Oregon Administrative Code

690-235-0005 Groundwater Advisory Committee: Appointments, Terms, and Qualifications (1) There is created the Groundwater Advisory Committee consisting of nine members appointed by the Commission: Three of whom shall be individuals actively engaged in some aspect of the water sup…

690-235-0020 Groundwater Advisory Committee Duties The Committee shall consider and advise the Commission on all matters relating to: (1) Rules, legislation, and public policy for the development, securing, use, and protection of groundwater. (2) Licensing of well constructors, i…

690-240-0005 Introduction (1) Monitoring wells and geotechnical holes drilled to allow ground water and geologic determinations are constructed in a variety of environments and under a variety of conditions. Improper construction, maintenance, operation, and abandonment can allow…

690-240-0006 Special Standards (1) Site conditions may require specific design, construction, and abandonment procedures to adapt to the existing local geologic and ground water conditions to fully utilize every natural protection to the state’s ground water. Specific site condit…

690-240-0007 Special Area Standards If at any time, the Commission finds that different or supplemental standards are required for the safe development of ground water from any aquifer or area, special area standards for the construction and maintenance of monitoring wells, geote…

690-240-0010 Definitions The following definitions apply to terms as used in monitoring well, geotechnical hole and other hole rules, OAR 690-240-0005 to 690-240-0640. No other definitions of these same words apply: (1) "Abandonment, Permanent" means to remove all or any portion …

690-240-0011 Organic Materials Organic materials which foster or promote undesired organic growth or have the potential to degrade water quality shall not be employed in the construction of a well. This includes, but is not limited to, brans, hulls, grains, starches, and proteins…

690-240-0012 Public Safety No monitoring well, geotechnical hole, or other hole shall be constructed, maintained, or abandoned in such a manner as to constitute a health threat, or health hazard or a menace to public safety. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 737.780 History: WRD 7-2…

690-240-0013 Wells Cannot Be Used for Disposal of Contaminants No monitoring well, geotechnical hole, or other hole shall be used as a disposal pit for sewage, industrial waste, or other materials that could contaminate the ground water supply. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 537.…

690-240-0014 Water Used Must be Potable All water used in the construction, alteration, repair or abandonment of monitoring wells and geotechnical holes shall be potable. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 536.090 & 537.505 - 537.795 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 536.090 & 537.505 …

690-240-0015 Delegation of Responsibility for Monitoring Wells, Geotechnical Holes and Other Holes (1) The Director may, by memorandum of understanding, delegate to another state agency direct control and management of monitoring wells, geotechnical holes and other holes when the…

690-240-0016 Unattended Wells All wells, when unattended during construction, shall be covered to protect public health and safety. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 536.090 & 537.505 - 537.795 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 536.090 & 537.505 - 537.795 History: WRD 7-2001, f. & cer…

690-240-0020 Delegation Conditions In order for the Director to delegate responsibility for monitoring wells, geotechnical holes and other holes to another agency, construction, operation or use, maintenance, and abandonment standards developed by that agency pursuant to OAR 690-…

690-240-0024 Well Identification Label (1) Within 30 days of completion of well construction, conversion, or alteration, the constructor shall permanently affix a well identification label to the wellhead in an accessible and visible location in the following manner: (a) For abov…

690-240-0026 Well Identification Label Maintenance The well identification label shall not be removed from the wellhead and shall be maintained by the land owner in an accessible location and in a readable condition. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 536.090, ORS 537.505-537.795, OR…

690-240-0030 Other Holes: General Performance and Responsibility Requirements (1)(a) Other holes are constructed for a variety of purposes which may or may not encounter ground water. Other holes are constructed using a wide variety of equipment and are not typically designed to …

690-240-0035 Geotechnical Holes: General Performance and Responsibility Requirements (1) A geotechnical hole is defined in OAR 690-240-0010(36). Geotechnical holes, cased or uncased, are generally constructed to evaluate subsurface data or information (geologic, hydrogeologic, ch…

