BCGWA Ground Water Protection Regulation Workshops2005 BCGWA ConferencePenticton, B.C. March 3-4, 2005

Gilles WendlingKaya Forest

Outline

Highlights of BCGWA Ground Water Protection Regulation Workshops1. Registration process

● Certified well drillers and pump installers● Experienced well drillers and pump installers● Application information

2. Well standards under the GWPR Contact information

BCGWA GWPR Workshops A series of day-long workshops are in the

process of being organized● Will run in various communities around the province

in the next several months

Target audience is well drillers and well pump installers (and related industry professionals)

Focus will be on how the GWPR impacts drillers and pump installers

● registration process under the regulation● Code of Practice minimum well standards and

driller/pump installer responsibilities

All applicants must: be 19 years of age have one of the following:

●certification from province of B.C. or CGWA plus a minimum of three years experience (certification option) OR

●a minimum of five years experience (grand-parenting option)

Registration is for individual drillers/pump installers only, not a company.

1. Registration Process (before November 1, 2006)

Once the application has been evaluated and approved by WLAP, the driller or pump installer becomes “qualified” under the Regulation and an identification card will be issued.

●card must be presented on request to Ministry staff

●any registration and ID card questions directed to Deputy Comptroller

Identification Card

To qualify under the Certification option, well drillers must have all of the following:● a Certificate of Qualification as a Water Well Driller

issued by the Province of B.C. or a certificate as a Ground Water Drilling Technician issued by the Canadian Ground Water Association (CGWA) AND

● minimum of 3 years full time experience drilling wells● experience documented by Letter(s) of Reference and Work

History specifying direct drilling experience

This is the only option available to well drillers after November 1, 2006.

Registration Process – Certification Option for Well Drillers

Registration Process – Grand-parenting Option for Well Drillers To qualify under the Grand-parenting option,

well drillers who do not have certification must have the following:● minimum of 5 years full time experience drilling wells

● experience documented by Letter(s) of Reference and Work History specifying direct drilling experience

This option is only available to drillers who apply before November 1, 2006.

Is this certification either a Certificate of Qualification as a Water Well Driller issued by the Province of B.C or a certificate as a Ground Water Drilling Technician issued by the CGWA?

YES NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Do you have a minimum of 5 years of full time experience drilling wells that can be

verified by a letter(s) of reference?

Do you have a minimum of 3 years of full time experience drilling wells that can be

verified by a letter(s) of reference? Will you have 5 years of full time experience drilling wells

before November 2006?

Go to Grand-parenting option

You are not currently eligible to apply for registration as a Well Driller under the Regulation?

You are eligible to apply for registration as a Well Driller under the Regulation?

Are you 19 years of age or older?Will you be 19 years of age

before November 2006?

GrandparentingOption

CertificationOption

Prior to November 1, 2006 Do you possess certification as a well driller?

Is this certification either a Certificate of Qualification as a Water Well Driller issued by the Province of B.C or a certificate as a Ground Water Drilling Technician issued by the CGWA?

YES NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Do you have a minimum of 5 years of full time experience drilling wells that can be

verified by a letter(s) of reference?

Do you have a minimum of 3 years of full time experience drilling wells that can be

verified by a letter(s) of reference? Will you have 5 years of full time experience drilling wells

before November 2006?

Go to Grand-parenting option

You are not currently eligible to apply for registration as a Well Driller under the Regulation?

You are eligible to apply for registration as a Well Driller under the Regulation?

Are you 19 years of age or older?Will you be 19 years of age

before November 2006?

GrandparentingOption

CertificationOption

Prior to November 1, 2006 Do you possess certification as a well driller?

Is this certification either a Certificate of Qualification as a Water Well Driller issued by the Province of B.C or a certificate as a Ground Water Drilling Technician issued by the CGWA?

YES NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Do you have a minimum of 5 years of full time experience drilling wells that can be

verified by a letter(s) of reference?

Do you have a minimum of 3 years of full time experience drilling wells that can be

verified by a letter(s) of reference? Will you have 5 years of full time experience drilling wells before November 1, 2006?

Go to Grand-parenting option

You are not currently eligible to apply for registration as a Well Driller under the Regulation?

You are eligible to apply for registration as a Well Driller under the Regulation?

Are you 19 years of age or older?Will you be 19 years of age before November 1, 2006?

GrandparentingOption

CertificationOption

Prior to November 1, 2006 Do you possess certification as a well driller?

Joe is a well driller with certification from Alberta and 7 years of full time experience drilling mostly water wells with cable tools.●his certification from Alberta is not sufficient to

allow him to qualify to register under the certification option

Scenario #1

certification is not transferrable from province to province

Scenario #1

Joe is a well driller with certification from Alberta and 7 years of full time experience drilling mostly water wells with cable tools.●his 7 years experience will allow him to qualify

under the grand-parenting option provided he applies before the November 1, 2006 deadline

experience from any jurisdiction is accepted

Scenario #1

Joe is a well driller with certification from Alberta and 7 years of full time experience drilling mostly water wells with cable tools.●he qualifies to register to drill any type of well

even though his experience is solely (or mostly) drilling water wells with cable tools

driller is not limited to a specific drilling type once registered

Scenario #2

Dave is a well driller with 2 years full time experience drilling monitoring wells but has no certification. He applies on October 15, 2006.●as he does not have certification, he does not

qualify to register under the certification option

After November 1, 2006, all applicants must have certification plus a minimum of 3 years full time

experience to qualify to register.

