037-3 Wyo. Code R. §§ 3-3 - Water Well Equipping
(a) All new and old
wells (including hand-dug) shall be capped or sealed so that they do not
present a hazard and to prevent the unintended entry of contaminant matter,
surface water, animals, or foreign objects, by utilizing either a welded plate
or a sanitary well cap. All vents installed in the well casing shall open
downward and be screened to prevent the entrance of foreign material. Wells
shall be equipped with a minimum V2-inch diameter access port for water level
and drawdown measurement (unless a flowing well).
(b) Pitless Adapters.
(i) Pitless adapters must be designed and
constructed to be water tight and to prevent contamination of the ground water
resource and any potable water. Pitless adapters must be compatible with the
casing material. The driller or pump installer shall ensure that the pump and
column weight do not exceed the casing strength.
(ii) Where a pitless adapter is to be
installed, the grout seal must extend from the pitless unit to at least 20-feet
below the ground surface (or to useable water below ground surface). The area
around the pitless unit and surface string may be filled with bentonite or
clean earth to grade level.
(iii)
The components of a pitless adapter must allow sufficient clearance for the
insertion and removal of the down-hole pumping assembly.
(c) Pumps and Pumping Equipment.
(i) Special care must be exercised when
replacing a pump because bacteria can easily contaminate what is pulled from
the well (pump, drop pipe, electric wire) and it is difficult to disinfect
portions of the electric wire and drop pipe that are above water level. When
pulling a pump, the electric wire should not be allowed to touch the ground.
This may be accomplished by laying plastic on the ground, utilizing a
mechanical system that winds up the electric wire as it is withdrawn from the
well, or other appropriate means. The drop pipe should be placed on pipe racks
or other precautions should be taken to keep it from contacting the ground. If
contamination does occur, special care must be taken to disinfect the
contaminated areas.
(ii) A flow
meter with instantaneous flow rate and totalizing capability shall be installed
on discharge lines of all water wells or well systems whenever the State
Engineer permit conditions require a flow meter and subsequent reporting of
volumetric use. The flow meter shall be installed in accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions.
(iii)
All pumping systems shall be designed not to exceed the permitted pumping rate
as established by the State Engineer permit, under normal operating conditions.
All electrical and plumbing installations and connections shall be performed
and maintained in accordance with the existing electrical and plumbing codes,
and shall meet the equipment-manufacturer's specifications.
(iv) The pump and downhole assembly shall be
at least one nominal size smaller in diameter than the production
casing.
(v) Pumps shall be
installed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and shall
provide for proper cooling.
(d) Flowing wells are required, by W.S.
§
41-3-909(a)(vii), "...to be
so capped or equipped [valved] that the flow of water can be stopped when the
wells are not in use.
In addition, the flow shall be controlled in such a manner as not to exceed the flow rate as established by the State Engineer permit. Additional precautions may be necessary to prevent freezing of the wellhead or piping.
(e) Unless
specifically designed as an injection well, directional flow controls shall be
installed and maintained to prevent water from being forced or siphoned back
into the well.
(f) For irrigation
wells with in-line chemical injection systems or for other wells that are
cross-connected with potential contaminant sources or water source(s) of lesser
quality, a backflow prevention device (reduced pressure assembly, single/double
check valve, etc., with vacuum relief) shall be installed to protect the
wellhead from backpressure or back siphonage.
(g) For multiple wells which are connected by
a common conveyance system, controls shall be maintained to ensure that one
pump does not overpower another pump and allow water to be injected into one
well bore.
(h) All electrical
installations shall be performed and maintained in accordance with existing
electrical codes. A properly licensed electrician must perform all electric
wiring which impacts the operation of the pump or pumping system. This includes
wiring from the pump to the control boxes to the main power supply such as the
breaker box in a house. Licensed Water Well Pump Installation Contractors are
advised that additional licensing requirements may be required by the Wyoming
State Fire Marshal's Office. The electric wire should be adequately attached to
the drop pipe for support and be installed in accordance with manufacturer's
recommendations.
(i) All plumbing
or water supply distribution from the well to the point of entry hookup shall
be installed and maintained in accordance with existing plumbing
codes.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.