of the following two scenarios:

(1) A new well drilled immediately prior to submission of the Noncommunity Water system Application package is proposed.
(2) A previously-drilled well with documentation that it is cased and grouted is proposed.

What steps do I (the project applicant) need to take in order to get my new well or existing well with documentation that it is cased and grouted approved by DEP, and in what order?

  • Contact the Safe Drinking Water Program at the appropriate DEP Regional/District Office prior to initiating any work related to a new source.
  • Contract a Pennsylvania-licensed well driller. Use the list provided on the Pennsylvania Geological Survey’s website to find a well driller. Inform your driller of the following:
    • The project is for a noncommunity water system and requires DEP approval.
    • DEP forms (Module 1) need to be completed to document drilling activities and demonstrate characteristics of the well.
    • A copy of the Water Well Completion Report that is submitted to the Pennsylvania Geological Survey and the completed DEP forms (Module 1) must be provided to you after the project is completed.
  • For existing wells with a Water Well Completion Report or well log created by the well driller documenting that the well is cased and grouted, the project applicant must request the well driller who constructed the well to compete the Well Construction Demonstration Datasheet for New Wells Form and the Well Risk Assessment Form. Both forms are part of Module 1. Note, the contractor may charge a fee for these services.
  • Make sure that you and/or your contracted well driller notify DEP when the well is scheduled to be drilled. Ideally, two-weeks advance notification is best.
  • After the well is drilled, constructed, and developed, request the well driller (or other competent individual) to conduct a pumping test in accordance with the instructions provided in Module 1. You must also coordinate with a DEP-accredited laboratory regarding water-quality samples collected during the pumping test. Samples must be collected in laboratory-issued bottleware by the well driller, the laboratory, or other individual determined by the project applicant.
  • Request the well driller or other contractors to provide you with completed copies of the Well Construction Demonstration Datasheet for New Wells, the Pumping Test Demonstration Datasheets, and the Well Risk Assessment Form.
  • Include a completed version of Module 1 and the laboratory report with the application package that is submitted to DEP.

How can I find a Pennsylvania-licensed well driller to drill and construct my well?

The Pennsylvania Geological Survey maintains a listing of licensed well drillers that is sortable by county and contractor services offered.

How can I find out if my existing well has a Water Well Completion Report or other documentation of the construction details?

There are two ways to determine if construction details are available for an existing well:

(1) Contact the Pennsylvania Geological Survey and ask if they have a Water Well Completion Report for the existing well on your property
(2) Contact the well driller who originally drilled the well and ask if a well record log is available.

Where can I find technical guidance on how to get my new source approved?

Technical guidance on new source requirements for a noncommunity water system can be found in the DEP publications listed below:

Public Water Supply Manual, Part IV, Noncommunity System Design Standards, DEP ID: 383-2128-108

Noncommunity Water System Application Module 1 – Groundwater Source, DEP ID: 3940-FM-BSDW0568a

New Source Approval: Existing Well in Absence of Documentation of Grouted Well Casing

A new source in the form of a well in absence of documentation that it is cased and grouted may be proposed by the water supplier (project applicant). To determine if the well is cased and grouted, a submission of this nature requires the source be carefully inspected by a Pennsylvania-licensed geologist. In absence of a well construction log, determining if a well is grouted is a difficult proposition, where the downhole tools and methods needed to assess the well are expensive and may yield inconclusive results that would not equate to approval of the source. As a result, it is strongly advised that the project applicant conduct a rigorous cost comparison analysis between assessing the well for grout versus drilling a new well. For these situations, it is often best to drill a new well. For these situations, it is often best to drill a new well.

What steps do I (the project applicant) need to take and in what order?

  • Contact the Safe Drinking Water Program at the appropriate DEP Regional/District Office prior to initiating any work related to a new groundwater source.
  • Contract a Pennsylvania-licensed geologist and inform them you’d like to have your well evaluated for existing construction characteristics. Inform the geologist that the project is for a noncommunity water system and requires DEP approval.
  • Provide your geologist with a copy of Module 1 and request they complete the Well Construction Demonstration Datasheet for Existing Wells and the Well Risk Assessment Form.
  • Make sure that you/or your geologist notify DEP when the well is scheduled to be field-inspected.
  • Request your geologist or other competent individual (e.g., a licensed well driller) to conduct a pumping test in accordance with the instructions provided in Module 1. Prior to the pumping test, coordinate with a DEP-accredited laboratory regarding water-quality samples collected during the test. Samples must be collected in laboratory-issued bottleware by the geologist, well driller, laboratory staff, or other individual determined by the project applicant.
  • Request the appropriate contractor(s) provide you with completed copies of the Well Construction Demonstration Datasheet for Existing Wells, the Pumping Test Demonstration Datasheets, and the Well Risk Assessment Form.
  • Provide a completed version of Module 1 and the water-quality laboratory report with the Non-Community Water System Application that is submitted to DEP.

Where can I find technical guidance on how to get my new source approved?

Technical guidance on new source approvals for a noncommunity water system can be found in the DEP publications listed below:

Public Water Supply Manual, Part IV, Noncommunity System Design Standards, DEP ID: 383-2128-108

Noncommunity Water System Application Module 1 – Groundwater Source, DEP ID: 3940-FM-BSDW0568a