Scenario #2

Dave is a well driller with 2 years full time experience drilling monitoring wells but has no certification. He applies on October 15, 2006.●as his 2 years experience is less than the 5

year minimum, he does not qualify under the grand-parenting option. He will not have sufficient experience before the November 1, 2006 deadline to qualify for the grand-parenting option.

Options? Dave will have to obtain recognized certification and continue to work full time for another year until he has the minimum 3 years experience before reapplying under the post-November 1, 2006 rules.

All applications must contain the following:1. Completed, signed, and dated application2. Notarized documentation of proof of age3. Documented evidence of one of the following:

i. For certification option applicants:1. Notarized documentation of certification2. Letter(s) of Reference covering minimum of 3 years experience3. Completed, signed and dated Work History (Appendix B of application)

detailing minimum of 3 years experience

ii. For grand-parenting option applicants:1. Letter(s) of Reference covering minimum of 5 years experience2. Completed, signed and dated Work History (Appendix B of application)

detailing minimum of 5 years experience

Application Information

Application Form

Letter of Reference – Appendix A

Work History – Appendix B

Deputy Comptroller of Water Rights

Water Protection Section

Ministry of Water, Land & Air Protection

PO Box 9341

Victoria BC V8W 9M1

(250) 356-5062

ground.web@gems4.gov.bc.ca

The GWPR covers the following well standards:

1. surface sealing

2. well identification

3. deactivation and closure of wells

4. well caps and well covers

5. floodproofing

6. wellhead protection

2. Well Standards

The GWPR defines responsibilities according to: well driller and/or well pump installer owner engineer

Specific well standard requirements are the responsibility of the person constructing or deactivating the well (driller and/or pump installer) and/or the owner.

Responsibilities

The GWPR requirements are based on classes of wells which are defined.1. water supply well (domestic and non-domestic)

2. monitoring well

3. recharge or injection well

4. dewatering or drainage well

5. remediation well

6. geotechnical well

Classes of Wells

Further categorization of the well also determines whether a specific standard applies.

● temporary or permanent well● method of drilling well

●drilling, driving, jetting, or excavating

● orientation of well●horizontal or vertical

Classification of Wells

Well Identification Standards under the B.C. GWPR

BCGWA Ground Water Protection Regulation WorkshopsGilles Wendling

Information describing requirements for well identification can be found in the GWPR in Table 2.

Key classes of wells in this section:●water supply wells (all types of both domestic

and non-domestic sub-classes)● recharge and injection wells●permanent dewatering wells

Well Identification – Classes of Wells

water supply well - for extracting and using ground water but does not include a drainage, dewatering, or remediation well

recharge well - used to convey water into a geologic formation without the aid of a pump

injection well - used to convey water into a geologic formation with the aid of a pump

permanent dewatering well - used to divert or convey water by pumping to facilitate construction of an excavation, stabilize land, or reduce pressure in a geologic formation and intended to be used for more than 90 days

Well Identification – Types of Wells

Obtain plates from Province of B.C. (WLAP) To be attached to new water supply, recharge,

injection, and permanent dewatering wells, altered water supply wells, and existing water supply wells● must be attached securely to the well casing, well cap

or well cover so that the ID number is clearly visible● well ID number must be recorded on well construction

report and submitted to the comptroller within 90 days after the well completion date

Well Identification Plate

person responsible for drilling a● new water supply well● new drilled recharge or injection well● new permanent drilled vertical dewatering well

must attach a well ID plate on completion of the well

after October 31, 2005, person responsible for altering● an existing water supply well or● a drilled recharge, injection, or permanent vertical

dewatering wellthat does not have an ID plate attached, must attach one

Wells Requiring Identification – Drillers’ Responsibilities

owner of an existing water supply well must attach a well ID plate to it before October 31, 2006 and record the well ID number on a form (Schedule 2) to be submitted to the comptroller within 90 days

owner must● maintain and safeguard well ID plate from damage● ensure well ID plate remains plainly visible● report any damage to the ID plate to the comptroller

Wells Requiring Identification – Owners’ Responsibilities

Owners’ Responsibilities

Well Identification (Schedule 1 Table 2)

Well Identification (Schedule 1 Table 2)

Well Identification (Schedule 1 Table 2)

Contact Information Well standards and technical questions:

B.C Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection● Vancouver Island: Mike Feduk (250) 751-3149● Lower Mainland: ● Okanagan: Des Anderson (250) 490-8221● Thompson-Cariboo: Kevin Bennett (250) 371-6319

Registration and regulation questions:● Deputy Comptroller (Victoria): Mike Wei (250) 356-5062● email: ground.web@gems4.gov.bc.ca

WLAP ground water website: wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/wat/gws/ BCGWA

● BCGWA, secretary (604) 530 8934 ● Gilles Wendling, EBA (250) 756-2256