690-240-0040 Closed Loop Ground Source Heat Pump Boring — General Requirements (1) In addition to the requirements for cased permanent and uncased permanent geotechnical holes contained in 690-240-0035, a closed loop ground source heat pump boring greater than 18 feet deep shall …

690-240-0043 Construction Standards (1) If permanent casing is needed in a ground source heat pump boring, it shall meet the standards set out in OAR 690-210-0190 through 690-210-0220 for steel and plastic. (2) Site specific conditions shall be assessed to determine the best meth…

690-240-0046 Grouting of Uncased Boring (1) Grouting of an uncased boring shall be completed after the heat exchange loop is installed. The boring shall be completed in a manner to allow ease in locating including but not limited to the use of marking or locating magnetic tape if…

690-240-0049 Reporting Requirements (1) The professional responsible for construction of the ground source heat pump boring(s) shall prepare a complete and certified boring log for each ground source heat pump boring. (2) Boring logs shall be prepared in triplicate; an original a…

690-240-0055 License Required to Construct Monitoring Wells (1) Unless otherwise provided in these rules, any person who constructs, alters or abandons monitoring wells for another person shall have a Monitoring Well Constructor’s License or work under the supervision of a licens…

690-240-0060 Monitoring Well Constructor License Examination (1) The Water Resources Department administers the written examination required under ORS 537.747. Separate examinations are administered for each license endorsement. The Department schedules the examination on the sec…

690-240-0065 Monitoring Well Constructor License, Experience Requirements, Trainee Card and Temporary Authorization (1) License. To qualify for a Monitoring Well Constructor’s License, a person shall: (a) Be at least 18 years old; (b) Pass a written examination; (c) Have a minimu…

690-240-0070 Terms of Monitoring Well Constructor License and License Fees (1) The Department issues all Monitoring Well Constructor licenses. License fees are established by ORS 537.747. A penalty applies to late renewals. (2) Fees for new licenses and renewal licenses are the s…

690-240-0200 Continuing Education Committee A Continuing Education Program and Continuing Education Committee are established under chapter 496, Oregon Laws 2001 (ORS 537.765). The duties of the Well Constructors Continuing Education Committee are to review and approve continuing…

690-240-0210 Continuing Education Requirement (1) Each individual licensed under ORS 537.747 is required to obtain a minimum of 14 continuing education credits (CECs) during each licensing period regardless of the number of licenses or endorsements held. Continuing education cred…

690-240-0220 Documentation (1) Each licensee is responsible for maintaining their continuing education records. Except as provided in OAR 690-240-0270(2), each licensee shall provide the Department with evidence of compliance with the continuing education requirement on a form ap…

690-240-0240 Approved Course List/Course Approval and Assignment of CECs (1) The Department shall maintain a Continuing Education Committee-approved list of courses. The list shall include, but not be limited to, the course title, class location and date, cost, (if applicable), a…

690-240-0250 Course Sponsor Requirements (1) Course sponsors shall submit a completed application for approval to the Continuing Education Committee on a form(s) provided by the Department at least 45 days prior to the date the course is to be presented. Approved sponsors shall: …

690-240-0260 Loss of Approval The Continuing Education Committee may withdraw or suspend approval of a course if it is determined that any of the following has occurred: (1) The course content has changed without notice to the Continuing Education Committee; (2) The course was no…

690-240-0270 Courses Taken Without Prior Approval (1) Except as provided in OAR 690-240-0210(5), a licensee may request that the Continuing Education Committee assign CECs for courses taken without prior approval within the current licensing period. (2) The licensee shall supply …

690-240-0280 Waivers (1) The Director may waive the continuing education requirements for a licensed Monitoring Well Constructor upon written request demonstrating inability to attend continuing education courses because of health, military duty or other circumstances beyond the …

