Abandoned wells

An unused well is not a harmless hole. It can carry surface water, sewage, or chemicals into an aquifer, and it can be a physical hazard. States treat closure as regulated work. They do not publish a do-it-yourself recipe in the licensing pages, and this guide will not invent one. The lawful path is to find out who may seal the well and which form or permit the closure requires.

Florida's Department of Environmental Protection says a permit is required before abandonment as well as before construction or repair, and the work is tied to a licensed water well contractor. Iowa requires a certified well contractor on site for plugging when someone is hired, and the state's certification page lists plugging among the covered services. Missouri's permit for well and pump contractors includes plugging. Mississippi's water well office keeps records of plugged wells and holes as well as drilled ones. South Carolina's licensing FAQ says opening or closing a water well requires the proper well driller license, with narrow exceptions such as work on your own property.

Texas Occupations Code chapter 1901 says a plugging report for an abandoned or deteriorated well is due not later than 30 days after plugging. The Department of Licensing and Regulation's program page points owners to abandoned-well information and reporting. New Mexico's rules say a well that encounters contaminated soil or water may need coordination with the Environment Department before it is plugged, and specialty materials may be required. That is a reason to stop and call, not a reason to experiment with sealants.

West Virginia's 64 CSR 19 includes abandonment in the work that requires a certified driller of the proper class. A county health department page, using Kanawha County as the example, says residents get a permit before abandoning a well. The District of Columbia's well chapter covers abandonment, and the Department of Energy and Environment's permit path applies to sealing as well as to new construction. Kentucky's driller program points to maintenance rules in 401 KAR 6:350 alongside construction rules. Arkansas publishes a water well abandonment form with its contractor materials. Wyoming's completion and well records sit with the State Engineer's Office. If a permitted well will be abandoned, ask that office which form replaces or supplements the statement of completion.

The owner exception is narrow where it exists. South Carolina's FAQ allows some people to close a well on their own property. That sentence is not permission to ignore the construction standards, and it is not the rule in a state that requires a licensed driller for plugging. Iowa allows an owner to do well work only by personally performing it, and the department says it does not recommend that owners do the work. Michigan's well code applies to owners as well as to contractors. If you are not the licensed person, do not pull a pump and pour material into the hole because a video said to.

Before anyone starts, ask four things. Is this well covered by an old permit or a well log, and where is that record? Who is licensed to close it here? Is a permit or a notice required first? What report will be filed when the work is done, and will you get a copy? A closed well that was never reported can look, on the next sale, like an open well. The report is the proof.

If you do not know whether an old pipe in the yard is a well, ask the health department or the state geological survey before anyone digs. Pennsylvania and many other states keep well records that can be searched. Finding the record is safer than assuming the pipe is harmless.