690-240-0320 Contracting for Services Only Oregon licensed and bonded Monitoring Well Constructors may advertise services or enter into a contract, either written or oral, to construct, alter, convert, or abandon a monitoring well. Any written bid for a project which includes the…

690-240-0330 Monitoring Well Constructor and Landowner Well Bonds or Letters of Credit (1) The Water Resources Department shall accept bonds only from corporations licensed by the Oregon Department of Insurance and Finance to issue fidelity and surety insurance. The Water Resourc…

690-240-0340 Landowner Well Construction Permit, Fee and Bond (1) The Water Resources Commission requires a permit, permit fee, and bond or irrevocable letter of credit, for each monitoring well constructed, altered, converted, or abandoned by a landowner, unless the landowner is…

690-240-0355 Monitoring Well Drilling Machines (1) All monitoring well drilling machines being operated, other than under a landowner's permit, shall be plainly marked either with the bonded Monitoring Well Constructor's license number, the name of the bonded Monitoring Well Cons…

690-240-0375 Monitoring Well Construction Notice Required (Start Card) (1) Each bonded Monitoring Well Constructor licensed to operate in the State of Oregon and each landowner holding a landowner's permit shall provide a start card as required in ORS 537.762 before commencing th…

690-240-0385 Start Card Reporting Requirements (1) The start card notification required in ORS 537.762 shall be submitted to the Department’s region office within which the monitor well is being constructed, altered converted or abandoned using one of the following methods: (a) S…

690-240-0395 Monitoring Well Report Required (Monitoring Well Log) (1) A monitoring well report shall be prepared for each monitoring well constructed, altered, converted, or abandoned including unsuccessful monitoring wells. The log shall be certified as correct by signature of …

690-240-0410 Monitoring Well Construction: General (1) Monitoring well components, including well screens, casings and annular sealant should be selected based on known site characteristics to ensure the well will last for the duration of the monitoring program. (2) No monitoring…

690-240-0420 Well Protection (1) Every monitoring well shall be capped and protected using one of the following methods: (a) If the well is cased with metal and completed above the ground surface, a lockable cap with lock shall be attached to the top of the casing; (b) If the wel…

690-240-0430 Casing (1) The constructor shall consider the following factors when selecting monitoring well casing: (a) The casing installed shall not be readily reactive with the subsurface environment according to best available knowledge; (b) The casing installed shall not adv…

690-240-0440 Additional Standards for Artesian Monitoring Wells (1) Monitoring wells penetrating into an artesian aquifer shall have an upper oversize drillhole at least four inches greater in diameter than the nominal diameter of the permanent well casing except as noted in OAR …

690-240-0450 Cleaning (1) All drill cuttings and fluids from drilling, cleaning and development shall be properly managed during construction, alteration or abandonment to protect ground water from contamination. (2) The landowner or the landowner's agent is responsible for manag…

690-240-0460 Monitoring Well Screen, Filter Pack, and Filter Pack Seal (1) The screen and filter pack, when properly designed and installed, allows a water quality sample to be collected that is representative of water in the formation. (2) The well screen shall: (a) Be commercia…

690-240-0475 Well Seals (1) Proper seal placement is essential to minimize the potential for movement of water and contaminants from the surface, or other waterbearing zones, into the monitoring well. Appropriate sealing materials may vary depending on the site characteristics an…

690-240-0485 Monitoring Well Development (1) The monitoring well development shall not affect the integrity of the casing or seal. Monitoring well development shall not occur prior to 24 hours after annular seal placement if cement grout or a bentonite grout slurry is used, or 12…

690-240-0500 Completion of Monitoring Wells (1) A Monitoring Well Constructor or permitted landowner constructing their own well shall not remove the drilling machine from a monitoring well site, unless it is immediately replaced by another monitoring well drilling machine in ope…

690-240-0510 Abandonment of Monitoring Wells Proper abandonment of monitoring wells will prevent both vertical movement of water within the well bore and infiltration of surface water into the well: (1) In areas where groundwater contamination has been identified, except as descr…